Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-03-22

nothing of Gloria's presence in the
thicket, but he promised to guide
Freneau to some of the scattered vii
lagos.
Meanwhile DIR. 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 q
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 seen 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 false direction, too
He laughed as he saw the crazy
stranger in that tattered evening dress
playing his blind mans buff, not
the wilderness, and knowing. that
Gloria was now in Indian servitude.
The young chief. Katcalani. kept
watching Gloria. Her Wilderness, her
delieacy, the unconscious daintiness
with which she lifted the crooked
faggot from the brushwood, 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
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.
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 silver band made
out 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 che
would not have to pillow.
Gloria had often dreamed of her
first proposal of marriage. This was
it. 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
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-
ton and wrath. Then the child
woman wavered on her tired feet and
suddenly dropped to the ground in a
dead faint
Katcalani's rolling eyes made out a
startling vision Dick Freneau was
standing before him. The Indian guide
had Lut him ashore near the village
and was waiting for him to make in
quiries Freneau had pushed through
the palmettos 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 parley. He CRASHED his teeth and
threatened Freneau with such hlcod-
thirsty fury, that Freneau fell back.
He felt his hair rise and his scalp al
ready going. He retreated in SUE h
haste that Katcalani did net pu-s-o
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 if 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 knife in his hand. He
had put one white man to flight: he
charged on this other But Royce did
1ot fall back. He advanced. He was
lalf mad with his nights wandering
md he was afraid of nothing. With
lis bare hands he went straight into
he fight