Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1913 — BEAR WAS HIS INDIAN WIFE. [ARTICLE]

BEAR WAS HIS INDIAN WIFE.

Where the Hunter Shot Her Is Now Called Bear’s House. Along one of the branches of the river in South Dakota there stands a hill called Matotl, or Bear’s House. Tradition tells this Indian legend about it: ' Once upon a time an Indian hunter was out on the chase. He wandered for many a day through forest and plain, over hill and dale, till he finally came to a spot where Bear’s House now is. Here he hunted for a while until one day he met a beautiful Indian woman. As soon as he saw her he wanted to marry her. Long and hard was the wooing, for the Indian woman was unwilling to marry the stranger. At last she consented, but she made the stranger promise that he would never in the future hunt or kill the bear. This animal was her totem, sacred to her and ari object of her worship. The hunter faithfuly promised to obey her wishes and to hunt all other animals and leave the bear unharmed. Then they were married and lived on in happiness and contentment for many a day. Once it happened that the hunter started on the chase. Early he went and roamed all through the neighboring forest'without killing a single thing. At last he became weary and tired from the chase and resolved to return to his wigwam. As he was approaching his home he saw in the dusky twilight the dark and shaggy form of a huge bear making straight for the Wigwam. “Now my wife will be lost,” he thought, ‘•for if the bear reaches there before me he will surely kill her.” Doubt at first stayed his hand, for he remembered his marriage vow. But”ie»r and anxiety overcame his doubts. He raised his bow to his shoulder and aimed at the aniihal. One arrow sent straight to the heart laid the animal low. When the Indian came near he saw instead of the bear the lifeless form of his wife. The hill where they lived is still called the Bear’s House, or Matoti Hill.