Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-22
WHY INDIANS LOVE THUNDER.
Story of the Porcupine Man and HI'
Young Slave.

Young Slave.
Among some tribes of Indians th'
thunder is held in great reverence
thew sing songs to it, and have dance:
| in it's honor.
AS a reason for doing this they tel
the following story:
Once upon a time three young mer
were on the warpath far from theil
homes, when the youngest of them nae
the misfortune to break his leg. b!
Indian law it became the duty Of tht
other two warriors to carry the youtf
safely to his home. So they made
litter and carried him on 1t until the!
became tired.
Finally they came to a range o.
mountains and as the trail was steer
and it was hard work to carry th'
youth any further, they laid the littel
down and went to one side, where they
held council together.
Let us leave our wounded companion
where he is" said one. 1T is too mucf
work to carry him farther"
Agreed" said the other. 1--WE vii
say that he was killed by the enem!
and no one will ever be the wiser, fol
he will certainly die if we leave hin
here"
So the wicked men threw the youtf
into a, deep cleft in the rocks and wen
on their way home to the village
When they had come there they report
ed that the boy had died from wounds
received in a fight with the enemy.
Great was the grief of the boy:
widowed mother, who wept and groan
ed at the loss of her son.
But the youth was not dead. AS NJ
lay in the cleft in the rocks where th'
wicked warriors had thrown him, m
saw, sitting a little way off, a strang'
looking old man, who said to him:
"Ah, my son, what have your friends
done to you?"
"They have left me here to die,
suppose" replied the youth with calm
ness, for he was ashamed to show tina
he was afraid
ooh, you will not die If you will agree
to do as I require" said the old man
81 will make you we'll again, but In re-
turn you must be my slave and hun
for me all the rest Of your life"
To this the youth agreed, as he saw
no other way out Of his predicament
and the old man (who was not an ole
man at all, but a porcupine who hat
assumed the shape Of an old man cur
ed him Of his hurts and soon had him
hunting for him and bringing home
the game he killed to the cleft in thu
rocks.
whenever you kill anything which
is too heavy for you to carry call me
and I will come and help you," sale
the old man.
All winter the youth hunted for his
master One day, when the spring hae
come, the youth killed a big bea1
which was too heavy for him to carry
to the cleft in the rocks alone.
Now will go and call the old man.
he said.
But just as he was STOPPING down tt
feel the bear and see how fat he was hi
heard a murmur Of voices behind hin
and, turning in surprise, beheld three
men, or figures in the shape Of men
who wore cloudlike garments witt
wings.
who are you and what are you do
ing in this wilderness where no mar
ever comes?" cried the youth.
Then they told him that they were
the Thunderers, whose mission 1t was
to go about over the earth doing goot
and destroying things which harmed
mankind. Just now they were after
the old man who lived in the cleft II
the rocks, who was no old man at all
but a wicked porcupine, as they woulc
presently prove to him.
run back" they said, land tell hin
to come and help you with the bear"
So the youth went and told the ole
man that he must come and help car.
ry the bear home. But the old mar
said he could not go out if there was
any sign of a cloud in the sky.
The youth looked around and sait
that the sky was clear. So the old mar
came out and went with him to where
the carcass Of the big bear was lying
Then they cut up the bear, the old mar
constantly urging the youth to make
haste, and the meat was placed on the
old mans shoulder as he directed, the
youth all the time being greatly aston.
ished at the strength he showed.
Loaded with the bear meat the ole
man began to run toward the cleft II
the rocks as fast as he could, but clouds
began to gather rapidly in the sky ant
the thunder rumbled in the distance.
The old man threw down his loat
and ran faster, but the thunder rum
bled nearer and nearer.
Then the old man assumed his proper
shape Of a huge porcupine and wen
scampering away, shooting his quill!
out behind him as he ran. But the
thunder followed him with peal aftel
peal until finally bolt Of lightning
struck him and destroyed him.
Then the three Thunderers appeared
| again and said to the youth: Nov
that our work is done, we will carr!
you home to your mother, who ha!
been grieving for you all the time"
So they gave him a cloud suit will
wings like their own, and the fou
swept away through the air to the In
dian village where the youths widowed
mother dwelt.
1t was night when he found himsel
in his mothers corn field, and going tt