The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-18

sank, when the waters poured in over the
bow. The people waited in breathless
suspense until the last glimpse of it had
disappeared in a whrl of water; then ST.
lenty dispersed to their homes.
For one moon all went well. The wa
ters did not recede, but they did not ad-
vance. But on the very night, a month
after the sacrifice. a storm so terrible rag
ed that the former was but as the waves
the child makes when dabbling with it's
bare feet in a little stream. The people
in despair gave themselves up for lost.
All prepared for inevitable, if not imme-
date, destruction.
NOW the chief had daughter jewel
among maidens; beautiful wise, happy in
making others happy, she went around
among the people comforting those who
were afflicted, beseeching each to prepare
to return whence he came with a pure
heart and a courageous spirit. AS one
day she was assisting a very old woman,
all of whose children had perished to pre-
pare her burial clothes, the woman spoke
of the legends that had been told her when
she was young, of the lands to the far
west, whence her ancestors came, where
the good and evil spirits visited the earth
in person to sport with Maynard mortals
The ancient woman was revered as
prophecies by all her tribe She was so
very old that the greater part of the time
size uOllceu not Ine lHluSS dFOunu Hei, buJ
crooned and mumbled of bygone ages. On
this day she was especially moved, and
spoke repeatedly of the fact that a happy
and beautiful woman who voluntarily and
secretly sacrificed herself was that gift
the gods most priced, and would propi-
tiate them when nothing else could do so.
THE maiden heard and pondered. Sure
ly she was not happy at present; far
from it-but she would be II by her sacri-
flee her people could be saved from the
doom which threatened them. She was
beautiful, for had not many braves Sought
her in marriage, calling her the farest of
maidens? All that day she went about
through the village. and many were the
blessings called down upon her and good
wishes for a happy future and a safe es-
cape from the all-present danger. The
maiden smiled to herself at this, for she
had resolved upon a course which would
truly make her joyful.
THAT night, when the moon was at the
highest, she clad herself in her most beau
tiful garments, unbound her heavy black
hair-black as the shadows that linger be-
meath the hemlocks on moonlight night
took her own light canoe from the little
stream where 1t was moored and sought
the sacred pool Standing by it's edge,
she chanted her death song-ehanted 1t
softly that none might hear and thWart
her purpose. The song finished, she
launched her canoe, but in doing so her
embroidered moccasins dropped from her
feet and floated on the surface of the
water. Padding to the middle of the pool.
she broke a hole in the frail bottom of
her little boat and sank amidst the swirl
ing green waters, which enwrapped her
as in a lovers embrace. Happy in the
thought of having done all in her power
to save her people, her faces Shown radi-
antly and calm as the placid moon that
watched her.
"As she sank the air was filed with
roarings, and with a crash and a great
rushing of waters, the hills were Shaken
with a CONFUSION that threatened to tear
them from their foundations. The fright
ened people rushed from their dwellings.
shrieking and wailing, only to sink faint
ing on the trembling ground. The last
day had come!
The great and merciful Manitou, look
ing down with his starry eyes through
the night, had seen the maiden's sacrifice.
and also the little floating moccasins. He
took pity on her poor people, and as a re-
ward for her unselhsh devotion caused the
! waters TO sweep TO the northward and
dash themselves against the rock-barrier
that kept them from the sea. Obeying his
| mandate, the waters united and hurled
| their weight against the pictured crags
that held them back so fiercely that the
| lodges gave way, and with a crash that
echoeS yet IN the great Niagara opened
an outlet through which the waters surg
ed away to join the salt sea. The reced-
ing waters left bare all this land around
us, over which the maiden's people spread
and multiplied. Then the Manitou set the
beavers to work at the lower end OF the
valley in the hills, where the little stream
! flowed out Higher and higher they built
dam; higher and higher rose the wa
tiers from the springs. covering the sacred
pool and the green rocks. At length the
Manitou commanded them to cease, and
10! sheltered by verdant hills and waving
forests was blue lake, which was in the
shape Of two slender moccasins. Thus the
All Merciful preserved the memory OF the
unselfish deed which, though performed
in remote ages, still teaches us a lesson.
THAT oh, little brother, is why the
lake on yonder hills IS called Tcha-da-coI
unto this day, for the name meaneth two
moccasins that are ted together with a
string"