The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-04-08
TIE DEATHTRA P


In Arizona there is an electrical Stone
which crops out above ground In an al.
most inaccessible mountain pass. The
Indians eaIl II the 'leafhtrap, and
the peak on which It is located is call.
ed 'Deatlitrap mountain. Ordinarily
the stone is OF a blue metallic lnstcr
and shows traces Of volcanic action,
being scanned and ribbed as If by melt
ed lnya. 1t Is a rough, jagged outerop.
ping, bursting up through the shale ds
its surroundings, reaching up the noun
tain side TO the height of-about seven
feet when 4 sharp projection shelves
over It again. milking q groove about
nine feet long and three feet wide.
During the dry when the sun shines
directly down upon It It's color Is Il pnIe
blue, but In the night 1t CLOVIS 50
brightly as to be seen Tor long dis
tance. There Is a tradition among the
Indians that'it became known TO their
ancestors hundreds of years ago, and
this is the legend Of its discovery:
One day a speck was seen far up the
mountain, descending slowly toward
the Indians encamped in the valley.
1t grew larger and larger as It ap-
preached until it was seen to be the
figure of n man-not perfectly made
sman, not a warrior, but dwarfed and
hunchbacked. But IL the form was m
favored the fGce was maryelousiy
beautiful. The features were kindly
the eyes beamed softly, like twin stars
after sunset on a baImy summer even
ing. The man asked for food and
shelter, andhe was ut once given what
he asked.
But they gained far more than they
gave. Though tue stranger knew moth.
ing of herbs, lie possessed the power to
heal the sick by simply laying his
hands upon them or looking upon them
With his lustrous eyes. Even the dumb
animals were subject to his strange in.
fueacei and II he willed 1t they would
flock about him to be caressed. Since
he showed no intention of departing,
he was adopted into the tribe and made
n medicine man.
The stranger lived with the Indians
for many years, beloved and reverence
ed by all. When one of the tribe was
afflicted either by disease or sorrow
the medicine man was stralghtway
sent for, and as soon as his two lumi.
nous eyes beamed on the afflicted, as
though the Great Spirit looked through
them, the patient began TO mend, the
soTowing to regain a more cheerful
mind To the children he impaired
health to the aged, whose lot among
savage tribes is often to be left in
wilderness to die. he impaired strength
to live on.
But at last something occurred to
change all this. The chiefs son, who
when the stranger came to the tribe
was but u child, grew to manhood, and
1t was time that he should take wife.
The young squaws were inspected for
the comellest maiden, and when one
was selected preparations We're made
for the wedding. But when the day
arrived and they looked for the bride
in her bower Of boughs, she was not
Here Ehs camp wins Searched, but
she vas nowhere to De found.
Then came the old women, lament.
Ing and gesticulating. The medicine
man had spirited the girl away, they
said. The chief resisted the imputa-
lion as long as he dared, then consent
ed to treat the adopted son Of the tribe
us guilty. But so great was the love
Of the people for him that no one could
be found to kill him, so the chief chose
a dozen Of his best warriors to drive
him out Of the camp. Early in the
morning these braves set out to chase
the dlminutive medicine man away
To their surprise, he ran so swiftly
that they could scarcely keep him in
sight How did he nee so fast on his
little withered legs? From time to
time he looked back at his pursuers to
see If they were following, and at last
1t began to dawn upon them that In
stead of fleeing from them he was
leading them on.
The chief stood in the valley watch
ing the pursuit in wonder. When he
saw the dwarf distancEng his feetest
runners 1t dawned upon him that he
was drawing the warriors after him,
and he sent out messengers to recall
them. He watched his messengers till
they came within hailing distance, but
saw TINT the pursuers did not stop. He
could himself hear the shouts of his
braves who were calling and knew that
the pursuers must hear, but they paid
no attention 10 the commands. On and
on they went up the mountain side,
looking neither 10 the right nor left, but
keeping their eyes fixed upon the dwarf
as If bewitched. The messengers, up.
palled, slaekened their pace, but kept
near enough to see, dreading that they,
too, might fall under the spell.
Aud now the medicine man comes to
protruding rock, climbs It's side,
stands moment sOn It's summit, dc.
scendIng the other side, and is seen no
more. But the pursuers follow on
watched by the messengers sent out to
recall them, by the chief and the PEG
pie in the valley. The first pursuer
reaches the protrudlng rock, climbs It's
side and falls as II pierced by an ar
row into the groove passing through its
center The second, the third, every
one of the following braves, one after
another, passes between the blue bps