The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-09-11
THE DEVILS SLIDE.


tribes around about gave the name
of Hal-Walla. He was spirit of
great power within the limits of his
domain, which extended deep into
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 a 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 painless forests and en-
gage in fierce encounter with ter
ribie biped, who is known to us only
as the prehistoric man. Hal-Walla,
however, was rather peaceable than
warlike, and after a 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 a 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 We're 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
Aging on their ponies over hill and
dale.
Dwelling invisible and unsupported
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 a buffalo or deer, no mat
ter by how young and raw a hand,
was known to miss it's mark. And
once when band of hostile red men
came swarming over the mountains
to attack the peaceful jewellers in the
valley he assumed a shape of terror,
drove them before him like cattle and
slew them in great numbers.
All this led these simple folk to
believe in the presence of a good
being among them, and sweet to
Hal-Walla were the words of thanks
and praise which he overheard at
their campfires at night. But one
day, as the gnome was roaming about
the mountains, he spied a 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 hep girl playmates and at
PENDANTS, at the foot of huge water
fall, which went swirling and tum-
bling into a rude natural baGn. 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 shady grove about it.
The wild sweep of the cataract had |
been checked, so that it now fell with |
a gentle muImur 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, F" cried
the maidens, and amid wonder and
laughter and congratulation they
speedily prepared for a 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
and when yisula, the prin-
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