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

CADta1n AdN0e 1hGlu was dU lTlS0 SOL dier of fortune whose literary works, once immensely popular are now com paratively little read. He served as captain in the United States army dur ing the Mexican war and subsequently, volunteered in the cause of Hungarian independence. He travelled extensively in the United States and for many of his novels he there gathered the ma terial. Best known now of all his writ
 ings Is ''Osceola." In fact, this is the one work of his by which his name is now remembered. It Is a real histor- icai novel and nowhere can a better idea be obtained of the character of the celebrated Seminole chief or of the war against the Florida Indians, which taxed the power of the regular army of the day to carry to a success full conclusion, than in this novel. Fifty years ago everybody, young and old, read "Osceola." Whatever historians and critics may say, the great Seminole leader will go down to posterity as Mayne Reid painted him. "Osceola' IS really work of considerable merit from a literary and historical point of view, though marred by bitter invective against certain officers of the army, notably General Scott, from whom Reid thought he had received rank injustice. It Is a book well worth reading and Is beginning to come into It's own again ~ FORGE RANDOLPH, the wealthy
 Florida indigo planter, with his O vast plantation upon the Suwanee river and his small army of slaves, claim ed to be of the Randolphs of Roanoke and, therefore, descendant from the Prin- cess Pocahontas. He was inordinately proud of his streak of Indian blood. It may sound paradoxical, especially to European ears, but 1t Is true that white men in America who have Indian blood in them are proud of 1t. Not all the volumes that have been written bear such strong testimony to the grandeur of the Indian character as this one fact. But there Is this singular characteristic about 1.-the blood must come from the marriage Of a white man with an Indian woman and the marriage must have taken place many generations ago.
 The indigo planter had two children, George and Virginia, the latter a few years younger than her brother. The family lived the old romantic plantation life-that idle and rudely splendid exis- tence now forever passed away. George, the boy, used to hunt and fish from the time he was able to carry a gun or hold a rod. Virginia, girl of great beauty, was also fond of outdoor life, and with her attendant (every son and daughter of a southern planters family had some trusty slave detailed as attendanD used to roam in the orange groves, swim in the clear pool near the house and early learned to ride the pony provided for her.
 Every plantation in those vanished times had it's 'bad fellow" oftener more than one, but always one who held pre- eminence for evil. Yellow Jake was the fiend of the Randolph plantation. He was a young mulatto, in person not bad look inf, but of sullen habit and morose dis position-capable of fierce resentment and cruelty. Yellow Jake was so called to dis tinguish him from Black Jake-the faith ful attendant of George. Black Jake was of pure African blood and his heart was light his affection and devotedness to "the family"-of which he considered him. self one-left nothing to be desired. And other for both were suitors for the hand of Viola, the attendant of Virginia.
 One day Yellow Jake met Viola in a place far from the house and insulted her The opportune arrival of Virginia on the scene sent Yellow Jake away sullen and revengeful. Virginia demanded that the mulatto be whipped-Viola was her maid, Yellow Jake must be punished severely. Yellow Jake was whipped, and from that Ao. r.I1 gioia and the whole Randolph family. He lured an alligator into the swimming pool where Virginia used to take her morning bath, and then, hidden in a tree top, waited to see the huge saurian destroy the girl. And so it would have done had 1t not been for the opportune arrival at the pool of young George and another.
 George was there first, and, plunging In, caught his sister and strove to carry her to shore. But before he could reach n the alligator had caught the bathing dress of the girl in his mouth. Both brother and sister seemed about to be drawn down to the depth of the pool to be devoured. But suddenly, unexpectedly, appeared on the scene another actor. It was young Indian. He leaped upon the back of the saurian, plunged his knife into the alligators eye, and the reptile, re- leasing his hold, sank back into the wa ter dying. George, his sister and the stranger swan to the shore in safety. Virginia was taken to the house, while George stayed behind to thank the young Indian for his timely interference.
 With the years of a boy the dellverer of George and Virginia seemed to pos- sess the gravity of 8 man. He was of about Georges own size and age. His figure was perfectly proportioned, his face handsome. The complexion was not that of a pure Indian, though his style of dress was so. He was evidently a 'half-blood" His nose was aquiline and his eye, though mild in common, was lighted up with a fierce fire. You have received no injury?" inquired George for the second time. Quite sure--not the slightest" replied the Indian. "But you are wet through and through-come up of my clothes; I am sure they would it you" "The sun is strong, and mine will soon dry" returned the Indian.
 George gave him other offers of hospi- tality. but the stranger youth refused them all. Still he showed no signs of taking his departure. For what was he waiting? A reward? The next instant Georges purse was out and in the hands of the Indian. The next instant 1t was at the bottom of the pool. T did not ask you for money' said the stranger L