The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-11

xuIs Is the story told in the fitf1l
light of the smouldering lodge fires
IN years ago by Black Bear, ancient
l chief of the Plegans. This Is the
tale heard by his daughter crouch
- IN the shadows. listening, won
Ss,,ne. awed as the slow words rolled
s-or the lips Of her father, the wise one.
shis A. the legend passed from father TO
~ in the tribes Of the Blackfeet
on residents of the Sun river valley will
,,eII remember an Indian woman OF
s'hu,ous age who lived fer many years
sssr al Peters mission. Time had left
- Imprint in countless wrinkles and had
mi her once 1.-the figure with the burden
= ffs winters, but II could not dim the
S,shtness OF her black eyes nor dull the
s,ror of her quick intelligence. When
~ rentury was young, while she was
4 camp with her people at the mouth Of
~ Sun river, she saw several members
Il the Lewis and Clark expedition, the
~ white men upon whom her eyes had
syer rested
~ time passed Black Bear, as she was
LIED N memory OF her father, the Piegan
shIefs left the Indians and lived more
"a more with the whites. She was at
1sIcotn Ciarks when he was murdered
m had narrow escape from death her
~ Finally she became nurse In the
family OF Edward A. Lewis, at whose
house she died In 1883
Among the children to whom she told
,hsse weird tales Of Blackfeet folklore was
~ oldest daughter of Mr.. Lewis. now
M John Tabbers. She. with the aid OF
- mother, some time since reduced to
vriting one of these myths at the request
y Robert Vaughan for his book, which Is
soon TO appear in print. II will be entitled
.srhen and Now; Thirty-Six Years in the
Rockies"
sfasten,s said Black Bear to the little
sues who crowded expectant around her
tnre. Listen and / will tell you how
the Great Spirit gave horses to the In
dams.
1T was long long ago and the Pie
eans were camped on a large fiat. The
Two daughters of the chief one evening
vere looking at tie stars. One star was
q bright that It attracted the attention
n the younger laughter. As she looked
1 strange feeling came over her and she
murmured half to herself:
"swere that star young man ] would
marry him.
aAnd she looked long at the star, mar
vuling at its brightness. The next day
a. chief ordered the camp to be moved.
on the trail the daughter fell behind, and
when the rest Of her people had passed
out Of sight she looked up and there be-
fora her stood n young man, beautiful In
form and feature. AS she knelt fright
ened before him he said
ado not be alarmed, maiden. am
NJ thou wished to marry. Close your
eyes and | will take you to the happy
hunting grounds far away
she did az she was told and when she
- No he. xxfaa n hllaha Z
lcdre, far above the stars n was hap
~ life she led In that distant land. Her
husbands father was the great chief OF
many lodges and every one was kind TO
NJ and her people looked after her every
want and desire. Her life was one OF
bieness and happiness until one day
ssnA q longing she could not CONQUER.
Ii the wide fields OF this great lana
INV many delicious roots, but of one OF
tire II was forbidden 10 eat
tsof ali other roots thou mayest dig
"A eat but OF this root thou must
esther dig nor eat
and AZ she thought of IL the desire
rev and one day, being alone In the
nslds. she took her sharpened stick and,
finding the great root on the httie
mound, the temptation became greater
and greater. Then, after many hesita-
tlcns abe began 10 dig. Dust as the
secret longing conquered Eve and PAN
dosa,. And as she dug, the little mound
yielded and rolled away, leaving a great
hole Kneeiing down she looked. and
ioi she could see her father and her Sis
ter and her people coming and going In
their camp far below. And as she looked
she became sad and her heart ached
with Inconsistencies and she wcpt.
thus they found hcr--her husband
and his father. And they were sad at
FOR hau TINT @hA must
ieape them In the morning they made
. long rope Of buffalo hides and gently
lowered her from the hole In the sky
10 her old home All her people were
happy and made great rejoicing at the
return of the iong-iost daughter of the
chief OF the Piegans. Soon after she
gave birth TO "a son, and when the boy
WAS Eve years old great plague broke
out, and his mother died and also many
o. her people. The child was left to
the caro- OF his uncle. who now became
chief ~ the tribe. And they were very
poor. for there was no one now TO make
mocoasins or 20 dress buffalo hides for
them, and hunger stalked through the
camp and the lodges were without food
and there were no dogs FOR the trains.
The father of the little boy and the
Great Chief and his wife, far up In the
nay saw the suffering and it made their
'f,"sNS Nhts anu AhtA ANNk AfNNhkhN w @fS
What they could do Finally the Great
Chief and his wife came to the earth. and,
nnding the boy alone. told him their mis-
Hon and wept with him.
New, then. my son, said the Great
Chief seating himself on the grass 'bring
ne some mud
And the boy did ms he was told, and
NE Great Chief fashioned Il IN his hands,
aad a. he did SO he made strong medicine
Aha muttered strange words az the wet
SAY took form under hts fingers. Then
we Great Chief put the thing on the
nass and the boy looked at It he saw
gfew ana grow until u was large and
chisf
rhen he looked At his work and was
Nrssfd and called a great council of the
ssss OF the forest and the birds Of tbs
and Of all she beasts that rcamed the
seaas They all came as he called. fcI
rules over them. And as they gath
W. around he said 60 them;
I have made horse for my son. an
seaaiai Tor him 20 ride and one that viii
Nfsy ais burdens. Now give me o. youl
ssSasm 10 make this horse perfect
And the Pine tree sasA, oh. great chief
work Is good bur the horse has Nc