Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-11

TIME family known as me Cypress
Wolves" was the sole remnant of
one of the fiercest tribes the pale
faces had met in the Seminole wars.
Many of the tribe had been captured
by objectionable treachery The sol
diers of that day, unable to follow the
Indians to their haunts, used false prom
Uses to lure them out. Our dealings
with the Seminoles are among the worst
blotches on American history. They
earned for US the undying distrust of
such Indians as still remain in the ever
glades. To them the words white
man" and liar" are synonymous.
They guard the secret paths of the
maze with religious devotion and they
have refused all brides to disclose them.
The Indians nowadays are often kind
ly to such lost explorers as fall among
them. They will guide the wanderers
out, but they will not guide them in.
If Gloria Stafford, who was strolling
slowly into the very heart of the Cypress
Wolf region, had come among them as
young girl in distress they would
have treated her with chivalry. But
her first action outraged their most sa-
cred beliefs.
The old chief Hitakee of the Cypress
Wolf tribe had more dignity than
wealth. But he owned horse. 1t was
an ancient mustang and its manners
were bad; but 1t was almost the only
horse owned by an everglade Indian.
At the very time that Gloria had been
helped to solve her algebra problems by
DR.. Royce old Hitakee was solving all
his problems with the aid Of the medi-
cine man of his tribe. He died with
great dignity.
The young brave Katcalani was the
logical successor to the chiefship. He
had his eye on that horse and dreamed
of himself astride 1t. The widow OF
of Hitakee had another idea Shonolakee
was her name. She did not Intend that
her dead husband should walk all the
way to the happy hunting grounds. In
her youth when the chiefs had horses
and rode them they rode also TO the
far off paradise. Each CHEERS squaw
saw to that, for she cut the throat or
his horse and sent its ghost AFTER lts
masters spirit
Katcalant tried to save Hitakee's
horse from sacrifice, but Shonolakee
grew so fierce and the other squaws
so fierce that he felt his election In
danger. Among the SeminoIes the wom-
en- have long had equality and suffrage.
They even have the men working Tor
them.
lust about the time that Gloria Stat
ford was feeling her way through the
thickets about the Cypress Wolf VII
lage Shonolakee led the old horse out
to slaughter. She was weeping so Bit
terIy that she did not heed when the
sacrihcial knife fell from her belt. She
tied the horse, said her prayer, and
reached for the blade. 1t was gone She
turned back to look for 1t.
She had not gone far when Gloria
Stafford parted the palmetto leaves and
saw before her the steed she had prayed
for. 1t evidently had an owner, for 1t
was tied But Gloria was accustomed
to taking what she wanted. Her father
could always pay for it. He would pay
we'll for this darling old nag If 1t car
ried her home.
she approached 1t with coaxing words
and united the halter. The pony SHE'D
and tried to caress her with it's heels.
Gloria had been we'll schooled in horse
manship from childhood, and she soon
had her hands in the name of the un-
willing mustang and vaulted to Its
back
She had no sooner set her heels into
its ribs than the old squaw returned
with the recovered knife, She saw the
sanctified charger being carried Off
and by a ragamuffin evidently from one
of the white trash families that even
the Seminoles despised.
She gave a wild cry Of alarm, the
fierce "Yo-ho-ee-hee! that had once
made the Indian hunters blood run
cold. The tribe answered in wonder
ing haste. She pointed to Gloria and
the vanishing horse. 1t was not vanish
ing very fast, for the wilderness was
thick and Gloria did not know the way.
The Seminoles divided and ran in vari-
Gus directions to head her off.
In a few moments the young chief
himself leaped from ambush. and
caught the horse by the nose and ear.
The old squaw was not far behind and
Gloria was dragged to the ground and
threatened with the death Of thief-a
sacriligious thief.