Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-05-25
AN INDIAN LEGEND

or more than ordinary interest be-
cause Of the sad aud tragic history Of
the young brave and the faithful In
dian girl whose bodies have long
since nOuldered away beneath the py-
rnuiid of soil and stone.
Many years after the pale faces had
pushed the red men further and fur
ther westward, II still was the custom
of the remaining members Of the
struggling bands Of Indians to return
each autumn and pay n visit 20 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
than suffer separation from him
About a century and half ago the
wlgwams OF the POttawatomies and
Delawares were pitched on the polnt
of land on the south side OF Laughefy
creek, where that stream entees into
the Ohio The season was the most
beautiful Of all the year-Indian sum
mer. The days were dreams Of beauty.
and the nights were still more won
drously beautiful, lighted by the mel
low, silvery light of the full October
moon
Kekoleah Swift Foot was the son
and only child Of the chief OF the
Pottawatomies. and from cary boy
hood he had given promise Of becom-
ing u great loader 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 so
uDerriDg as his ~ all the tribe there
was none so swift Of foot as this dar
ing son OF the old chieftain This
young brave would chase n deer aud
capture IT without the aid of weapons
by following It until II became his
prize from sheer exhaustion.
Sunsewattama, chief of the Della
wares, had only one child-a daughter
Lakalah bright Eyes e'as beautiful
and as graceful as the plant willows
which she wove into baskets. The
good feeling between the two tribes
had ever been secure, but soon 1t was
| to be welded still more firmly by the
union Of these two children of the rul-
ing chieftains.
As was the custom, long series Of
| nmusements was to be observed dur
ing 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
-Iaughery.
The young men were impatient for
the hunt to begin, and finally, headed
| by 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
farm, a deer was started. and swift
in pursuit followed the nimble- footed
Kekoleah. The deer fine buck start
ed 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 a few yards of the creek
bank the deer bounded over the trunk
of n fallen tree and Kekoleah, at
! tempting to follow, and while leaping
over the same tree, was impaled on a
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
to camp. The grief of the old chief,
when he learned that his son, the
pride of the Pottawatomies, was a
corpse, was terrible The girl, Lakalo-
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
was astir with preparations to take
the homeward march with the body of
Kekoleah. Then shout went over the
camp that LakalOah was not in her
wigwam. At this juncture there came
the death-cry. not of the POttawato-
mics, but of the Delawares, and in the
high treble of n woman's voice!
The braves started for the spot
whence the sound came and in short
time came to bend in the creek, from
which they could look across and view
the spot where Kekoleah met death.
There they beheld the beautiful Indi-
an girl seated on a bough of a tree
which Overhung the creek. Softly
rocking on the green bough and never
needing the hungry and rushing wa
ters beneath her. her long raven hair
blown about her by the wind, the
maiden sat and sang the death cry
/ OF ntT lTlbt.
AS the pursuing party approached
her she turned her face toward them
and waved fond farewell. Then ris.
| ing to 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
/ Runners of the tribe attempted to
/ keep up with the current Of the stream
1 and thus again see the body Of the
| beautiful Lakaloah, but In this they
/ failed.
Slowly the funeral march was taken
up, and at night a stop was made
where the village of Hartford now
stands. The next morning the march
was about 10 be resumed. and all was
in readiness when a cry was heard
coming from the creek whittier the
| father OF LakOloah had gone. Running
/ TO the creek bank and pulling aside
the dense growth of the willows the
braves saw the old chief kneeling bS
! the side of the drowSed girl. whose
| body lay on the whitened sand Hei
long hair had caught on the limb Of q
tree. Thus the body Of her who was
a widow before she was bride was
restored and placed on the litter by th,
side Of him who was TO have been hel
lord and master. The bodies We're car
ried to the Indian village and buried
where side by side they still rest
Grace Pate in Indianapolis News.