The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-16

white man. The black fellow knows
whence it came and treasures the
knowledge in a legend which is not al
together without a trace of poetry
whatever may be its character as to
veracitY.
Plenty long ago." was the begin
ming of the story as the writer heard
it. Plenty long ago. the moon was
a beautiful young gin Cor GRID and the
sun a fierce, restless warrior of anoth-
er tribe. The warrior desiring the
young girl as a wife, followed the ORTIZ
odox aboriginal method of courtship
sought to pounce upon her unawares
with the kindly intention of knocking
her on the head and carrying her off to
his gunyah Cor huD. But as the young
girl was opposed to his attentions, and
in order to protect herself she wrapped
herself in a rug of black 'possum skins
and only peeped round the end of 1t a
little at a time lest her admirer should
see her and carry her off. Sometimes
he did see her, and pounced upon her,
but ever was she able to dodge behind
the shelter of the black 'possum skin
rug and so elude him, for when she
vanished behind the rug he was con-
founded and could only wander about
wondering how she had escaped. At
last the constant disappointment made
him grow angry and sulky; yet when
next he had a glimpse of her face peer
ing round the shelter he sprang for
ward. AS was usual, the face vanish
ed but he. being sulky, swore he
would try for her no more, and lay
down to sleep then and there.
The young girl, crouching under the
cover of her rug, listened for his rag
ing footsteps to pass on. For long
time she listened. but heard nothing,
and then, being like all gins, more Gu
rious than crafty, she must needs peep
round the end Of the rug again to see
what the silence meant. The Warrior,
lying still saw the CLEAN Of the face
and gathered himself, silently, for a
spring. With her curiosity unsatisfied
the girl peeped further and the war
rior, impatient in his anger, leaped at
her. His hands caught the edge of her
face with a mighty grip, but she, ter
rified at the sight of him, flung her
self back with so much vigor that a
fragment Of her face broke off in the
warriors hands. Then did his rage
burst all bounds. and with yell he
flung the thing he held down upon the
earth. There, later, men found it.
Idly they picked it up and, marveIing
what 1t could be, threw it from them.
At once it whirled through the air up
towards the clouds, travelling round
anu TOuDu dS the DldGk COCkdIOOS
before the start on a long journey, but
going further and faster than even
anything thrown by man went before,
until 1t suddenly plunged downward
and stuck in the earth at the feet of
the black fellow who had thrown It.
Again he picked it up and again he
threw 1t, and then his comrades tried
II. always with the same result, and
at last the men, fearing plenty debbil
debbil' was in it, called a great gath
ering ft.Ie tribes to discuss it. To
solve the problem each man who at
tended the corroborree set to work to
fashion out an imitation of the
strangely whirling thing and when
they had all succeeded they laughed
at the fears of the discoveries. They
did not know that what they had
found was a part of the moons face.
and that its long flights were the re-
suit Of its efforts to get back to it's
proper place; nor did they know that
the warrior in revenge on the beautis
full girl, made all the limitations travel
the same way. so that when the moon
looked down and saw them all whifl-
ing round and round IN the air she
would not know which was the miss
ing part Of her face and which was
not, and so would be forever dishgur-
ed IN punishment for having rejected
the love Of her great admlrer. And
IN proof Of the truth OF his tale the
black fellow would point 10 the moon
when not M the full-and ask how
else had il lost a part. on nights when
the moon WIS fun the black fellow was
J silent,