Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/69

 BISTO.RY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 39 admiration of her purpose, declared that they would not only find the truant lover, but they would also recover their lost territory, which they naturally supposed must have been transported, with the direction of the wind, clown the Mississippi. Believing this, they started down in a canoe. With the keen sight of Indians, they discovered fragments of their lost possessions at the present site of Wabasha ; but it would not be possible to explain their reasons for believing this, without a faith in their medicine charms, so we will pass on. "At the site of Winona they were overjoyed to see, as they approached the landing, the exact counterpart of their sacred dome at Bed Wing. It had been rent in twain, it is true, but the attrition of transportation had modeled it into a beautiful cap, not unlike the Scotch or Canadian cap of old, and standing in front as though in a mirage, his tall form outstretching almost to top of cliff, was the lost chief once more in possession of the lost cliff, which he declared should be his cap for all future time. Its beautiful form, garlanded with cedar, would have re- mained the admiration of all beholders until this time, but for Mammon, a most powerful modern god, more powerful by far than any known to the Dakotas. 'Leaving the chief to recover from his dazed condition, and assemble his scattered family on a site he selected for himself on what became known as Burn's creek, the anxious maiden with her young braves pursued her way down the river. They soon came in sight of one of their lost mountains, which became known to the whole Dakota tribe, when they had heard of the wonder, as Fah-ha-dah (the moving mountain), but to the Winne- bagoes, who, in approaching it in canoes on the east side, found it surrounded by water, it was known as Hay-nee-ah-chah, or Soaking Mountain. The pursuing party stopped but a moment at Pah-ha-dah, or Trempeauleau, for just below they saw a short range of isolated bluffs, which they felt sure were taken from the upper portion of the range of what is modernly known as Barn bluff. The vacant space below Bed Wing, they argued, justified their conclusion. But they were about to land for exam- ination, and perhaps for some slight refreshment, when their ears were assailed by the most persistent rattling of numerous rattle- snakes, of sin-tah-dah, they had ever heard. Upon inquiry they found that the bluffs were really a part of their old possessions, but that the remains of their ancestors should not again be dis- turbed from the mounds and ossuaries on the ridge, but be held sacred for all time. The snakes were magically sent by the good high priest, with the bluffs, to protect the remains from desecra- tion." The Omahas and Towas wore driven out of this state and beyond