The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-06-28


child of the forest mountain and plain
is guarded; but, to a large extent it
lies like a vast dark continent behind
q dimly visible shore. He dwells be-
hind impeneUable. persistent conserYa-
ttsm and within the shadowy rim of a
night that yields no ray to tell of his
origin.
In one sense the red man is a true
pagan-swathed in seemingly dense
clouds of superstition, but rich in fanci
fu legend.
Though taciturn and wrapped in
stoicism, yet his is an Imagination ac-
tive and fruitful His fancy is exuber
ant and peoples this world with all
manner Of romantic spirits and gro
tesque and tragical pictures. So much
for the Indians nature. Mountains,
rivers, forests, lakes and valleys all
have their fanciful legends. North
eastern Washington is full of them.
The famous story of the +He-He
stone" is one of the most prominent of
these many queer traditions.
The main highway leading past the
little hamlet of Cheesaw passes over one
of the loftiest mountains of the Okla
hogan range. Decades ago only
rugged, sinuous trail led up the noun
tain's declivities, across the crest and
down on the western slopes.
But with civilization and settlement
came Improvements. IN course of time
the serpentine trail yielded to a good
wagon road. This highway has been
Travelled for many years
Directly on the crest of the peak is To-
Gated the famous Hell He stone This
stone is an actual. palpable object, but
the romantic, fanciful and tragical
story connected with it is shadowy
and legendary.
And what of the "He-He stone? At
,fr,1,f
rude, sarcophayus-an actual stone
coffin. 1t is solidly imbedded in the
earth and rises above the surfce to
the height of an ordinary table. SO
far as can be determined from a SUI
perficial examination, the stone is per-
fectly solid and win weigh many tons.
The top is rough but nearly horizontal.
This oddly and suggestively shaped
stone lies very near the highway.
From time immemorial this rough
saroophagus has been an object of
Veneration among not only the Okla
hogan Indians, but also of many adj
jacent' tribes. Ii was likewise. the CEN
trail figure of the strange, tragical
legend.
The incidents of the story occurred
q long, long time ago-more than
century. As the tradition has de-
seconded it involves the fate of three
persons, all Indians. These were a
girl and two young braves-rival
lovers.
The girl was the daughter of a once
noted chief. One of the lovers (and
the favored one, too) was the son of
chief who was the leader of another
tribe. Hostility had long existed be-
tween these rival tribes. Many san
culinary battles had been fought with
varying success.
The chiefs daughter and the son of
the opposing chief were lovers, though
their ardent attachment was a secret
to all but themselves. Clandestine
meetings had been held and their mu-
tual vows exchanged in the forests
depths beneath the cold stars and
moon.
An ambitious brave belonging to the
same tribe as did the girl was also a
lover. He was young and full of ardor
and courage In the many battles
waged between the tribes he had
achieved prodigies of valor and won a
warriors glory-scars
He was rash enough to aspire to the
heart and hand of his chieftain's
daughter. Yet she favored the suit of
the bitter enemy of her tribe. Finally
the less favored lover discovered the
unhappy truth. He kept the secret
locked up in his bosom. though he
finally resolved on a deadly revenge.
He charged the girl with faithlessness
to her blood and tribe and vowed
- vengeance on her enemy lover.
She replied with bitter scorn and
tainted the unhappy lover with
Cowardice. Smothering his rage, he
patiently BODIED his time.
Fate offered an opportunity sooner
than he expected. The favorite trysting
place of the ardent lovers was on the
lonely summit of Okanogan mountain,
near the old travel-Worn trail. This
fact was also known to the rejected
brave.
One bright, moonlit night the lovers
held meeting on the mountain. The
tryst was interrupted by the sudden
appearance of the despiSed lover. He
confronted the couple, armed to the
teeth, and challenged his hated rival
to deadly combat.
This challenge was instantly accept
ed and the braves fell to fighting.
Though fierce, the conflict was of very
short duration. The favored lover,
though seriously wounded, soon slew
his antagonist
While the combat was being waged
the Great Spirit was angered and re-
solved to avenge the blood of the slain
warrior.
There were deafening peals of thun-
der, lurid glare of lightning, the noun
tain violently trembled and the moon
MAS hidden behind a black cloud.
When the wounded and victorious
warrior turned around to look for ms
sweetheart in the dim, mystic light,
she had suddenly vanished. All he
saw was the huge, dark, cOtfin-shaped
rock which had apparently just risen
from the earth. The legend declares
that the Great Spirit in his anger had
stricken the girl and transformed her
into solid rock, giving the stone the
form of a rough coffin.
Brave though the young lover was,
vet his courage instantly forsook him
when he realized the fate of his love.
Turning, he fled precipitately down the
mountain. forgetting his wounds. 1t
was days before he recovered Then
his heart was broken and his mind
sadly wandered.
Meantime the body of the slain
brave was found by the members of
his tribe and buried with much grief
and weird ceremonial The body was
laid alongside the "He-He stone, for
such the transformed body of the I'M
happy girl was called. Both the long
hostile tribes soon became to know the
truth, and a lasting treaty of peace
was established between them. 1t was
never broken.
The lost and mad lover would wan
der every night to the top of Okanogan
mountain and, sitting upon the mas
sive stone-shaped coffin. would silently
weep. He was filled with re.norse for
his deed of blood and hopeless GRIEF
for his departed love.
At length, the Great Spirit, touched
with gentle pity, sent death to his re-
lief. He was found dead one morning,
living across the cold, pitiless stone.
Then the aged and sorrow-strlcken