The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-08
TIE SINGING SPRING.

| Indian reservation, there is what the In
dams call the Singing Spring" This
| spring is very peculiar affair. Thous-
ands of gallons of water, pure and cold as
ice, gush from its mouth daily. and
sounds not unlike those OF harp con-
stantly come from the falling water. The
| II usic is sweet indeed; now low and soft
as a fairy lullaby, now loud and tremu-
lous as the last notes CT some great or
cEestra. This spring is sacred to the In
| dams, from one of whom / Succeeded
in securing the legend which makes it
| so.
| This is what Ns-o-ta-iah told me as We
sat on roci, at the spring edge:
1T was 50 many great suns ago that
| the oldest of our tribe cannot remem-
Ter where the speaking rocks that told
the story were found. But the medicine
| men say that it was before the time of
the desert and the cactus. when the buff
falo and the deer were plenty. The hills
/ we're young then: the great pines of the
! forest were easily Bonded before the
| storm s breath, and the earth had never
nourished an acorn-then il was that
| Nee-tee-tse came TO gladden. his. fathers
| teepee.
| And Mee-tee-tse was very good boy
| Whether he was free to tease the skulk-
| ing dogs or bound to his cradle board.
| the child was always happy. He smiled
| at the songs of the birds and he cooed
/ with delight at the Tournful signs of
1 the Travelling Moon.
| so il was said of the little boy that
| he was to become great and powerful
among his people. Early his father placed
| the bow and arrow in his hands. as early
| Mee-tee-tse was made wise in the art of
casting u9erri1S spear At twelve
! great suns he was the idol of his people
| He had already begun to read the speak
| ing rocks. From them he learned the
l,Ee Ii. e L.
| the water. The speaking rocks told him
| OF the first man who came in big canoe.
and that there was sent out from the big
| canoe dove to search for land. This
dove, Mee-tee-tse read. was as white as
| the spotless caps of the mountains. Woe
| to the hunter who should bring down
| white dove, prophesied Mee-tee-tse.
There came murmurs OF jealousy from
some of the medicine men.
Returning hunters always carried the
| choicest game to Mee-tee-tse; the finest
| skins and the prettiest plumage were his
| portion.
Something must be done to break the
growing power Of the favored child. The
plotters invoked the aid of the Evil One.
Far from the village at night they went
to the mountain heights and chanted
songs of praise to the Spirit of Evil, with
out avail; and at last the juice of the
loco weed was stealthily placed in Nee
tee-tse's food. Cnsuspecting he ate and
sickened: but he was so closely watched
and SO carefully nursed that he recov-
cred.
Soon after hits a council of the chiefs
decided to make him the wise man of the
tribe, for he seemed able to read every
ofen and his advice was always found
good. But on the very day when he was
70 have been invested with this high office
an enemy brought down a white dove
with his arrow. Then the enemy carried
the dead bird secretly to the teepee of
Mee-tee-tse, and there those who came
to lead the young wise man to the feast
ound it.
1T is said that the dove uttered a loud
warning cry when found. The guides
rushed from the spot and quickly spread
he news. Mee-tee-tse also ran from the
teepee. uttering lamentations.
The bird of peace is slain!' he cried
Woe, woe
THE sky became dark: awful winds
beat down the teepees: the grass was
torn from its roots; the cattle were killed
10y immense rocks which the voice of the
clouds cast down the mountains. The
people. terror-stricken. invoked the aid
Of the medicine men. who only shook
their heads and pointed accusingly at
Mee-tee-Se. who stood silent in a niche
ir the rocks.
Soon came calm. The sun shone very
brilliantly and gave out an awful heat.
A water famine came. The corn withered
and died; the game fled to the shade OF
the forests. The earth grew hot and no
bI cath of wind came to relieve the suffer
ing.
Ing the day. From a high point in the
mountains ell day long he stood shooting
flint tipped arrows into the sky with
hope that some of them might pierce
rain cloud. causing il to let out cooling
waters and dispense the drought. But the
lads strength failed to send an arrow
high enough.
When hunger came to the people and
with it tho sneaking coyotes from the
hills, which preyed upon the children, It
vas decided that Mee-tee-tse must die to
aIpease the Great Spirits wrath.
For said the medicine men. did he
not kill the bird of peace and plenty, of
which he himself first told us?'
Mee-tee-tse WAS gone. TO put him to
death they must first find him. So they
waited. Darkness came: another Gay: an
other night. Mee-tee-tse's father skulked
here and there. constantly on -he watch
for his sons return that ne might warn
HIM, ana il was with leaping heart that
the father heard from afar the screetch
OF an owl, which he knew to be his boys
signal OF approach. Others too, heard
lowed the noise. but when they found
the object of their search they fell ar his
feet. for he came with many ponies laden
with jars of water and launches Of deer
Fevered children and gaunt men and wo-
rIen were revived. Anew the hunters
girded their loins and with Mee-tee-tse
for guide set out for more water and
II ore food. The entire tribe was relieved
from suffering and later abandoned the
old village for new land beyond the
range TO the west which 1Iee-tee-tse had
= discovered. where the fields were green.
where birds were full OF song and where
peace and plenty were always.
''Mee-te e-tse told "a wonderful story. In
search Of water. he had fallen exhausted
near the mouth of a cave. y cool draught
oI air came from the hole and gave him
strength TO drag himself forward into the
cave. After some time he found him
self again out in the light. but now the
air vas fresh. the ground was cool. Near
b. he heard 2 sound sweeter than the
song of any bird. He was drawn TO Il.
a spring, Waters gushed from Il in
abundance. and a. the lad stopped to
quench his thirst and battle his feverei
how he found that from the depths %
the lie giving pool came the sweet song.
"And so It was that the Great Spirit
taught the people . lesson % faith,
taught them 70 be ratient and steadfast
and slow to condemn
Wonder lies the Darched valley of death
which has never known rain since Nee
tee-tSe's days ages and ages ago. Here
f. the singing spring Just as II was
when Mee-tee-tse came leading his peo-
ple ont OF suffering and wsnt-"-ROss 3.
Franklin. IN New York Herald.
Surely Not.
CF-rorr the Philadelphia Press)
Ascum-Doa't YOU think it would be in