The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-01-04

Nv . Sety WV W.
nothing of Gloria's presence in the
thicket, but he promised to guide
Freneau to some of the scattered vii,
lagos.
Meanwhile DR.. Royce, hunting in
every direction, had happened upon
the home of the Sipes, and had asked
about Gloria. Fearing that he had
come to demand the return of Gloria's
jewels they pretended not to have
seen her. But Royce caught a
glimpse Of Gloria's evening dress,
which Mrs. Sipe was trying to hide.
He charged the Sipes with deception,
probably with murder.
They fastened to confess that they
had see her and helped her on her
way in the clothes of a boy. They
sent young Sipe to show Royce which
way Gloria had gone. Young Sipe,
still angry at Gloria and his parents,
sent Royce in a false direction, too.
He laughed as he saw the crazy
stranger in that tattered evening dress
playing his blind mans buff, not
knowing that rivals were searching
the wilderness, and knowing that
Gloria was now in Indian servitude.
The young chief, Katcalani, kept
watching Gloria. Her Wilderness, her
delicacy, the unconscious daintiness
with which she lifted the crooked
faggot from the hrushwood, and the
luxurious aureole of her hair in the
Florida sun, made him frantic to call
her his own. He beckoned her to fol-
low him and led her to a distance
where the shambling, dusky women
Of his tribe could not see him bow
his turbaned head to the chalk-faced
squaw.
Gloria hoped that the peculiar per-
son was going to help her to escape,
and she followed him with only a
little fear. But he paused and began
to declare his passion with all an In
dams eloquence. q.
His dialect was crude, but his emo
ton was fierce. He compared
her with the most graceful palm, with
the rarest orchids. He said that the
sunrise was in her hair and the stars
in her eyes. He compared himself
with the great warrior Osceola, who
had slain so many whites. He offered
to kill all the white men in Florida
to please her. He spoke Of his wealth.
His turban had a silver band made
cut Of four silver dollars. He had a
gold watch, sixteen handkerchiefs, and
eighteen shirts. He had six of them
on. Gloria should have his, grand
mothers forty pounds Of beads to
wear-she should be a queen and she
would not have to plow.
Gloria had often dreamed Of her
first proposal of marriage. This was
1t. 1t did not accord with her dreams.
She was disguised, aghast, afraid.
She could think of nothing to do.
She caught sight of the dagger
that Katcalani wore in his belt. In
a sick horror of her fate she snatched
1t from him. She had not the courage
to kill herself, or him, but she gave
him the knife and begged him to
plunge it into her heart. Katcalani
glared at her in a frenzy of humilia-
tion and wrath. Then the child
woman wavered on her tired feet and
suddenly dropped to the ground In a
dead faint.
K~atcalani's rolling eyes made out a
startling vision. Dick Freneau was
standing before him. The Indian guide
had put him ashore near the village
and was waiting for him to make in
q~uirfes. Freneau had pushed through
the palmettoe, just in time to see
Gloria swoon. He recognized her
by her fair skin and her bright hair.
He approached Katcalani to claim her
and the reward.
But the young chief was in no mood
for a parley. He CRASHED his teeth and
threatened Freneau with such blood
thirsty fury, that F'reneau fell back.
He felt his hair rise and his scalp al
ready going. He retreated In such
haste that kstcalani did not pursue
him far. He stood watching for him
to reappear.
Meanwhile. by another roundabout
land path, DR.. Royce had found the
Seminole village. He saw Gloria
where she lay on the ground. He
thought her some young Indian
maiden asleep. He paused to wake
her and ask IL she had seen Gloria.
He saw that she was Gloria.
Before he could stoop to lift her he
saw Katcalani turn and stare. The
Indian had a knife in his hand. He
had put n white man to fight: he
charged on this other. But Royce did
not fall back. He advanced He was
half mad with his nights wandering
and he vas afraid Of nothing. With
his bare hands be went straight into
the fight.