The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-09-24
Haha, an
Indian Maiden
By F. A. mitchell


who lived more than a hundred years
ago because her real name was to
them difficult to pronounce. 1t was
something meaning laughing girl, the
latter part Of it being "haha." This
appellation was given her on account
Of her musical laugh-not that she
laughed great deal. for the Indians
both men and women. are stolid "a &c,
and smile Is seldom seen on the face
Of any Of them. Haha laughed only
when especially moved by some happy
condition, and thea there was some
thing catching in her laughter. Even
the chief Of the tribe was known to
chuckle on hearing it.
One day the tribe to which Haha
belonged pitched its tepees in the
neighborhood Of family Of white set
tiers named MacDermott, who were
Of Scotch-Irish extraction, as most of
the early emigrants to that region
were, a hardy race, especially fitted to
endure the hardships Of a pioneer life.
A son. Donald, was fine, handsome
fellow twenty years Of age and as
much admired by the Indians as by
bis fellow whites.
One spring morning Donald, who
was fond of wanderinA, struck a
stream on the other side of which vas
a bluff extending perpendicularly from
the edge Of the water from which it
was reflected. The bank on which he
stood was wooded plain, where grew
the wild rye. oea vine and other herb
age, interspersed with various flowers.
The birds were singing, the air was
fragrant-indeed, nature was that
morning in its virgin condition, unde-
spoiled by man.
Suddenly there rang out peal Of
melody, laugh. 1t had scarcely died
away before its echo came back from
the cliff opposite. A hooking bird on
the branch Of a tree over Donald's
head heard it and was nightly aston
ished. Indeed, he looked indignant
that any creature should dare to make
more beautiful sounds than he. His
throat swelled, and out came a very
good imitation Of what he had heard
and, like its predecessor. came back in
reduced volume from the clitf.
At that moment the Indian girl.
Haha. came pushing aside the under.
brush, and Donald saw her stop, part.
ing it. and look straight at him. She
was evidently pleased with the stall.
wart white man, and he was delighted
with the attractive picture before him.
Now. Dona'1 knew nothing Of her
III she knew but little Of
his. He contrived by words and signs
to ask her why she was 30 happy, and
she pointed to le cliff reflected In the
water, the Wild flowers peeping
through the long grass, the grapes. per-
simmons, blackberries, cherries, mul.
berries and nuts that were beginning
to swell on the trees. He repeated
his own name several times, putting
his finger on bis breast She under
stood and gave her own name, adding,
"White man, Haha."
There could be no better place than
among this profusion Of natures boun.
ties and beauties for the birth Of love.
The white and the dusky mingled AZ
day and night meet in the cleaning.
Thereafter their meetings were fire..
quent and always at the same place.
Now and again through sheer happi.
ness Haha's laughter would ring out to
the envy Of some mocking bird. which
would try to initiate it. As the season
advanced the lovers had no need to
bring a luncheon with them, for it was
at hand in the ripening fruits of the
earth. ....
Haha had many suitors among the
young warriors Of her tribe, but from
the moment she met Donald McDer-
mott she would listen to none Of them.
This. as well as her frequent absences,
attracted the attention Of her people,
and they were at loss to divine the
cause. When the hunting season came
the lovers were in danger, for the In
dams spread themselves in every di.
rection to hunt the deer, bear and wild
turkey with which the country abound
cd. Aware that If they were caught
together by Haha's people one or both
would suffer, they changed their tryst-
ing place to a point under the bank Of
the Ohio river, near which they lived.
Between the bank and the stream were
shallow lagoons frequented by docks
Of birds of all sizes, from the snipe tc
the sandhill crane.
But it was now autumn. the season
when the wild geese visited the Ia
goons, and the Indians came there to
procure them for food. One day an
Indian crouched upon the bank above
where the lovers were together. watch.
ing for a shot at the geese. He heard
Haha's laugh. Crawling forward to a
point where he could see the white
man and the Indian girl. he raised bis
rife, fred. and Haha's laugh was turn
ed into shrek. Donald fell dead.
That was the last of Haha's laugh
ter. She lived but few months after
her lovers death. ending her life by
jumping from the cliff near which they
had so often met. There was belief