The times., 1898-12-18
s1& %'":s House 81 Hermann ;s:ssa %a;a e arsa4+ s

heard of this mighty deity. The Indians
told the most surprising stories of the
Spirit, and the intrepid pioneer resolved
to see 1t. but as the red men maintained
a profound silence in regard TO its habi-
tation he was compelled to use subtlety
to discover it, He soon found that at
each new moon the red men sent out a
delegation to carry offerings of flesh and
corn to the Fire Spirit for It's Precipitation.
He therefore left the Indian village few
days before q new moon and set os,t os-
tensibly on a hunt to the northward. He
did not go far, but hung about the VI
clnity with the purpose of following the
party bound to the abiding place of their
fiery god with the sacrificial offerings.
And so II fell about that in this way old
Gideon discovered their secret. He fol-
lowed them due north for a night and
day, and toward evening they came to
big spring. where they stopped to rest and
cook their suppers of venison and pigeons.
This spring is undoubtedly identical with
that which IS even now the pride of Ne
osho, the pretty and picturesque county
seat of Newton County.
Dusk had hardly fallen, and the pale
crescent of the new moon was just visi-
BILE over the hills TO the southwest. when
the Indians started again on their jour-
ney to the northward, Old Gideon still
at their heels. 1t was well-nigh mid
| night, according to the trapper's calcu-
| lation by the stars, when he noticed q
| faint glow directly ahead. His practiced
| ear told him that the Indians were ad-
vancing more cautiously, and his quick
| instinct informed him that they were
near the abode of the spirit of fire. Upon
| nearer approach the glow grew Brighter
and the trapper distinctly felt pulsaton
| as though the heart of the earth were
beating beneath his feet. The party had
entered a warm draw, or valley, between
! the hills, and skirting a thicket of per-
simmon trees to the right. penetrated a
| thick growth of scant oak and sassafras.
| The Great Fire Spirit appeared before
| them in all his flaming majesty. The In
| dians cast their offerings into the pillar
| of fire and fell PROSTATE upon the ground,
| uttering strange gutteral cries. Old Gid
| con was not much less affected. He
gazed in amazement at the fiery tongue
| darting out from the rocky mouth of the
hillside, and he was ready then to be-
fieve all the marvellous stories he had
heard the Indians relate of the Great
Fire Spirit.
The red men did not tarry long, but
Old Gideon, made of stronger stuff, de.
termined to await the coming of daylight
and make a close examination. All night
he watched the roaring. writhing, Iulsat-
ing column of flame, remaining at re.
spectful distance, but with the advent Of
sunlight his awe and anxiety disappear
ed and he drew near. In truth, after 6
few minutes, he had established intimat.
relations with the Fire Spirit. 1t SO hap
pened that fat young deer browsed thai
way, and his rifle and keen hunting knife
were not long in providing him with /;
breakfast of juicy chops, cooked, mari
you, in the flame of the Fire Spirit. Ii
those days natural gas was unheard of
and the pioneer, like Lafayette. called il
air that would burn The Great Fire
Spirit was simply a burning jet from {
reservoir of natural gas. ignited possibl,
by flash of lightning, or maybe by ar
Indian campfire or a forest fire. Bu
the jet of flame no longer burns Th;
Fire Spirit passed away with the Indian:
who worshiped IT. why, nobody knows
But in these latter days experts hav,
sought the scene of the Big Spring where
the Fire Spirit once dwelt, and they have
reported that the rocks undoubtedly in
dicate the existence of natural gas. ant
who knows but that one day the GreaI
Fire Spirit may return again and lend its
flaming energy to reducing the ores in the
mining district of Jasper County?
If you ever happen to be sojourner al
Eureka Springs get good, easy riding
horse and gallop out to the Blue Spring