Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-06-23
THE WOLF AND THE EAGLE.
A Legend of Two Young Sarnnac In
dim Warriors.

dim Warriors.
When we think of the Indians, we are
apt to remember only the harsh and
cruel traits that they have shown; but
In their stories n / legends many
noble qualities are hidden under their
cruelty, like pearls n the uncouth shell
of the oyster.
In one of these legends we are told
that there used to be great many wiz
ards among the tribes. or sachems, as
the Indians called them, who were coun-
selors in the camp, but whose chief de-
light was in doing evil They worked
so much mischief In the hunting
grounds that at last the Great Spirit
locked them In the hollow trees that
grew along the trail.
Some of them, in their struggles to es-
cape, thrust their arms out of the trees,
but the closing wood imprisoned them,
and they may be seen TO this day, twist
ed and distorted in agony, as gnarled
roots and withered trunks and
branches.
Others survived this terrible trans
formation, and among them was Oqua-
rah. bent, decrepit, aged sachem, cruel
and evil minded, and jealous lest his
power should wane, OF be eclipsed by
that of rival. The fate of his brother
sachsms did not arouse pity in his heart,
nor did it soften him 10 know that he
had been spared.
Oquarah lived with n tribe of the
Saranscs, in which were two young
warriors, whose bravery and truth COM
manded the admiration and love of
their companions. One of these braves
Eagle, and they were friendly rivals in
all deeds of valOr.
One day, in the moon of great leaves,
when the hunting grounds were starred
with flowers, and the soft south wind
blew over the land, the Wolf and the
Eagle left the camp and set out upon a
hunt.
The hours passed, and the Wolf re-
turned-alone.
Loud and angry cries greeted him as
he appeared thus, but he stood silent,
till, by the sternness of his look, he
quelled the tumult. Then he told them
that he and the Eagle had hunted for
hours together. but at last had become
suparated; and that when the time
came to return. he had searched in
vain for the Eagle.
His words were received in silence;
but presently Oquarah spoke, Oquarah,
the cruel sachem.
81 hear n forked tongue" he said. 'It
says that the Wolf was jealous of the
Eagle, and that his teeth have cut into
the heart of his friend"
"The Wolf cannot lie," answered the
young chief, and then he stood pas
sive, quiet.
Then the sachem clutched his hatchet,
and cried in rage:
"Where is the Eagle2"
"The Wolf has spoken" answered the
young chief.
At that, Oquarah raised his Ratchet
and struck at the Wolf, but the VOLTS
wife threw herself before her husband,
and the hatchet sunk into her head.
Then, with a cry of rage. the Wolf drew
his knife, and a moment later the sa-
chem fell with mortal wound In his
heart.
Great excitement and discord fol-
lowed these tragic events, and finally
the tribe divided. half of them following
the Wolf down the Great Sounding
river in search OF new hunting grounds
But the Wolf was very unhappy. He
had lost his friend and his wife, and
his tribe had been broken up; all
through the evil suspicious of the cruel
sachem.
Many years passed, and the Wolf be-
came great i'm his tribe. But when
ever his tribe met the other, the ground
between their hunting ground was wet
with blood
One day the tribe on the Upper Sar-
anac saw canoe appear on the Lake of
the Silver Sky, and in il was the Eagle
He told them how he had been sepa-
rated from the Wolf, and had fallen
into q cleft of great rock, from which
he was rescued by some soldiers from
Canada. They had taken him with
them, and he had fought with the Brit
ish against the French. As the years
passed, and he grew old, however, his
heart yearned for the people of his
tribe, and he had come back to die
among them.
When he heard that the Wolf had
been accused of his death, he was very
sad. bat he called meeting of the war
riors II the t-o camps, and peace was
made between them. So the Eagle |
died, at last, happy in the knowledge |
Al l.. !, -, L.; -
united his people.-Philadelphia Times.