Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-02-12

/
hair parted in the middle, hung to
| her shoulder, a lock of which was
tied behind each ear with gay strings
| of colored beads. Her feet were gay
! in red moccasins of white and REQ
beads. She looked every inch prin-
cess. The Indians reverenced her as
such with a strange origin. ''The
Great Father bids you eat" she SAID,
leading the way to the kitchen.
''The Colonel has gone on a jour
ney," she coolIy announced, land left
me TO give you feast. See! l cook
ed it, and she pointed to the fowls
with stuffngs of bread and raisins,
| temptingly near a great plum pud-
ding. 4 have fulfilled the command
of the spirit of Multnomah at Mount
Hood that l should come here and
learn how to cook, so that on my re-
turn the fires on that mountain
should be kept burning bright to cook
simmering dishes of daintiness, and
once again the MuItnomahs will grow
great in number with food rightly
prepared. Promise me, ere you eat,
that you will return to your lodge
J and let the Colonel live. Wicked you
are to come thus when his men are
away fighting for their rights against
! your wicked Wiles elsewhere. If you
| kill him, who will teach me how to
prepare you good things TO eat?"
! Here she paused, the crimson blood
deepening in her girlish face with
modesty,, as if precluding her next
remark. Some one stole my baby
moccasins, when I was small in in
/ FAINT clothes, AMI it has since been re
vealed to me that at a certain big
feast he who had them was to be-
come nay brother and together we
would return to Mount Hood and re
build the long spent fires and stew
the turkey Of the hunt. Will the
owner step forth and show the moe
casins?"
In surprise each Indian youth look
! ed at the other, ana no one respond
| ed, till with a bound BIue-Bird flung
! his low and arrow aside and from a
pocket in the fold of his blanket
brought forth a tiny slipper, covered
with pearls. This he presented to
Wah-kee-nah, who accepted it as d
matter of course.
The chief, standing at the head Of
the table, made speech, asserting
! to Wah-kee-nah's request They hated
to give in to a squaw girl, but
with the princess it was another mat
ter. With an Indians grim sense of
humor, he declared he could see why
| this was Wah-kee-nah's feast. She
had saved the Kernals life and gain
ed a brother, but he trusted before
many coming SHOWS she would cook
them a spread at Mount Hood. Slow
ly and in silence all fell to, and dis
posed Of the sumptuous spread, after
which they left, taking the horses
and cattle with them belonging to
the fort.
It was only on the ColoneIs and
the women's safe return and the re-
mains of the feast, greasy, grimy and
in ill-disorder, greeted their sight
that Wah-kee-nah would talk. Then
while Wah-kee-nah brought forth
from hidden recesses tempting bits,
she related how a massacre had been
planned for the whole settlement,
that she had averted. Further, that
! the Great Chief at Mount Hood had
sent for her to come soon to the
great kitchen he was preparing at
Mount Hood, but that she and Blue
Bird were not ready yet awhile. And
| she laughed roguishly at Blue-Birds
| uh i'm cipa1 looks
1t is related that only in after
years did Wah-kee-nah, who ever to
that time retained her girlish, affec-
tionate nature and Industrious habits,
always testing one dish and trying a
new receipt to cook, did marry Blue
Bird. And then they disappeared al
together.
Whenever a pail Of smoke hangs
over Mount Hood, a suppOsitiOn is
rife that Wah-kee-nah, girlish and
beautiful as ever, is there, brewing
and mixing wnderful dishes over the
furnace in the Great Chiefs kitchen.
And that Blue-Bird furnishes the
wood.