The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-03-31
Alice of Old Vincennes
By Maurice Thompson
copYR1GHr 1908 BY ALICE LEE THOMPSON
REGIN HERE

COPYRIGHT 1908. BY A
BEGIN HERE
ALICE. foster daughter Of
LIEUT. FITZHUGH BEVERLEY, American
ArSly officer. who with
CAPTAIN HELM. surrendered Vincennes TO
GOVERNOR HAMILTON. during the Revo-
lutionary War
stole home TO see his family when Hamn-
Roussillon escaped and Alice wounded
CAPTAIN FARNswoRTH arrived. Because
of his infatuatiOn FOR Alice. Farnsworth,
though an Englishman, eagerly listened
FATHER BERETs plan to spare Alice the
punishment Hamilton has intended Tor
Beverley escaped to get help for Vim
cennes. but was captured By Indians Whom
Hamilton had sent in pursuit
LONG HAIR seized from Beverley iocket
When Beverley was made 70 run the
gauntlet he tried to escape, but due TO
previous exposure and bruta! treatment
felt his strength fast leaving.
= ONGHAIR. who was at his
heels, leaped- before him when
IL he had gone but a few steps
tomahawk. To struggle was use
less. save to insist upon being
Drained outright, which just then had
no part in Beverley's considerations.
Long-Hair kicked his victim heavily,
uttering laconic curses meanwhile,
and led him back again to the start
ing-point.
A genuine sense of humor seems al
most entirely lacking IN the mind of
the American Indian. He smiles at
things not in the least amusing to
us and when he laughs. which is very
seldom. the cause of his merriment
usually lies in something repellantly
cruel and inhuman. When Beverley
struck his two assailants, hurting
them so that one lay half stunned,
while the other spun away from his
fist with a smashed nose, all the rest
OF the Indians grunted and laughed
raucously in high delight. They shook
their clubs, danced, pointed at their
discounted fellows and twisted their
painted faces into knotted wrinkles,
their eyes twiEkling with devilish ex-
preston of glee quite indescribable.
ugh. damn. rum said Long Hair
this time adding a hard kick to the
elbOw-shove he gave Beverley.
The young man. who had borne all
he could, now turned upon him furi-
ously and struck straight from the
shoulder. setting the whole weight Of
his body into the blow LOng-Hair
stepped out of the way and quick as
a flash brought the fiat side Of his
tOmahawlS with great force against
Beverley's head This gave the
amusement a sudden and disappoint-
ing end, for the prisoner fell limp
and senseless to the ground No more
running the gauntlet for him that day
Indeed, It required protracted applica-
ton Of the best Indian skill to revive
him so that he could fairly be called
a living man. There had been no
dangerous conclusion, however. and
on the following morning camp was
broken.
Beverley, sore, haggard. forIornIy
disheveled, had his arms bound again
and was made to march apace with
his nimble enemies. who set out swift
" eastward, their disappointment at
having their sport cut short. although
bitter enough. not in the least indi-
Gated by any facial expression or
spiteful act.
Was it really a strange thing. or
was IT not, that Beverley's mind now
busted itself increasingly with the
thought that Long Hair had AHce's
picture in his pouch? One might find
room for discussion OF a cerebral prob
lem like this: but our history cannot
be delayed with analyses and specula-
tons; It much I'LL it's direct course
unhindered to the end. Suffice it to
record that, while trampiug at Long
Hairs side and growing more and
more DESTROYS Of seeing the picture
again, Beverly began trying to con-
verse with his taciturn captor. He
had a considerable smatterfng Of sew
eral indian dialects. which he turned
upon Long-HaIr to the best Of his abil-
ity, but apparently without effect
Nevertheless he babbled at intervals
always upon the same subject and al
ways endeavoring to influence that
huge, stolid, heartless savage in the
direction Of letting him see again the
child face Of the miniature
A stone. one of our travel-scarred
mysterious western granite powders
brought from the far north by the
ancient ice, would show as much sym
patty as did the face OF Long-Iair.
Once IN a while he gave Beverley a
soulless glance and said damn with
utter Indifference. Nothing, however.
could quench or even in the slightest
sense aIlay the lovers desire. He
talked OF Alice and the locket with
constantly increasing volubility, say
ing over and over phrases of endear-
ment in a half-delirious way not
aware that fever was fermenting his
blood and heating his brain. Probably
he would have been very Ill bur for
the tremendous physical exercise
forced upon him. The exertiOn kept
him in a profuse perspiration and his
~~A~Mana