The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16

ola spare his life or save it from the ven- geance of the Indians.
 The story of the Seminole war Is a
 matter of history. During a lull in the
 war, while the government was waiting | for the endorsements which were hurry
 ing south, George was sent to his. old | home to raise company of volunteers. | With him went his friend and class
 mate at West Point, Lieutenant Galla- gher. Virginia and Gallagher had met
 often at the Point, and it was the cher
 ished hope of George that the two would fall in love with each other He watched | them closely while he was at the plan tation experimenting the raising of the volunteers. NO" thought he, they are toe good friends to be lovers, only com
 rades and friends
 He found when he arrived at the plan | tation that Arens Ringgold was constant visitor and seemed to be well received by his sister. This angered him, for when he
 had first gone to report at Fort King he | had discovered a plot against his life-ob- | iained undoubted evidence that Arens had conspired with Yellow Jake, now leader
 of the runaway blacks fighting with the | Seminoles, to kill him. George overheard | a conversation between Virginia and Arens which decided him to reveal to his sister and mother what he knew of | Ringgolds treachery. | He was behind a hedge, and in the gar den Ringgold and Virginia were talking. | Miss Randolph" said Arens, Twill you
 not accept my hand?" Your hand, sir,'' replied Virginia '1f you would win a woman you must cffer her your heart" You know that Is yours already; all the | give me before?" You must have told l the world then" You are harsh with | me. My father is dead-I am the master | of large estate. It shall be all yours if lyou will but accept me-" "Oh," replied | Virginia with laugh, If you will give all after we are married what will you
 give me before?' What can you mean?''
 "A plantation" "A plantation?" Exactly so. Give deed of that plantation which formerly belonged to the Powells I have
 fancy for it'' You shall have it within the hour.' Mind you, sir, promise ! nothing-I make no conditional only ask you for plantation
 The infatuated man hurried away, and George had a stormy interview with his sister and his mother. He revealed all the treachery of Ringgold. But Virginia declared that though she had no intes- tion of marrying Ringgold and never had, she wanted the deeds of the Powell plan tation, and was going to have them. Then she would give 1t back to its rightful owners. She was a self-willed girl, and Georges approximations had no effect upon her. In fact, she afterward got the deeds and delivered them over to Osceola. But Arens Ringgold was no longer a welcome visitor at the Randolph plantation. Furi-
 ous at being duped he planned a deeper
 and darker revenge.
 But before all this-in fact, Just as
 George had finished his colloquy with his
 mother and sister-a messenger riding post haste, arrived to summon him to report with his volunteers at Fort King. The war had broken out afresh, and there was another winter of hard fight ing, In which the government troops ob- tained such success as convinced even the most sanguine of the Seminoles that
 their cause was hopeless. Osceola offered
 to treat-but there could be no compro-
 mise now, and the Indians retired to their forests and swamps.
 Summer came and George was ordered
 to take his volunteers home-their term
 of enlistment having expired and the army
 having gone into summer quarters" As
 he approached his plantation George was met by fearful news. The plantation had been attacked by the Indians, his mother
 had been killed, the buildings burned and his sister had been carried off
 Driving his spurs into his horse, he was soon upon the scene of the outrage which
 had taken place but few hours before.