Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-31
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Legend of the Colorado
TOriginal.1


posing mien, such great strength, such
marvellous bravery, that his own and
neighboring tribes attributed to him
superhuman powers. His son. Rain
bow, inherited much of his fathers
manly beauty ana courage. and when
the father became too old to lead in
war he summoned his people and rep
resentatives of the neighbOring tribes
to witness the ceremony of his abdica-
ton in favor of the younger man.
When all were assembled. Sunfacc. the
father. addressed his son, admonishing
him to rule wisely, then counscled the
visiting chiefs to keep the peace end
ing by placing in the young mans hand
n spear which the old chief had carried
for many years.
One of the chiefs present had brought
his daughter, Singing Water, to wit
and loved her. Singing Water saw
the young chief and loved him. Be
fore the maiden returned with her IA
ther to her country Rainbow had asked
for her hand, but she had been prom
ised to another, Standardization.
Singing Water had no sooner de-
choly His father, seeing that Rain
bow would he useless as Il ruler with
out the maiden, proposed that they
should 20 together to her father and
endeavor to secure her in marriage.
They made the journey, crossing the
Colorado, and appeared before the
chief. He did not dare grant their re-
quest for fear OF antagOnizing Snake
inHis-Hole. Having met with polite
refusal. they started, with heavy
hearts, on their return journey. ON
the way they saw Singing Water sit
ting on rock waiting TO bid >adieu to
the man she loved. Rainbow rode up
to the rock, which was to the height
OF his pony's back. Singing Water put
her arms about him and whispered in
his ear, Take me with YOU" Placing
her before him on the horse. he gave
the word he used only when he wished
the beast TO 60 mt full speed, and before
the few people standing about had
realized what he was doing Rainbow,
with his burden, was going like the
wind. Surface followed, calling on his
son to halt.
. Snakein- His-Hole, seeing that some
thing was amiss, rode to where the
maiden had been captured and, learn
ing what had taken place, dashed after
the fugitives. calling at the same time
to other warriors to follow him. sun
face when he overlook his son chided
him for what he had done, saying that
this was rash act with which TO be-
gin his rule.
1t seemed to the lovers that the old
81. a
lay between them and safety, and its
crossing was "A slow process. Before
they could descend thousand feet to
their boat their pursuers would be up
on them, and when they climbed the
opposite cliff they would be within
easy reach of arrows.
When they arrived at the river, Sun
face babe his son return TO him the
spear which he had surrendered and
begin the descent to the river with
the maiden. The young man gave up
the spear and led Singing Water down
the trail. When the pursuers came up.
they found the old chief sitting on his
horse I'm the bed of shallow stream
flowing between two rocks which l."
could touch with either hand and tow
cring far above him.
The Indians had so long been used to
considering Surface us superhuman
that the awe inspiring sight of the old
man sitting on his horse, rigid, his spear
poised, his eyes fixed upon their leader,
brought them to a sudden halt. Snake
in-His-H Hole himself, though brave and
angered at the abduction of the maid
Ell, recoiled.
'Stand aside, old man. he cried.
1--WE respect you for your past deeds
and your age and would not harm
you" fr
ting fixedly. staring before him without
moving his eyes from the speaker.
'He is the god of the pass cried
one. mo man can go between the
rocks while he is there. He can call
the lightning from heaven to aid him"
HE is MORTAL said Snake-in-His-
Hole, and he hurled his spear ut Sun
face, but superstition diverted his
aim, and the weapon rebounded from
the rock at the right. Selling another
spear, Snake-in-His-H Hole hurled it
again, only TO strike the rock on the
left. Then the warriors drew off and
watched the man they took for n god
from distance. Evening came, and
still he moved not. Night came, and by
the light of the full rising moon they
saw the figure still sitting between the
rocks, his eyes open and the reflection
of the moon in the water striking upon
his glittering orbs.
When midnight came, they said that
no mortal could hold spear poised so
long, surely not an old man. When the
pale face of the moon looked at theIu
from the west. growing more and more
ashen before the break of day. and the
old chief still sat with his arm raised,
one by one the people before him fell
ON their faces. When the sun chased