enever a squaw approached anywhere near him he would open his mouth
to its fullest extent and wave the teeth in the air.

"They will get used to seeing you without them and soon think you as
beautiful as ever," Charley said to him, gravely.

"Charley," said the old sailor, solemnly, "for good or ill, we leave
this island to-morrow. It ain't often them Injin women meets with a
man of my looks, an' it has drove 'em plum crazy. It ain't safe for me
to stay longer."

"I'm wondering what that widow lady in Shelbourne will say when she
hears of this," said Walter musingly. "She will naturally think that
you must have given them great encouragement."

"If either of you lads breathe a word of this in town, I'll throttle
you," declared the apprehensive old sailor.

"We won't say a word," said Charley, severely, "but I must say you have
been setting Walter and I a terrible example, captain."

After this parting shot, the two tormentors retired quickly, for the
old sailor was almost at the exploding point with indignation.

The captain was not the only one to whom the afternoon had brought
trials. Chris had not been without his share of troubles. The
Seminoles treated him with marked disdain and would not even permit him
to eat with the others.

"The Indians consider the darky as an inferior being," Charley had
confided to Walter in a whisper. "There are rumors that there is more
than one negro slave in the heart of the Everglades. The Seminoles
have a proverb, 'White man, Indian, dog, nigger,' which expresses their
opinion of the colored race."

Chris' troubles reached their climax when the little party was seated
around the fire with the Indians in the evening.

The chief, who had been watching the little darky closely all day,
turned to Charley: "Me buy 'em," he said, indicating Chris with a wave
of his hand. "Me buy nigger."

"I ain't no nigger," shouted Chris in a rage, "I'se a free-born black
Englishman, dat's what I is."

Charley silenced the indignant little darky with a wave of his hand.

"He already has a master and is therefore not ours to sell," he said,
while Chris bristled with indignation.

"Who master?" inquired the Seminole with an appraising glance at the
sturdy little darky.

"A man called King Edward," said Charley gravely, and Chris'
indignation subsided.

"Too bad," grunted the chief, and dropped the subject.

"What's that?" exclaimed Walter suddenly, as distant rifle shots echoed