The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-05

anu CndnKeu 0eT<til III SO ftTrlOlo n
shape hat Ohoteu was so frightened
she could not interfere when the witch
ran OF with her little brother. taking
him to her home on h side OF a dis
tant mountain.
This old witch was 50 ugly that no
man would marry her. She had decided
that her only course was TO capture a
husband. and this was her reason for
wanting Sage Cock. When she reached
her cave she began transforming the
baby into n fu~ll-grown man. First she
pulled at one limb. then another. until
each vas the size OF a mans. Finally
Sage Cock. of a mans size and with a
mans strength. stood before her. She
at last had a husband. But. in spite OF
his size. Sage Cock in his heart and
brain was still a baby and apt TO do the
same foolish things a baby would do.
The witch had to teach him TO hunt and
fish and to eat dried buffalo meat. and
as IL was a long time before his mother
found him he had then learned to shoot
well.
II was not long after the k~idnaping
of Sage Cock before Turtle Dove had
all the seeds she could carry. and. re-
turning to the spot where she had left
her children. she met Ohoteu crying and
was told what had happened. Ohoteu
soon had other reasons for crying.
But furnishing the little girl did not
lessen the mothers grief for the loss OF
her baby. In great sorrow she started
search for Sage Cock. Her brother.
Eagle. because he IA a great traveller.
offered to aid her, and, by flying very
swiftly and without rest, he visited n
great dea OF territory. But II was
months before he spied the witch. He
did not then know that the man with
her was Sage Cock.
Dat wL1, n. tia 1r,~.r. ~ -.
he had seen she started at once with
him for the witch's mountain. sure
that II the man was her boy trans
formed by the wicked magic of the
witch, he would still recognize her
voice. When the two finally reached
the neighborhood where the witch had
previously been seen Turtle Dove
climbed into a tree and cried aloud
most mournfully, while Eagle, from an
other tree. keenly watched the effect
on Sage Cock. who Immediately recog-
nized the voice and cried repeatedly to
the witch: II hear my mother, I hear
mother!" But the witch only laugh
ed and told him TO hide I'm the stomach
OF a mountain sheep which was lying
near, n trophy of the boy-man's skill
with tnc bow and arrow. Obedient.
Sage Cock crawled into the sheep, so the
legend goes, and the old witch followed
him.
Turtle and Eagle were puzzled at the
sudden disappearance of the two. but
a no thought of investigating the in
terror workings of the dead
sheep, and were more wretched in their
disappointment than at any time since
the long search had begun. They wan
dered almlessly about for several days.
when Eagle decided tina the missing
pair. n particularly Sage Cock. who
was half a baby. would Don be so hun
CRY they would ave to come out OF
their hiding for food. He killed a rabbit
and hung 1t at the top of a small pine
tree, peeled the tree of its bark and
limbs, that IL might be next to impos-
sible to climb it, and then from the
of a great tamarack he watched
1t IA but a few hours before the
appeared. as Eagle had expected.
when she saw the rabbit, which
was the nearest o at hand, she be-
gan ~awkwardly climbing the tree. SO
slow was she hat Eagle. who had seen
emerge from the sheep, had time To
paunch and carry him of, while the
witch was %grunting and hugging the
tree, her eyes fixed on the rabbit above.
carried his prize to the same
spot under the sage bush from which
Cock was stolen. and so soon as
.dkt Spihs hoN a. nldUs Abuttlfu Nh'
he was instantly transformed
into the same baby he had been when
had disappeared. As Eagles tracks
were washed out by rainstorms. when
witch discovered her loss she was
unable to trace him. But she saw
some feathers which she knew were
and at once OWNED what had
happened.
She decided to go to her grandfather.
a rattlesnake. for protection and for
his aid in %svenging herself. The ven-
arable reptile. Rattlesnake, with whom
was by no means popular. vas
browsing in a glare of sunshine on a
big, fiat rock. and. vexed that she had
awakened him. he told her roughly.
away, i don't want TO see you"
But as she stood there pleading. Eagle
appeared. She was badly frightened, |
)ut as she did not lose her wits when
Rattlesnake cried, Hide. hide" she
right into the old fellows
mouth and slid down TO his middle, |
which gave old Rattlesnake such a
pain hat he begged the witch to crawl
n when h refused, in his par
OF anguish he slipped out of his
kin. leaving the witch within II.
When Eagle called out where are
old witch?" in a threatening tone,
answered him derisively from her
ocular quarters, knocking what he had
aid. As she feared no disturbance i'm
UGH an abode. she has lived there ever
iince. and glorying in her seclusion
Ter voice Is often heard, always derid-
ng and hooking people.-Sioux City
The DaaNta AnnlAnla DoGa. iii 4