The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-10-08

THE
ST., Ing SPRING

IsfhuidHS caii tHc SilEliti -4IAH6. iHih
spring Is a very ocular affair. Thou
sands CT gallons OF wafer, pure and
cold as ice, gush from its mouth dai ~ |;
and sounds not ualike those of harp
constantly come from the falling IT.
er. 1he music IL sweet indeed, Nv
low and soft as 4 tairy lnllaby, now
loud and tremulous "a the LAST notes Of
some great orchestf. This spring in
sacred to the indians, from one Of
whom | succeeded In securing the le-
gend which makes it Sc.
This is what Ne-o-ta-l;,l told ne us
we sat on a rock at the splD,G's edge.
1T was so many great su.s ago that
! er's teepee.
And Mee-tee-tse was a vcfy good
| boy Whether he was free to Il Sc the
skulking dogs or bound to his cradle
board. the child was always hapl. He
| smiled at the songs OF the birds a he
cooed with delight at the mouinful
signs of the Travelling Moon.
so it WAS said Of the little boy that
! he was to become great and powe full
among his people, Early his fa.her
| placed the bow and arrow In his ha.-ds,
| as early Mee-tee-tse was made wise in
the art OF casting an unerring spear.
AT twelve great suns he was the idol
of his people He had already begun
to read the speaking rocks From them
he learned the history OF the making OF
the land and the water. The speaking
rocks told him Of the first man who
came in big canoe, and that there was
sent out from the big canoe dove to
search for land. This dove, Mee-tee-tse
read. was as white as the spotless caps
Of the mountains. Woe to the hunter
who should bring down a white dove,
proqhesied Mee-tee-tse.
There came murmurs of jealousy
from some of the medicine men.
Returning hunters always carried
the choicest game to Mee-tee-tse; tho
finest skins and the prettiest plumage
were his portion.
"A council of the chiefs decided to
make him the wise man of the tribe.
for he seemed able to read every omen
and his advice was always found good.
But on the very day when he was to
have been invested with this high office
An enemy brought down white dove
with his arrow. Then the enemy car
ried the dead bird secretly to the tee
pee of Mee-tee-tse, and there those who
came to lead the young wise man to the
feast found It,
1.-The bird of peace is slain! he
cried. Woe, woe!
"''he sky became dark; awful winds
beat down the teepees; the grass was
torn from Its roots; the cattle were
killed by immense rocks which the
voice of the clouds cast down the
mountains The people. terror strick-
en-, invoked the aid of the medicine
men. who only SHOOK their heads and
pointed aceusingly At Mee-tee-tse, who
stood silent in niche in the rocks.
soon came calm. The sun shone
very brilliantly and gave out an awful
heat. A water famine came The corn
withered and died; the game flew to
the shade of the forests. The earth
grew hot and no breath of wind came
to relieve the suffering.
when hunger came to the people
and with 1t the sueaking coyotes from
the hills. which preyed upon the chill
dren, 1t was decided that Mee-tee-tse
must die to appease the Great Spirits
wrath.
For said the medicine men, did
ne not kill the bird of peace and plen-
ty. Of which he himself first told us?'
''Mee-tee-tse was gone. To put him
TO death they must first find him So
they waited Darkness came; another
day: another night. Mee-tee-tse's faith
er skulked here and there. constantly
on the watch for his sons return that
Ne might warn him, and it was with a
leaping heart that the father heard
from afar the screech of an owl, which
he knew to be his boys signal of APP
proach. Others, too. heard the sound
Angrlly men and women followed the
noise, but when they found the object
Of their search they fell at his feet for
he came with many ponies laden with
Jars of water and launches of deer.
''Mee-tee-tes told a wonderful story.
IN search of water he had fallen ex-
1austed near the mouth of a cave A
'ool draught Of air came from the hole
md gave him strength TO drag himself
Onward into the cave. After some tine
lie found himself again out in the light.
,ut now the air was fresh, the ground
vas cool Near by he heard a sound
'wester THAI the song of any bird. He
vas drawn TO II. A spring; Waters
rushed from ii in abundance. and as
he lad stopped to queneh his thirst
md eathe his fevered brow he found
hat from the depths of the life giving
Iool came the sweet song.
'Yonder lies the parched valley of
cath. which has never known rain
ince Mee-tee-tse's days. ages and ages
go. Here is the singing spring. just
s II was when Mee-tee-tse came. lead
rs his people out of suffering and
amt"