Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-06-14

aim was unerring and presently the
goat was dragged ,dOwn into place OF
safety, whence The hunters removed
him. This was sn,old trick anuDg cx.
perienced hunters, the andlan' ex-
planned, and said that he himself bad
Feaped a pretty rich harvest OF peltry
by snatching fresh victims from the
grasp Of the death trap.
The sun was almost down, and had
quite left the gorge, so atthc request
Of the Indian the hunters accOmpan-
led him to his mountain-Pesched cab
10, and from there beheld the lighting
up OF the stUne when the moon was
gone. AS they all sat aboet the fire
watching the phenOmepOR their old
host told them many marvellous sto-
ries OF the wonder, among others the
legend Of It's discovery by the tribe
hundreds OF years ago. The legend
runs about as follows:
Once upon time there came into
the midst OF the tribe asking food and
shelter stranger with a marvelIsnsly
beautiful face. His body was little
and mean and puny, aud his back was
bumped, but his face was fair beyond
all description aud strangely beauti.
full. His eyes were large and lrmin-
Gus, like twin stars, and although he
seemed to know nothing of herbs OF
their properties, he possessed the mar.
vcllouS faculty of healing the sick by
laying his hands upon them, or even
looking tixedly at them with his great
eyes.
Even dumb animals wonld flock
around him II he chose to have them
do so, and the chief held him in such
reverence that by and by he adopted
the stranger in the tribe and made
him a medicine man. Many years
passed during which the stranger still
aud In the mean time the
chiefs son had grown to manhood, and
it became time for him to take wife.
The comliest maiden OF the tribe was
selected as his bride, aud the prepara-
tions were made for the nuptials.
When the wedding day arrived, how
ever, the maiden WAS missing, and an
old Inoman declared that the niedi-
cine man had spirited her away. A
diligent search failed TO disclose her
whereabouts, and the chief reluctant.
ly'consented to believe that the friend
Of his adoption guilty. A company Of
twelve OF the bravest warriors were
ordered to dri@e the medicine man
out Of the tribe, for no one would
consent to see him killed outright,
40 great was the love Of the people for
him.
Early bh the morning the warriors
set out to chase him beyond the
mOuntins, the medicine man running
swiftly on before so that they could
just scarcely keep him in sight. FL
nally IL became evident that he was
leading them on after him instead OF
fleeing before them, and at last, al
though the chief sent,:messengers to
order the men TO return, it was impos.
sible toget them TO heed the com
mand. On and on they followed,
climbing the mountain side and look
ng neither to the right nor to the left
but keeping their eyes fixed desperate
ly upon the medicine man before
them. The chiefs messengers fol-
lowed as close as they dared, and at
last heheld, with confederation, the
warriors fall, one by one, dead iu their
tracks, between the parted lips OF a
great blue stone.
Thus WAS the death trap discovered
many hundreds Of years ago, aud the
Indians believe 1t to have been set by
the medicine man to ward of all pur-
suit after him aud the stolen bride Of
the chiefs son.