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

Is anything sublime attached to a
mount, rare beauty will be admitted
no linger around this wild and tower
Aug line of rocks. It's bold and frown-
sng front extends about one mile, and
so roughly is it flung together by ma
tuse and standing at the same time
70 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
pbiiquely from the narrow crevices,
looking green even among rocks, like
hope Furnishing on the borders of de-
spair.
The red bolt from the thundercloud,
tie 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 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
ut the suns 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,
called the Stockbridge tribe, and tradi-
tion has handed down many an ambig-
uous and chilling tale in regard to
them. 1t was an established law among
them that when an Indian committed a
deed the penalty of which was death
be 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
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-
Er had been death. She was we'll aware
what her fate would be previous to her
sealing it, but it did not restrain her.
STE disobeye1 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
hians are famous. But here thing &C.
CURED which had never been known
before. In her downward flight she
came in contact with the long branch of
q 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 hing at the mercy of a
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
rause of life, was not sufficient to draw
her up to the limb. She cast her eyes
mp, but nothing was there but her re-
2aiitIess enemies, whose diminished and
dusky forms were arranged along the
e,lge of the mount
I'hey mocted her in the situation in
(Which she was placed, and the aisles of
alse forest reverberated TO their hideous
a1d unearthly yells. Below all was in
nliniature--the rocks were Cwindled to
4 level with the surrounding vale, the
ssees had shrunk away to bushes, an old
ehiaf, who was sitting on rock string
frg his bow, was but a speok, and the
outline Of his form could scarcely be
sraced.
1t was morn when her sentence was
eZecuted, and tradition says that when
che shadows Of evening b6gsn'to gather
Fopnd she still as there, and her shrill
csg was heard a isturbing the Quiotness
Cf the hour. Night came and passed
away, and still she was swinging on
fbis sloping pine, aud the noise which
siis uttered told that huligeE was doing
his work upon her. Late in the rlorn-
ssg some CT the Indians, going ever to
siaa verge of the preeipice and bending
Cvsr, saw a few CROWS circling round
s.ae unfortunate victim n head, as if inn
patient for her wasting body, which.
they evinced By ;diving and darting at
her form and then, rising suddenly in
the air with outstretched wings, as it
come motion of life had deferred them
from their purpose. Often did they rest
sthcir weary wings upon the very tree