apart, keeping a worried eye upon the squaws.

With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Charley drew aside one of the
Seminole lads, whom he had found could speak English, and whispered
eagerly to him.

The Indian lad's bright, beady eyes twinkled as he listened, and, when
Charley concluded, he nodded his head and slipped away into the group
around the fire.

"Look, Walt, oh, look," shouted Charley a moment later, "look at the
captain, oh my, oh my," and Charley rolled on the grass in wicked glee.

The young Indian had done his work well. A dozen of the squaws had
formed a ring around the old sailor and were slowly closing in. The
captain had struggled to his feet and with red face and horrified eyes
was waving his arms frantically, shouting, "Go away, go away," much as
one would shoo a flock of chickens.

"Don't be afraid, captain," called Charley, "they only want to embrace
you."

"I won't be embraced, I won't, I won't," cried the old sailor,
frantically.

"Come, Captain, do the Hobson act," said Walter, "the ladies expect it."

"Help, help," shouted the captain appealingly, as the circle of
grave-faced squaws steadily advanced, "I won't be embraced, I won't."

With a sudden howl of terror the squaws turned and fled.

In his fear, the captain had opened his mouth a little too far and his
false teeth had tumbled out. The old sailor caught them in his hand
and continued to wave his arms. "I won't be embraced," he shouted.

But there was no need of the defiance; the squaws would not, for untold
beads, have come near the strange being with the movable teeth.

"Shame, Captain," said Charley severely, as the two boys approached the
old sailor. "You must have been flirting with those ladies to make
them act like that."

"I guess they was just attracted by my appearance," said the captain
modestly, "I always was a favorite with the ladies."

"Looks as if they were headed this way again," said Walter.

With a cry of fright the old sailor turned and dashed away for the
shelter of the hut as fast as he could run.

The boys shouted with laughter, and even the grave warriors smiled at
the scene.

After dinner the celebration was renewed, but this time the youths
formed the audience while their elders held shooting matches and more
sober contests of skill and strength.

The captain did not emerge from the hut until nearly sundown, and when
he did appear he carried both upper and lower teeth in his hand.
Wh