The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-10
FATE OF THE RIPAS.
A STORY OF THE REVENGE OF TIE
GREAT SPIRIT.


a Whole Tribe Wiped Out by IL Flood M
Punishment For Disobediencc-AI Legend
Of tho Indians of Texas Told by an Epi-
grammatical Guide.
The Indian had been recommended. To
me us the best hunter i'll the San Bcr-
nard bottoms. For two days We had
been III pursuit of big game.
1t WAS after the second day of tho
hunt that we camped on the banks Of a
small creek 10 tho west of Hinklc's fer
~. The Indian busted himself with the
coffee, while / sat idly by and thought
over the incidents Of the day.
l had hecn told my companion was a
Caranchua and that he had moro knowl-
edge of the history of his people than
amy member of his tribe now living He
spoke as good English rs white man,
but his sentences were generally short
and cpigrammatic.
"Rebar, | said, "thc hunting is very
good i'll these bottoms when you consider
how long the country has been settled. z"
mo, " he replied, game nearly gone
now. Soon no more.
WAS there good hunting here whom
You We're Il boy" L asked.
Much he replied.
81 have heard,n said |, "that there
is u legend among your people that long
ago, before tho white man came into
this country, there was one great river
III this land, that it was mighty
stream, and that its course was through
the bed of what is now the Caney.'
1T is so, - said the Indian.
''And / have heard" | continued
"that when the white man digs his
wells he sometimes finds limbs of great
trees and pieces Of pottery and bows and
arrows and flints that We're used long
years ago by your people.
. Ii is SO, - said the Indian.
what is the legend that your people
havc:' | inquired.
My father told me, and the great
chief, Moclivilhum, told my father"
said the Indian, "tllat it is So There
was one river. 1t was the Cancv. Nv
people the Caranchuas, lived to the
east. The Lcpars, the Tawalanc: and
the Ripas lived to the west The Wa
Goes lived To the north. Ny people hunt
cd but the game. The Ripus We're pow
crful. They made war on The Lcpans
and drove them far to the west. They
stole the cattle and horses Of my people.
There WAS a great battle, in which
many Of my people were killed. The
Ripas drove the CaI.i.ciiuas far 10 the
east They stole the young squuws Of
the Caranchuas and killed the boys.
Soon the Caranchuas had to hide away
the squaws that were left All the coun-
try of my people was held by the Ripas
The Caranchuas had tn flee to the is
lands by the sea. Still the Ripas pur-
sued my people. The Caranchuas were
but few; the Ripas were many
1t was not only my people the Ri
pas murdered and plundcrcd. The Ia
wakanies and the Wacocs lost all their
cattle, and their young squaws wcro
taken by the Ripas until none but tho
Ripas were i'll all this country.
1.-The Great Spirit was angry with
tho Ripas, but the Ripas thought they
were more powerful than the Great
Spirit The Great Spirit sent mcssen-
ger to tho Ripas and told them they
must send back the squaws they had
stolen and must make war no more Oh
my people or On the Tawakanics or tho
Lepans or the Wacoes The Ripas held
council, and they decided TO make war
on the Great Spirit When they went
to tell the messenger that they deficd
the Great Spirit and challenged him to
battle, the messenger had disappeared.
They searched the woods and they
searched the great river, they searched
the prairie and they searched the sky,
but they could not find the messenger
He left no trail.
Then they had much fear that they
had done wrong, and some chiefs want
ed to make peace with the Great Spirit
Again they had council, but while they
held talk the heavens opened. the rain
fell, tho sky seemed all afire, tho thun-
der roared, and the messenger appeared
i'll flame of lightning. Tho Ripas fell
upon the earth and begged the Great
Spirit for mercy. But it was too late.
The rain poured down and the lightning
flashed, the ground shook and tho thun-
der crashed. Soon all the earth was COW
cred with water. The Ripas ran to tho
trees. Still the water rose Then the
wind blew down the trees, and many of
the Ripas were killed or drowned. Tic
waters rose hichCr and hipbpr and tbo