Connecticut western news., 1897-09-16
AN INDIAN LEGEND.

AN INDIAN LEGEND.
 In the county of Berkshire, state of Massachusetts, tl,o lofty Monument mountain rears it's gray form. If there is anything sublime attached to a mount, a rare beauty will be admitted to finger around this wild and tower ing line of rocks. Its bold and frown- ing front extends about one mile, and so roughly is it flung together by na- ture and standing at the same time 90 perpendicular that tremulous chill hurries over the body as the awestruck beholder gazes up at it. A few knotty, dwarfish pines are to be seen peering obliquely from the narrow crevices, 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 torn 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 a mountain in itself. The rear of this place falls off with gentle slope, which is overshadowed by tall and regal look ing trees, whose giant roots have never been broken. It presents 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 as at the hush of midnight. It 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 it's 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, called the Stockbridge tribe, and tradi- tion has handed down many an ambig- uous and chilling tale in regard to them. It was an established law among them that when an Indian committed a 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 of that it was generally supposed that the rapid descent through the air deprived them of breath, and few if any had ev- CT 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- CT had been death. She was we'll aware what her fate would be previous to her sealing 1t, but it 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 h. dians are famous. But here a thing oc- cured which had never been known before. In her downward flight she came in contact with the long branch of | 8 pine which swung out many feet from the rocks, and, grasping 1t with the clutch of death, succeeded in break | ing the force she had attained, and re- mained holding fast, suspended between the top and base of the mountain. I There she hung at the mercy of a slender branch, without even a 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 were arranged along the edge of the mount.
 They mocked her in the situation in which she was placed. and the aisles of the forest reverberated to their hideous and unearthly yells. Below all was in miniature-the rocks were dwindled to 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.
 It 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 slopinR 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 a few crows circling round the unfortunate victims head. as if i'm patient for her wasting body, which
 they eviDced by diving and darting al
 her form and then, rising suddenly ir
 the air with outstretched wings, as ii
 some motion of life had deterred them
 from their purpose. Often did they rest
 their weary wings upon the very tree
 by which she was supported, and tho
 long day passed with some one of these
 sable creatures watching the moment
 when the grasp should fail and hel
 body fall below.
 It was on the night of the second day
 that scene took place which has never
 been forgotten. The sun fell away a
 eve with a peculiar splendor, turning
 every object in the valley to golde1
 light and causing the Housatonic, il
 it's serpentine course, to gleam up ant
 spangle like liquid fire. Many was thu
 hunter who lay watching the beauty O ] the beams which were flung arount