398 BUFFALO 



he fell, and it is probable that they approached him 

 with a treacherous "How, how? " and a hand-shake, 

 and, as he gave the grasp of friendship, struck him 

 down, and launched him into eternity. 



Waconda Da, Great Spirit Salt Spring, is among 

 the most remarkable natural curiosities of the West, 

 and is held in great reverence by the native tribes. 

 It presents the appearance of a large conical mass "of 

 rock, about forty feet high, shaped like an inverted 

 bowl, and smooth as mason-work. In the center of 

 its upper surface, is the spring, shallow at the rim, 

 and in the middle having a well-like opening, about 

 twenty feet in depth. Into this pool the Indians cast 

 their offerings, ranging from old blankets to stolen 

 watches, thereby to appease the Great Spirit. 

 (From his location, Sachem thought the latter 

 must be an old salt.) 



We fished with a hooked stick for some time, and 

 were rewarded by bringing up a ragged blanket and 

 a shattered gunstock. All around the rim of the 

 opening were incrustations of salt, and the brackish 

 water trickled over, and ran in little rivulets down 

 the huge sides. At the base of the rock, a dead buf- 

 falo was fast in the mud, having died where he 

 mired, while licking the Great Spirit's brackish 

 altar. 



As no remarkable spot in Indian land should ever 

 be brought before the public without an accompany- 

 ing legend, I shall present one, selected out of 

 several such, which has attached itself to this. To 

 make tourists fully appreciate a high bluff or pic- 

 turesquely dangerous spot, it is absolutely essential 



