Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-01-25
Indian
Lodge Tales
By
Ford c. Frick
Observation-Disclosures
THE LEGEND OF FRAY
JUAN DE LA CRUZ

AYOW it so happened that years
- ago, before any of US We're born,
4 nd when our fathers fathers fathers
re only boys, there came out If the
Ruthland many white men, and all
a @ white men were in search of the
&parkling gold which lay in the noun
y. inns where it was hid from all eyes.
j nd these white men were cruel to the
Il rfhpsmen and murdered them and
made them slaves, and the tribe was
8reauy frightened.
II But one day there came another
II hne man and his name was Juan
H. La Cruz, and he called himself
#Padre," and he was great medicine
nan. who worshiped strange gods and.
4 no Taught many of the tribesmen to
*orship his gods also. He lived with
Hhe tribe many moons and went among
Ahem in his strange garments and
Aalked to them and taught them many
4hngs.
He continued to move northward
but of the desert lands until he came
H. the Great White mountains, where
Alwelt the gods of rain. Then his
indian friends told him not to go far
sher. for the mountains were filled
with great spirits, who were angry
NTH the Redmen and who would not
hermit them TO come within their
I lands. But he only laughed at their
hears and told them his god was the
Greatest god Of all, and the Indians
Believed him, for he was a great
hedicine man and his medicine was
Strong.
So he came to the Great White
mountain and entered into the canyons,
where the spirits dwet and the In
hans saw him walk unframed. And
ko they followed him and the whole
sarty entered the canyon and spent
many days.
One day Juan De La Cruz found
] there much gold ana he was very glad.
,And the Indians told him it was the
Eold Of the gods and warned him NOT
| 0 touch it, but he laughed and said
b was ''The Lost Mines" and with
heir help he collected great bags Of
| he gold which he loaded on his bur
bros to- take with him. That night
here was a great feast and Juan De
pa Cruz was very happy, and at
the spot of the mine he erected two
large sticks in the form of cross,
Ind before them he brewed great med
iclne. ..,... ..
In the morning, before the journey
was begun, he went to the top Of the
lMeat hill and walked in the sun
hit and said strange words to his
gods. .....
But as he was walking the Indians
saw him stumble and fail and lie
plunged down The mountain side out Of
sight. And when they reached him he
was dead and mis- body was broken
and bruised. And the people were
Eery much. safraid.
Then the chiefs held council and
when they were through they called
on the medicine men of the tribe and
the medicine men told them it was
bad They said the gods of the Great
White mountain were stronger than
the white mans god, and had caused
him to be hurled over the cliff because
he touched their gold.
They urged the people to return
whence they came and so they went
back to their homelands. But they
left behind them all the gold which
the padre had collected, and they
would not touch it, for it belonged to
the rain gods, who dwelt on the Great
White mountain, and if they touched 1t
they would die.
When they returned to their home
they told other white men Of the
strange gods which dweIt in the noun
tain, but the white men only laughed,
and many there were who went forth
TO search for the gold but there were
none who found it, and there 1t is to
this day, hidden in the canyon in tn
shadow of the Great White mountain