The Somerset reporter., 1897-08-05
AN INDIAN LEGEND.

In the county of Berkshire. state Of
Massachusetts, the lofty Monument
mountain rears its gray form If there
is anything sublime attached to
mount, rare beauty Will he admitted
TO linger around this Wild and tower
ing line of rocks It. told aud frowu-
ing front extends about one mile, and
SO roughly Is ii flung together BY ma
ture and standing at the same time
so perpendicular that "a tremulous chill
hurries over the body as the awestruck
beholder gazes up at it \ few knotty,
dwartish pines are to he seen peering
obliquely from the narrow creviees,
looking green even among rocks. like
hope fourishing on the borders of de
spair
The red bolt from the thundercloud,
the winds and the power Of centuries
have tern way many fragments of
stone from on high and sent them smok-
ing to the base, where already long
pyramidal line is strung along. quite
mountain in itself. The rear of this
is overshadowed by tail and regal look
ing trees, whose giant roots have never
been broken. 1t presents "A fearful yet
magnificent appearance. There is no
village near to wake the solemnity of
its solitude, and silence Is as profound
at the suns meridian is at the hush Of
midnight 1t always seemed to me this
s., = /, -. II
first rosy flush of morning appeared I'M
easy until drinking the dew from the
trees upon its brow, and his last rays
fingered there at evening, even after "A
partial twilight began to fling a dusky
shade over the vast valley below. But
this may be imagination
must Just mention circumstance
in relation TO this mountain which
gave to it the appellation which it has
received.
Once this backward slope was stud
ded with the wigwams Of the Indians,
called the Stockbridge trihc, and tradi
tion has handed down many an ambig-
nous aud chilling tale III regard to
them. 1t was an established law among
them that when an Indian committed
deed the penalty of which was deathl
he should plunge himself, or, refusing
to do this, be plunged by some one of
his tribe, over this frightful precipice.
Many had been dashed to the rocky
vale below, and so high was the spot
from where the victims We're cast off
that it was generally supposed that tho
rapid descent through the air deprived
them of breath, and few if any had ev-
er been conscious of anything when
they had reached the earth.
A beautiful squaw transgressed by
marrying into another tribe and the
penalty for such an offense was and ev-
er had been death, She was we'll aware
what her fate would be previous to her
sealing it, tut 1t did not restrain her
She disobeyed, and nothing could atone
but the full extent of the law Although
she had courage sufficient to face death
in marrying, she did not feel willing to
sacrifice herself according to the man
date, and it therefore devolved upon
some one to precipitate her over the
cloud capped mountain. All her limbs
being bound except her hands, she was
borne to the verge and launched away
with all the stoicism for which the In
dians are famous But here thing 90
Cured which had never been known
before. In her downward flight she
came in contact with the long branch Of
a pine which swung out many feet
from the rocks, and, grasping it with
the clutch of death, succeeded in break
ing the force she had attained, and re-
manned holding fast, suspended between
the top and base of the mountain.
There she hung ut the mercy of
slender branch, without even hope of
rescue. The space between her and the
rocks was too much to think of touch
ing them, and her strength, even in the
cause of life, was not sufficient to draw
her up to the limb. She cast her eyes
up, but nothing was there but her re-
lentless enemies, whose diminished and
dusky forms We're arranged along the
edge of the mount.
They Knocked her in the situation in
which she was placed, and the aises of
the forest reverberated to their hideOus
and unearthly yells Below all was in
miniature-the rocks were dwindled to
a level with the surrounding vale, the
trees had shrunk away to bushes, an old
chief, who was sitting on rock string
ing his bow, was but speck, and the
outline Of his form could scarcely be
traced.
1t was morn when her sentence was
executed, and tradition says that when
the shadows of evening began to gather
round she still was there, and her shrill
cry was heard disturbing the quietness
of the hour Night came and passed
away, and still she was swinging on
this slipping pine, and the noise which
she uttered told that hunger was doing
his work upon her. Late in the morn
ing some Of the Indians, going over to
the verge Of the precipiCe and bending
over, saw few crows circlinR round
the unfortul. IT, victim head, as if i'm
patient for her wasting body, which
they eyinced by diving and darting at
her form ana then, rising suddenly in
the air with outstretched wings, as if
some motion of life bad deferred them
from their purpose. Often did they rest
their weary wings upon the very tree
by which she was supported, and the
long day passed with some one Of these
sable creatures watching the moment
when the grasp should fail and her
body fall below
1t WAS on the night of the second day