The Washington bee., 1893-12-09
BALLS FROM THE SKY.
An Indian Legend of Shower of Me-
teoric Stonas

teoric Stones.
The Sioux Indians have legend that
is of interest now, telling as it does
how an opposing army was put to
flight by a shower of meteoriteS. The
legend also explains 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 it's mouth, may be
found hundreds and thousands of
stones of all sizes. There is nothing
extraordinary in this, the reader may
think, but the extraordinary 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 is the
legend that accounts for the presence
of the stones:
Many years ago, which in Indian lore
may mean fifty Or a thousand years,
the Sioux Indians ranged 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 gen.
eralShip of the Sioux more than over
balanced this, and heretofore the war
had been a drawn affair. AS time
passed, however, the Crows became
more and more aggressive, and not a
week passed without great slaughter
on both sides. Each day saw the
numbers of the Sioux decreasing, un-
til at last the old chieftains realized
that their nation was dwindling away,
and would eventually become part
of the victorious Crows. One day the
Grows 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, and
he spoke:
Brethren, the Crows have reinforced
their already 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 70 die. The Grows will
everything in reach. Death and de-
struction will mark their path. Our
only hope now is in the Intervention
of the Manitou, and l will give liba-
tionS that he may help us in the hour
of need. Our only safety now is in
flight to the river. When the battle
comes on, if the good Manitou does
not save us, then it is best to kill our
fn I
will give the signal. Red Dog has
spoken. Mind his words"
Red Dogs prophetic words filled the
warriors with gloom, and they began
to prepare for their flight to the river.
Once on the bank, further flight was
impossible, and preparations for bat
tie were made. Singing loudly their
war songs, the Grows 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 ap-
peared an ominous gathering in the
sky. The heavens assumed greenish
hue, a few drops of rain fell, and then
there came something harder. Pebbles
began dashing down on the fighting
Indians, and the pebbles turned to
larger stones until they assumed size
that meant death to all that were
struck. Down poured the cannon balls
of heaven upon the Crows, but, won
derful to relate, not one of the Sioux
was hit by the missiles from the sky
From that day the Sioux were un-
molested 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-Chicago
Daily Tribune