The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-11-16
AN INDIAN LEGEND.
BY Ella Rynes ssra..on.

BY Ella Rynes Stra..on.
copyright. 1902, by w. II. Hearst1
II WAS IN the ~Springtime of the
tarth when the Great Spirit sent .Nsi,
ana Elm to live in the Red Mans
Lana, giving them Il beautiful valley
Tor their happy home. y softly tlow-
ems river ran through this valley, and
oh lhe Wide plains On either side were
Nast nerds OF buffalo and deer and elk.
enough for all the Red People who
We're to inhabit the Land.
tNha the Great Spirit told Ash and
sitn mat the beautiful place and all
tar II was theirs, for them. and at
eei thenl, for their children to enjoy
forever, as long as the world should
stand. The herds and the ilocks. the
blfds n the beasts. all We're theirs
10 command. But they must never 90
20 the mountains behind the valley.
s sn,v ', af awelt the Evil Spirit, the en-
s.tls OF the men who We're TO live upon
the earth, and he was waiting and
watching to do them harm.
IN the beginning these first parents
or the Red Men We're contented and
llappg' put, after n time, they began to
gee al me distant ounta and TO
Mohuef II other and perhaps more
peautlful valleys lay beyond them. And
the more they wondered the less they
lhought of the words which the Great
SPIRIT mad spoken to them. until, at
tast' they came nearer and nearer to
the mountains. and no longer enioyed
.he pleasant valley. Which was The
aofne given to them by the Father of
Mankind. "'Ai "
"see!' said Ash, eagerly. The moun-
AIMS are near n no harm has be-
sailen us. Let us go on"
"but the Great Spirit will be angry"
protested Elm. He has"
me woman did not finish the sem
tence. but gazed, With Ash. at the won
aerful things. the lovely flowers and
luscious fruits. which suddenly an
peared to their sight at the foot of the
mountain.
Temptation had entered her heart
also, for the like o. these things had
never been seen in the valley.
they hesitated and We're lost.
me stone cliffs slowed with dia-
monds of light, Willie before them.
serpent, with scales like the color OF
the rainbow.
scintillating this serpent went before
them n they followed, Fascinated. 10
q great cave in the mountain side, but
they would not enter.
Strange lights glowed with in The
cave, n strange noises a~ssailed their
ears, mingled with the soft, low songs
OF sirens. Ash would have entered, but
l.ll.l held him back and pointed to the
serpent. which became a man as if
ereEt through the entrance-a man. Vet
with cloVen feet and horns like a
beast.
Come with me and / VIII give YOU
power over all things" he said. persau-
slNAly, for unless they entered the cave
OF thelr free will he could do them
40 harm.
But Elm saw that his face was white.
While ms clawlike hands We're as
NJ al l y & 1Oit-lNt .t,,J ,-A --
the enemy of the red men, and she
would not let Ash so.
All things on the earth below and in
the heavens above viii / give you
Gomez said the tempter again. and his
Voice was very sweet to hear, but ELM,
fetreatlng slowly. drew ASH after Ter
away from temptation.
Thy children shall be great and
powerful and shall bless thee that thou
gaNest them such an Inheritance. said
the Evil one as he came to the outside
OF the cave, but they would not listen.
They turned away and instantly the
Evil One changed into u serpent hat
bit their heels as they ran. But the
beautiful valley had vanished from
their sight forever. never to be seen
again by he eyes of men. And they
heard the voice of the Great Spirit,
sad and afar off, and he said to them:
"Nancerers shall We be, We and your
Slllldfeu. lOf tniS dlSODeulence IN SOf-
row shall We lie Town and We shall arise
with tears of repentance, but the days
of your probation shall be long and bit
ter. Toll shall be the inheritance of
your children and loud their lamenta-
ton"
Then Elm covered her head and wept
bitterly, but Ash u%pbraided her because
she had led him to the great barren
plains upon the other side of the noun
tains. He laid a greater curse upon
her than the Great Spirit had done, and
her daughters became the burden bear
ers of the Red Men.
And SO to this very day the man
the woman for that which she
tried to save him from.