Show indian lodge tales by ford C fricia THE LEGEND OF FRAY JUAN DE LA CRUZ NOW it so happened that yenni years N ngo before any of us were born bom and when our fathers fathers authers fu fathers were only boys there came out of tile southland many whit e men anti nil all tile tho white men wore were in search set frell oz 0 the sparkling gold which lay in tho mountains where it was hid from all eyes and these white men were cruel to the tribesmen and murdered them find and made them slaves and tho the tribe was greatly frightened but ono one day there caroo cam 0 another white mun man and his name was juan de ln la cruz and he called himself padre and he was a great medicine ratin man who worshiped gods and who lie taught ninny many of tho the tribesmen to worship ills his gods also ile he lived with the tribe many moons find and went among them in his strenge garments find talked to them and taught them many things U ue e continued to move n northward ort hward out of the desert lands until lie he came to the great white mountains where dwelt the gods of rain than ills his indian friends told man him not to go farther for tile the mountains were filled with great spirits who were angry with the and who would not permit them to como come within their innas but he only laughed at their fears and told bold them ills god was tile greatest gica test god of all find the indians believed him for lie ho was waa a great medicine man and ills his medicine was strong so he came to tho the great white mountain and entered into the canyons where the spirits dwelt velt and the indians saw him walk unharmed and so BO they followed him and tile the whole N 11 10 ole party entered the canyon and spent many days one day junn juan do la cruz found there much gold and ho he was very glad and the indians told him it wits was tho the gold of the gods and warned him not to touch it but lie and said it was tile the lost mines and with their help lie he collected great bags of the gold which lie he loaded on ills his burros to take with him that night there was agrest a great feast and juan do de la cruz was very happy and at the spot of the mine lie erected two large sticks in the form of it a cross and before them he brewed great medicine in the morning before the journey was begun lie went to the top of the great lull hill and walked in the sunlight and said strange words to his gods but as he was walking the indians saw him stumble and fall and he plunged down the mountain side out of sight and when they readied reached him film he was dead and his body was broken find bruised and the people were verv much afraid 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 lind had they said the gods of the great white mountain were stronger ct ronger than the white mans god and hud 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 hom elands 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 grent great white mountain and if they touched it they would die when they returned to their home they told other white men of the strange gods which dwelt in the mountain but the white men only laughed and many there were who went forth to search for the gold but thera were none who found it and there it la Is to this lay day hidden in ili the canyon in th shadow of the great white mountain |