Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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The Branksome: Si ogan 27 his father seized his arm. Keokuk was too late for the boy had jumped and he merely succeeded in throwing him off balance. Waukegan tried to regain his position but failed and fell to his death on the rocks below. Min- netonkah, wailing forth her grief, turned to the east with a motion of farewell to her people, and flung her- self down to her lover ' s side. This legend of Minnetonkah and Waukegan is only one of the many sad yet beautiful tales which cast such a romantic halo about Stand Rock. Its beauty, its dignity, its mystery make it an unforgettable scene, and as I watched the sun sink in the West, I could almost see Minnetonkah stand- ing with outstretched arms, about to go to her tragic death. The Sunrise In summer months one cool dark morn. Four campers trod o ' er paths well- worn Till passing swamps, they climbed the hill Of blue-brown rocks, unguided till They saw the deep black waters. The star-studded heavens dimly shone, Till, fading in the appoaching dawn. The brightening light crept o ' er the sky, Then up came hues that they might dye The sky a faint, pale pink. A deep dark rose minutely blended, Mixed with red-orange softly streaked, The yellow gold, first faint, then bright, Reflected, made an unknown sight When mirrored in the lake. So softly fade the briUiant hues Into the canopy of bright blue; Since past here travels everyday Always along the self-same way The distant ball of flame. UIvUCE READ, Form IV (Clan Mc Alpine).

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26 The Branksome Si ogan Minnetonkah and Waukegan Stand Rock, once see , is a sight to be remembered forever by anyone who admires the glory of nature and loves the romance of legend. It stands a mere four and a half feet from the mainland in one of the many lakes of Wisconsin. It is fifty feet high and its diameter measures not more than three feet in any place. At the top it suddenly spreads out and there is a table-Hke surface about five feet across. Jagged rocks and treacherous eddies form a dangerous base to this phenomenon of nature. Ivy climbs up its sides and tall pines on nearby cliffs cre,ate a background of green for the grey monster. Surrounded by the fresh green of untouched forests, beaten into its strange shape by the storms of untold centuries, this proud and lovely rock is made still more won- derful by the haze of romance which many strange legends have given it. There is one in particular I would have you hear — the tale of Minne- tonkah and Waukegan. This legend, like so many others, is one of love and sorrow. Minnetonkah was an Iroquois maiden held captive by the great Algonquin tribe. In the battle, during which she had been taken, young Waukegan, the son of the Algonquin chief, had proved his mettle as a warrior, bringing back more scalps than any other young man. As Minnetonkah was the daughter of the Iroquois chief, it was thought that she and Waukegan, both being of high birth, would soon become fast friends. But whether Minnetonkah was too grieved to notice Waukegan, or too proud to have a friendship forced upon her, or perhaps too mindful of her tribe ' s disgrace to unbend before a foe, in any case, friendly she would not be. For many months she kept herself aloof, made no friends, and thought only of her home in the east. But, indeed, she was only human, and at length she began to notice Wau- kegan. Once begun, this friendship flourished rapidly. Joy was in every heart but that of old Chief Keokuk. He could not bear the thought of an enemy girl as the squaw of his beloved son. As Minnetonkah and Waukegan became more and more attached to each other, the rage of old Keokuk increased. At last the lovers were forbidden to meet and had to do so secretly. They chose as their trysting spot a small cavern which had two openings — one not far from the village and the other opposite Stand Rock. It was inevitable that Keokuk should hear of this retreat, and on the evening he made the discovery, he determined to part the two forever. With a few followers he entered the opening nearest the village. He did not creep stealthily but walked boldly, talking in a loud, angry voice. In this way he unwittingly warned the lovers. While knowing of their peril, they could think of no way to escape it. The cliff above and below was bare and steep, and only Stand Rock re- mained as a possible refuge. Keokuk was almost upon them before they determined to risk the perilous jump. With help from Waukegan, Minne- tonkah landed safely, but, alas ! just as the brave warrior was about to follow

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28 The: Branksome Slogan Sunset A Solitary Hunter One glorious cloud across the western There are pleasures on a lonely sky, shore, The radiant fires of heaven glow A hunter ' s fire burns dimly there, ' Gainst the magic whiteness of the By the lake the great waves roar. new-fallen snow, While the moon comes up and glim- Those tranquil billows woven high, mers As shadows lengthen o ' er the sweep A lonely hunter sits by the edge of below, the wood, Across the silence drifts the coyote ' s And broods over his past solitudes. cry. He does not know how steel is Over the fields like burnished golden made, light. How bricks are baked or rails are The winds play, sweet with prairie laid, rose. But he knows where fish swim in Night spirits hover in each breeze that summer, blows, And how to trap the bears in winter. In silent skies are still in sight ' And still the lonely hunter sits and The rosy finger-tips of day; dusk bro ' ods grows Upon his lonely solitudes. Deeper twilight drifts to summer HELEN WALKER, night. Form II. (Clan Ross). LORNA McFADGEN, Form V (Clan Mc Alpine). The Frozen Brook The little brook with over-hanging willows, Winding its way through shady nooks and dells. Babbling over pebbles and under bridges, Flows on and down the grassy hills. But winter changes all. The brook is now a shining path of ice. And the willows are drooping low with snow, The hills are covered with blankets of white. Which the sun sets all aglow. ISABEL CLARK, Form I (Clan Stewart).