Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-11-26
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THEIR GODS FAIL
sy GEORGE VAN scHAlck.
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Copyright,
The Indians. who looked upon ft
with reverence. had always said that
the lake had no bottom. It's dark
waters reflected giant pines and firs
and mirrored the huge surrounding
inountains.
ft was always calm and black, for
the winds never reached IL; but at
me outlet the still surface seemed to
awaken from Q long sleep. and, roar.
mg. iashed itself In sudden fury and
tore Its way through q canyon from
whose rocky sides II bis out boulders
and spewed them out again to be
eround into sand hundreds of miles
further on.
Many feet above the torrent the face
@ the cliff was grooved into q huge
shelf. and one day men had crawled
upon II. looking like puny insects.
Tons Of dynamite had roared and
enawed away Insignificant specks
rom the vastness Of the mountain.
preparing way upon which were laid
ubbons OF steel that seemed to run
sndlessly toward the setting sun.
Above the line lowered giant peaks
spotted with the purplish whiteness Of
everlasting SHOWS. streaked by the
mrrows plowed by avalanches and
maculated by the bare faces of cliffs
end rocks.
These rose so high that, from the
camping grounds at the edge of the
lhke. fragment only Of the blue over
head could be seen. The remainder of
The world was but the vast play
grounds Of ancient gods who had up
heayed the world In sport and war.
Came the month of falling leaves,
With fiurries of snow, and the men
abandoned their work for the time be-
Ing. bearing away their drills and
Wasting powder to other places where
they might continue the work with no
peril OF deep snows and harsh weather.
After their departure some families
q Indians passed on their way to far
fher hunting grounds. They beheld
the work OF the white men and pom
dered over II. silently, stricken with
the awe with which people see abomi
uAble dissertations of hailowed things.
The earthworks leading from the
shore Of the lake to the great ledge
now covered the graves of ancient
chiefs. The jetsam of many men, the
refuse Of their life. scattered over the
camping ground. insulted the spirits
of the departed and stank In the NOS
trils OF the living.
Overhead the rasping bark of a great
eagle seemed raised In protest, and
sf&o wondrous peaks Of the huge noun
tains were hiding their shame among
the clouds.
Women nursed their children and
toiled about the camp with heads
bowed down, while the men, wrapped
In their blankets, gazed with loathing
upon the polluted scene and wondered
how II had come about that the curses
OK their gods had not prevented this
evil.
Finally an Old man turned to his
companions. pointing with uplifted
arm toward the west.
1T is the road we have heard of,
built for the fire-wagon," he said. and
the others nodded In assent.
They have covered the burial places
with earth and rocks: they have be-
fouled the waters of the lake and torn
the face OF the mountain" he contin-
ued- "Now the spirits that come to
the tombs are surely angered. as are
those that dwell beneath the lake, and
those whose voice Is heard In thunder
storms and whose footsteps loosen the
rolling snows."
The others looked at the old medi.
cine man, for their Manitou often
spoke TO him. and within his lodge oc-
Cured mysterious things.
I'm the month Of the Budding Moon"
said one man, 81 have heard that the
hre-wagon win come up through the
valley"
''It cannot be-" answered the old
man. The rolling SHOWS will bury It
and the waters will rise and enguIf ft
and the mountains viii shake and cast
it In the canyon"
In the month Of May they returned.
being again compelled to pass by the
little lake. The SHOWS of winter and
the following foods had removed moet
OF the traces OF the occupation by the
white men, but the line Of the railway
was still there,
Great poles had been planted during
their absence, upon which were strung
wires that vibrated and made strange
sounds.
'It In the talk OF the white men,"
ventured youth.
Presently along the winding shore
Of the lake arose an unwonted noise
and the Indians beheld a surprising
thing.
II was small platform mounted on
wheels. Men stood on 1t who worked
wooden bars UP and down, and Il shot
forward rapidly. When the men neared
the place where the Indians were gath.
cred the hand car slowed and stopped.
"Bojoui bojoui" cried one OF the
men. and the Indians answered sui
Ieniy.
The men Jumped OF their car and
made their way down TO the camping
ground. careless Of the dogs that were
smiling at their heels. They made Q
fire upon which they boiled water and
made tea, and while they were sup
ping the old medicine man came ur
70 them and squatted by their fire.
when does the fire-wagon conner
he asked
Comes tomorrow. old boy" an
swered one Of the newcomers. First
trip over the line"