Evening journal., 1900-02-09
AN INDIAN LEGEND


ters of Laughery creek pour Into the
great Ohio is an Indian burial mound
Of more than ordinary interest. be-
cause Of the sad and tragic history Of
he young brave and the faithful In.
dian girl. whose bodies have long
since m0uldered away beneath the py
T9mid OF soil and stone.
Many years after the pale faces had
pushed the red men further and fur.
ther westward. il stlll was the custom
OF the remaining members of the
ftraggling bands Of Indians to return
each autumn and pay a visit to the
tomb Of the young chief, Kekoleah.
, and the Indian girl, Lakaloah, who,
when unable TO become his bride IN
life, chose to be his In death rather
han suffer separation from him.
About 4 century and a half ago the
Wigwams Of the Pottawatomies and
Delawales were pitched on the point
OF land on the south side Of Laughery
creek, where that stream enters into
he Ohio. The season was The most
beautiful Of all the year-Indlan sum
mer The days were dreams of beauty.
and the nights were still more won.
drously beautiful, lighted by the mel
low. sllyery light of the full October
moon
keholeah Swift Foot was the son
and only child of the chief Of the
P0ttavatomies. and from cary boy
hood he had given promise Of becom-
ing q great leader of his people. In
using the arrow none could compete
with Kekoleah; in spearing fish while
they swan about in the deep. blue
depths OF Laughery. no hand was 20
merring as his. In all the tribe there
was mono. so swift of foot as this dar-
ing son Of the old chieftain. This
young brave would chase a deer and
capture q without the aid Of weapons
10y following It until it became his
prize from sheer exhaustion.
SHnsewattama, chief Of the Della
wares. had only one child-a daughter
Lakalah bright Eyes was beautiful
ana as graceful as the plant willows
which she wove into baskets Tile
good feeling between the two tribes
had over been secure. but soon Il was
10 be welded still more firmly by the
union OF these two children of the rul-
ing chieftains.
As was the custom, a long series Of
amusements was TO be observed dur
ng the month prior to the marriage.
the first OF which was to be a grand
hunt along the shaded banks and
wooded hills Of that beautiful stream
-Laughery.
The young men were impatient for
The hunt to begin, and finally. head, Il
10y their fiery and impetuous leader
kekOleah, they started up mud lick to-
ward the point where DillsbOro now
stands. On the brow of big hill
which Is now a part Of the John Spear
tnrm, a deer was started. and swift
in pursuit followed the nimble-fOoted
kekOleah. The deer. fine buck, start.
cd from the crest of the hill. crossed
ravine after ravine, pointing his
course toward Laughery, near where
the party was camped. and at a point
now known as Winters ford.
just within few yards Of the creek
bank the deer bounded over the trunk
of a fallen tree and Kekoleah, at
tempting to follow, and while leaping
over the same tree, was impaled on q
broken limb. This jagged stubb
pierced his heart Instantly the death
cry Of the PottaWatomies was raised
by the Mortified young braves and
soon answered by the walls from the
Indian maidens at the camp
The body Of Kekoleah was carried
70 camp. The grief Of the old chief,
when be learned that his son. the
pride of the PottawatOmies, was n
corpse, was terrible. The girl. LasalO-
ah, threw herself across the breast Of
the lifeless warrior and locking her
arms about his neck, refused to be
taken away. Thus she remained FOR
hours. when finally she became uncon-
sciOus and was removed TO the wig
wan of her father
Early the next morning the camp
vas as;ir with preparations to take
he homeward march with the body Of
Nekoieah Then a shout went over the
camp that Lakaloah was not in her
wigwam At this juncture there came
the dea th-cry, not of the PottawatO-
mics, but Of the Delawares, and in the
high treble of a woman's voicel
The braves started for the spot
Whence the sound came and i'm a short
time came TO n bend in the creek, from
which they could look across and view
Ice spot where KekOleah met death.
There .acv beheld the beautiful Ind
1n girl seated on n bOugh of a tr, e
which oyerhung the creek. Softly
rocking on the green bough and never
needing the hungry and rushing wa
iprs beneath her, her long raven hair
blown about her by the wind, the
maiden sat and sang the death cry
If her tribe.
AS the pursuing party approached
her she turned her face toward them
and waved a fond farewell. Then ris.
/ ing 90 her feet she sprang out and
down alighting in the rushing stream
She came only once to the surface and
sank again beneath the muddy waves
I Runners Of the tribe attempted u
/ keep M with the current of the stream
and hus again see the body of the
/ beautiful Lakaloah, but in this they
failed
Slowly he funeral march was taken
mp aud at night a stop was made
where the village of Hartford now
/ stands. The next morning the march
was about to he resumed. and all was
! I'm readiness when cry was heard
coming from the creek whittier the
! father Of Lakoloah had gone. Running
I to the creek bank and pulling aside
/ tho dense growth of the willows the
braves saw the old chief lneeling lbs
{ the side of the drowned girl. whose
+ T,,Trv r.,r on tho xvhffpnad sand 10,