The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-02
CANN ON BALLS oF HEAVEN.
A Sioux Legend OF Victory Won by
a Meteoric Shower.
From the Chicago Tribune.

a Meteoric Shower.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The Sioux Indians have q legend that Is
Of interest now, telling as ii does how an
opposing army was put to flight by q
shower Of meteorites. The legend also ex-
plains a peculiar layer OF stones found on
the shores of the Cannon Ball river. This
river is one of the many streams of the
northwest that join to make the Big Muddy,
and flows near the Standing Rock agency.
Along this stream, at distance OF four or
five miles from its mouth, may be found
hundreds and thousands of stones Of all
sizes. There is nothing extraordinary in
this, the reader may think, but the extra
ordinary part is not in the presence of the
stones but In their shape and weight. Their
sizes range from a marble to that of globes
three feet In diameter. This ia the legend
that accounts for the presence OF the stones:
Many years ago, which in Indian lore
may mean fifty or thousand years, the
Sioux nation reigned supreme all along the
Great Waters from it's head TO its mouth.
A mighty nation, the Crows, inhabited the
land to the west OF the Sioux possessions,
and between the two there was constant
warfare.
The Crows were the most powerful in
point of numbers but the superior general
ship OF the Sioux more than overbalRnced
this, and heretofore the war had been a
drawn affair. AS time passed, however,
the Crows became more and more aggres-
sive, and not week passed without great
slaughter on both sides.
Each day saw the numbers OF Sioux de-
creasing, until at last the old chieftains
realized that their nation was dwindling
away and would eventually become part
of the victorious Crows
One day the Crows gathered IN force, and
the Sioux tribe felt this was TO be the last Of
their race.
Then appeared Red Dog, the medicine
man. A wave of his long bony arm stilled
the crowd aud he spoke:
Brethren the Crows have reinforced their al
ready powerful army. Some of our most
trusted warriors are among them. They have
proven themselves traitors to the blood that
binds them to the Sioux, They have betrayed
us and doomed us 20 die. The Crows will
swoop down upon US and destroy everything in
reach. Death and destruction will mark their
path
s--Our only hope ia in the Intervention Of the
Mnnitou. and 1 will give Iibstions that he may
help US in the hour of need. Our only safety is
In flight to the river. When the battle comes
on il the good Manitou does not save us then it
Is best 20 kill ourselves, and when the time
comes / will give the signal
Red Deg hes spoken. Mind his words.
Red Dogs prophetic words filed abe war
riors with gloom and they began 20 prepare
AOA pdGh hA&ns W IlNoEs OHC0 on the
bank further fight was impossible and pre-
parations for battle were made. Singing
loudly their war songs the Crows dashed
forward and arrows and spears fell thick
and fast among the Sioux,
There was no hope and Red Dog was Just
about to give the signal for the members
Of the band to kill themselves when there
appeared an ominous gathering ia the sky.
The heavens assumed a greenish hue, a few
drops Of rain fell, and then there came
something harder.
Pebbles began dashing down upon the
fighting Indians, and she pebbles turned TO
larger stones until they assumed a size that
meant death to all that were struck. Down
poured the cannon balls of heaven upon the
Crows, but wonderful 90 relate, not one Of
the Sioux was hit by the missiles from the
sky.
From that day the Sioux were unmo-
Tested by the other tribes, and the round
stones that are found in such abundance
along the Cannon Ball river are the relics
of the day when the Manitou answered the
prayers Of Red Dog. This is the legend.