The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-07-15
AN INDIAN LEGEND.

! 8 u ~ + 4
In the county of Berkshire. state of
Massachusetts,, the lofty Monument
saountain rears its gray FORM If there
ss anything sublime attached to a
mount, rare beauty will be admitted
TO linger around this wild and tower
fng line of rocks. It's bold and frown-
sing front extends about one mile, and
30 roughly is it flung together by ma
ture and standing at the same time
no perpendicular that tremnlous chill
hurries over the body as the awestruck
beholder gazes up at it. A few knotty,
dwarfish pines are to be seen peering
pbiiquely from the narrow crevices,
looking green even among rocks, like
hope flourishing on the borders of de-
spair.
The red bolt from the thundercloud,
the winds and the power of centuries
have torn way many fragments of
stone from on high and sent them smok-
Scg to the base, where already long
pyramidal line is strung along, quite a
mountain in ITSELF The rear of this
place falls off with q gentle slope, which
is oyershadowed by tall and regal look
ing trees, whose giant roots have never
been broken. 1t presents fearful yet
magnificent appearance. There is no
village near to wake the solemnity of
its solitude, and silence is as profound
at the SUMS meridian as at the hush of
midnight. 1t always seemed to me this
spot was favorite with the sun, for the
first rosy flush of morning appeared un-
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 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,
tion has handed down many an ambig-
nous and chilling tale in regard to
them. 1t was an established law among
them that when an Indian committed
deed the penalty of which was death
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 were cast off
that it was generally supposed that the
raIid 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-
RI had been death. She was we'll aware
what her fate would be previous to her
sealing it, but it did not restrain her.
Sic disobeyea, and nothing could atone
but the full & tent of the law. Although
shc 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 oc-
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
fsae top and base of the mountain.
There she hing at the mercy of a
slender branch, without even hope of
rescue. The space between her and the
cocks was too much to think of touGh-
ing them, and her strength, even in the
rause of life, was not sufficient to draw
her up to the limb. She cast her eyes.
up, but nothing was there but her re-
sentless enemies, whose diminished and
dusky forms were arranged along the
asige of the lfonnt.
They Knocked her in the situation in
yFfa'ich she y as placed. and the aisles of
she forest reverberafed to their hideous
sad unearthly yells. Below all was in /
Eniniatnre he roolKs were dwindled to-
4 lsvel with the surrounding vale, the 4
fsees bad shrunk away to bushes, an old
ghiaf, who was sitting on a rock string
Fng his bow, WAS, but a speek, and the
eatline OF bis form could scarcely be
sraced.
1t was morn when her sentence was
SECUTED, and tradition says that when
Che shadows Of evening b9gani'to gather
ToSnd she still as there, and her shriIi
cry was hsa turbing the quietness
OF the honr light came and passed
SWAY, ard still she was swinging on
fbis sloping pine, aud the noise which
sfs uttered told tbat hua ger was doing J,
bis work upon her. Late il the morn
snf; some Of the Indians, going over to /
tIas verge of the precipice and bending
cvtr. saw al few crows circling round
/ ise unfortunate viafi y head. as if inn
patient for her was body, which.
they svinced i,g dfYing and darting at ]
her form and then; rising suddenly in
the air with outstretched wings. as IL
1ome motion of life had deferred them
from their purpose. Often did they rest
fAejF weary wings upon The very free