Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-23
An Old INDIAN STORY
The Legend Of the Love Tragedy
of Medicine Bluff.

80 SsSGlWistS liz -
FATE OF TWO kiOvvA BRAVES.
The Proof Of Daring and Test Of Love
Demanded BY the Beautiful Maiden,
Laughing Moonbeam "a Wild and
l Fearless Leap Into Eternity.
In days gone by SO runs legend
old as the hills that gave It birth, sor-
rowful as the fate Of the people about
which it tells there dwelt in the Wich-
ita mountains an old Indian chief Of
the Kiowa tribe, renowned as a war
! rior, revered as ruler.
With him in his wigwam Of dressed
buffalo hides, twenty all told, for he.
was mighty chieftain, lived the
young Laughing Moonbeam, his daugh-
ter, a maiden as renowned for beauty
as was the illustrious warrior who
gave her birth for proWess in battle.
Her smile was the guerdon, her hand
the prize, for which all the young
braves Of her tribe as well as those
LOT neighboring tribes strove In friend;
" bout and deadly battle. But
Laughing Moonbeam had eyes but for
two, and yet could not decide between
| her faithful lovers tall Delos and
brave Belo. both Of royal stock, both
well favored Finally the perplexed
| princess of the plains put an end to-
Tperplexity and suspense by setting for
her eager lovers task.
This task was truly a proof of brav-
cry and test Of love. Upon a certain
day the young men were to mount
their ponies and, riding at full tilt to
the top of a high bluff, leap to the
plains below, he who survived the ter
rible leap Of many hundred feet to be
4 given to the princess In marriage.
/ AT this point q brief description of
the bluff. which is itself part Of this
A quaint legend, will not come amiss.
This particular peak Of the Wichita
4 mountains is known in redskin annals
as Medicine bluff, from the fact that
the mysterious medicine men were
wont to. meet upon It's summit and
there concoct their potent charms.
4 making medicine and Matching evil
4 midnight plots upon the haunted noun
tain top, for the bluff itself bore an
4 unsavory reputation among the red
skins. It IS Of an exceedingly peculiar
II formation, having the appearance Of
being cut cleanly In two from apex to
b base, the Kiowas believing that the
q missing half was spirited away in the
9 night by the emissaries Of the evil one.
The legend further states that upon
Il the day set for the task, the day when
. half q score Of foolish young braves
4 were to ride to their death at the bid,
a ding of q mere squaW---so said the old
/. men Of the tribe contemp tuously the
d, whole tribe, with many from the neigh
{ boring tribes, gathered at the foot OIL
3 Medicine bluff to await the outcome.
They come! See, Belo, the brave
1 leads r. cried an old medicine man
Il pointing across the prairies. Proudly
Il the young braves came on, the morn
Il ing sunlight flashing back from theil
II glittering, snow white robes Of dressed
deerskin adorned with myriads of bril-
q liantly colored glass beads, elk teeth
and sweeping deerskin fringe. Eagle
plumes topped all this barbaric splen
dor, trailing out far behind In the brisi
prairie breeze.
Il a sigh Of mingled admiration anG
sorrow went up from the multitude as
Il the young braves. the flower of the
d tribe, began to mount the menacine
\ bluff Swiftly the sturdy little ponies
It took the trail upward, the watchers be
81 low waiting spellbound for the crucia
I. moment The princess, Laughing Moon
!. beam, standing beside the tall old war
rior chieftain, looked calmly. proudly
& upward, her glance resting but mo
ment upon the cheering crowd.
"See, only Belo and Delos have
+ reached the topp' some one shouted ex
!. citedly Too true, the other youths
/ faint hearted, perhaps, or their reason
returning in the face Of such a fool
3 hardy casting away Of human an6
brute life. were slowly coming dowr
Il the rugged mountain trail, leaving thu
I two determined suitors poised on thu
! brink Of the bluff.
s IA moment horses and riders. stood
outlined against the vivid blue like two
!, great uncouth birds poised for flight
The shuddering multitude below turn
& ed away sickened, and women shriekeG
: as the brave little ponies took the leap
{ Horses and riders turned in the air
= then crashed with mighty shock upor
the cruel stones at the foot of thu
. bluff, a sight that made strong mel
I, weep and curse and cry aloud at tht
.lsplty Of it all. The senseless form O
Laughing Moonbe husb andless fol
all time. for the happy hunting ground.
claimed the spirits Of her dead lovers
/ was borne from the scene in the arm.
OF the weeping old warrior chief tn,
squaws, with barred breasts, gatheret
about the dead bodies and commenced
to wall the death dirge Of the Kiowas
slashing their naked breasts and arm
the while with sharp hunting knives.
| And today Medicine blur towers Sc