The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-12-01
THE DEVILS SLIDE.


the bowels of the earth. Myriads of
inferior gnomes were subject to his
rule and were employed, under his
wise dominion, in administering the
business of his kingdom. checking
and controlling the rude force Of the
fires that rage in the earth's bosom
and making it serviceable in charg-
ing the rocky assures with ores and
| minerals.
But once in awhile. in the course
of the centuries, he tires of his mo-
notonous and gloomy life, and then it
is his habit to come to the surface
for holiday.
At first, in the far distant times, he
found the earth inhabited by hideous
monsters, and his only sport was to
hunt the ichthyosaurus or to plunge
deep into the pathless forests and en-
gage in fierce encounter with ter
rible biped, who is known to us only
as the prehistoric man. HalWalla,
however, was rather peaceable than
warlike, and after few such visits
he wearied of this rough sport, and
many centuries came and went be-
fore he visited the upper earth again
Great was his surprise to find that
the monsters of the early times had
disappeared. The giant forests had
given place to woods of much smaller
growth, but what interested the
gnome most of all was the sight of a
number of Indian villages which
clustered in the peaceful valley be-
low. The men, women and little
children were revelation to Hal
Walla. They reminded him strange
| ly of the fierce beings he had crap
pied with in the forests of prehistoric
times, and yet they were so different.
Clad in scant, bright colored gar
ments, their red skins shone with
cunningly painted designs. Their
manners were gentle, for it was a
peaceable Indian tribe that had built
its wigwams on Hal-Walla's domain.
They were kind to their women, and
the children played harmlessly about,
shooting at marks with small bows
and arrows, running swift races or
flying on their ponies over hill and
dale.
Dwelling invisible and unsuspected
among them, Hal-Walla took delight
in studying the ways and habits of |
these beings, so new and strange to
him. He soon learned their Ian |
guage and often sat at night in their
wigwams, listening to their talk |
about their ponies, their crops, the
chase or the danger that threatened |
from hostile tribes. And while the
spirit thus dwelt in their tents their |
good fortune was wonderful, for Hal.
Walla caused their crops to grow as
they never did before, and no arrow
sent after buffalo or deer. no mat
ter by how young and raw a hand,
was known to miss its mark. And
once when band of hostile red men
came swarming over the mountains
to attack the peaceful dwellers in the
valley he assumed shape of terror,
drove them before him like cattle and
slew them in great numbers.
ALI this led these simple folk to
believe in the presence of good
being among them, and sweet to
Hal Walla were the words of thanks
and praise which he overheard at
their campfres at night. But one
day, as the gnome was roaming about
the mountains, he spied maiden,
fair and beautiful-an Indian prin-
cess, the only daughter of the great
Chief Winotah of the powerful tribe
of the Utes. She was seated, chat
ting with her girl playmates and at
tendants, at the foot of huge water
fall, which went swirling and tum-
bling into rude natural basin. The
subsequent conduct of the gnome, as
we shall presently see, would indi-
cate that her innocent beauty i'm
pressed him deeply, for when, on the
next day, the maidens came again to
sit by the waterfall they were amazed
to find the scene wholly changed.
Tall trees, which had not been there
before, made a shady grove about it.
The wild sweep of the cataract had
been checked, so that it now fell with
a gentle murmur into the basin, which
had grown large and wide and was
filed to the brim with the cool, linn
pid water, showing the pebbly bottom
in its transparent depth. 1T is the
good spirit who has done this" cried
the maidens, and amid wonder and
laughter and congratulation they
speedily prepared for bath. The
princess was the first TO venture in,
but no sooner was she immersed than
she sank out of sight. Vainly her
shrieking companions clutched at the
glossy black hair as they saw her
disappear, and when Visnla, the prin.
cess favorite, plunged in to share her
fate some unseen power prevented
her from sinking, and she could only
float lightly on the limpid surface
like petal from wild rose.
+. Frightened and weeping, the girls
returned to the village and impaired
all that had happened to Winotah.
The chief rent his garment, scattered
to the winds the plumes that waved
so proudly on his head and grieved
for the loss of his favorite daughter.
After awhile he took courage and
went to view with his own eyes the
fatal spot where she had disappeared.
But the magical illusion was gone,
and the waterfall tumbled in unbri-
died fury down the mountain side,
as it had ever done within the mem
Ory of man.
Meanwhile the princess, who had
lost consciousness when she felt her
self sinking, had been carried by Hal
Walla thron$h his subterranean king,
dom to a beautiful valley, which his
magic had filed with wonders. When
she awoke, she found herself reclip- :
ing on a grassy knoll, dressed in
bright garments, and the sunlight,
glinting through the shady trees, fell
on the form of handsome young
chief standing reverently before her.
This was none other than Hal-Walla,
who had assumed this pleasing
shape as being most likely to find ia
vor in the eyes of the maid. lnglow-
ing words he spoke to her of love;
told her the secret of his being; told
her of his great kingdom in the bow
els of the earth; of the power he