Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-26
SKELETON SUSPENDED FROM SYCAMORE
N INDIAN LEGEND, DESCRIBED BY JAS. KING

INDIAN LEGEND, LIE
James King, civil war veteran and
contributor of numerous articles OF
interest to the public, tells of an old
Shoshone legend regarding huge
sycamore and skeleton suspended
from one of it's limbs in his latest let
ter. In the previous one he gave a
minute description of one OF the lakes
where his party stopped, telling of the
country and animals about. The mar
rative as related in the present, in
stallment Is an intensely interesting
one and is given exactly as told to
Mr.. King by Kit Carson, famous trap
per and Indian hunter. The party of
which Mr.. King was member was en-
route by wagon train to Santa Fe, from
Kansas. The story follows:
All hands we're pleased when re-
turned from the pasture and told them
we would remain In camp another day.
Preparations were made for a busy
time on the morrow. We again made
a general overhauling. We had our
blacksmith with us and we did some tire
setting and mule shoeing, my good sad
dler, Nick, falling heir to q full set of
new shoes. We .potted and cooked a
good supply OF antelope meat and the
delicious little dog was not overlooked.
The prairie dog at this point was some
what different from those back east OF
the Arkansas river, being more OF the
badger species and having heavier
coating of fur. II was much larger
and fatter and when properly cooked
proved to be first class dog meat.
The shades of desert night were
once more chased to rest by the light
Of another day. 1t was ushered IN
cool and cloudy with all the appear
ance of snow, but all hands were piped
on deck and greasing, repairing and
shoeing was the order Of the day.
Everyone WED with his fellow man to
make everything spick and span for
what we hoped to- be final drive to
our goal, Santa Fe. Little did we
dream at that time that our train was
destined never to reach Santa Fe and
such of us. as did reach the capital
of greaser land did so as individuals.
Pardon me if digress little to keep
a promise concerning the skeleton
mentioned In former letter.
The Shoshone Indian legend as to
the skeleton which dangled from the
limb as told by the redoubtable trap
per and Indian killer, Kit Carson, was
that many years ago a one armed man
whom the Shoshone designated as the
black robber Of the desert used to
lead his followers into the tepees OF
the peaceable Shoshones when on their
annual and biennial hunting trips and
carry their young squaws into cap
tivity and also rob them Of their fam
lily robes and furs, even taking the
actual necessities of life from the
Shoshones' wigwams. He was said to
have a charmed life and when shot at
at point blank range the bullets would
roll from him and become huge drops
of black water and for this reason he
was dubbed by the Shoshones the
Black Robber of the desert.
One day trader came among the
Shoshones and told them that for a
large number Of ponies and a goodly
amount Of robes, furs, pelts, etc., he
would give them In return an iron
rope or chain which would be big medi-
cine against the black robber. He also
promised to give them some powder
which they were to scatter on the
waters of the lake so that when the
black robber and his followers would
drink therefrom they would be over
come by deep sleep and then the Sho-
shones could capture them without loss
to themselves. BY torture they could
make their captives reveal the where
abouts Of the stolen .squaws and prop
erty. He also said he would send a
good medicine man to lead them to
victory. 5, -..,-r~ ~.
According to promise the iron rope
was delivered and in due time the
good medicine man arrived at the
tepees of the Shoshones and with a
picked band OF warriors travelled one
moon through the mountains and
across the desert to the lake and
spread the powder upon its waters.
They then retired to the hills to await
the advent Of the. black robber and
his followers. After while the latter
put in an appearance and pitched their
camp on the great plains near the
shores of the lake and after drinking
of its waters lapsed into sound sleep.
Then the good medicine man sent by
the trader led the red warriors from the
hills and securely bound the black
robber and his followers and then
with antidotes the good medicine man
dispelled the Sleep When the black
robber and his clan awoke they found
themselves securely bound, disarmed
and surrounded by band OF painted
warriors who after inflicting the most
excruciating torture known to the red
man, drew from the robbers the in.
formation as to the whereabouts Of
the captive squaws and the ponies
and the plumber once the property of