The Daughter of the Chieftain

Omas would have had a rather pleasing face had he let it alone;

but his people love bright colors, and he was never seen without

a lot of paint daubed over it. This was made up of black, white,

and yellow circles, lines, and streaks that made him look frightful.

But Alice was not scared at all. She and Omas were old friends.

Nearly a year before, he stopped at their cabin one stormy night and

asked for something to eat. Mrs. Ripley gave him plenty of coarse

brown, well baked bread and cold meat, and allowed him to sleep on

the floor until morning.

Benjamin was rather shy of the fierce looking Delaware, but Alice

took to him at first. She brought him a basin of water, and asked

him to please wash his face.

The startled mother gently reproved her; but Omas did that which

an Indian rarely does--smiled. He spoke English unusually well,

and knew why the child had proposed to him to use the water.

He told her that he had a little girl that he called Linna, about

the same age as Alice. Upon hearing this, what did Alice do, but

climb upon the warrior's knee and ask him to tell her all about

Linna. Well, the result was, that an affection was formed between

this wild warrior and the gentle little girl.

Omas promised to bring his child to see Alice, who, with her mother's

permission, said she would return the visit. There can be no doubt

that the Delaware often went a long way out of his course, for no

other reason than to spend an hour or less with Alice Ripley. The

brother and mother always made him feel welcome, and to the good

parent the influence of her child upon the savage red man had

a peculiar interest which nothing else in the world could possess

for her. So you understand why it was that Alice did not start and

show any fear when she looked around and saw the warrior standing

less than ten feet off, and attentively watching her.

"You can't play Jack Stones as well as I," she said, looking saucily

up at him.

"I beat you," was his reply, as he strode forward and sat down

cross legged on the grass.

"I'd like to see you do it! You think you're very smart, don't

you?"

A shadowy smile played around the stern mouth, and the Delaware,

who had studied the simple game long enough to understand it, began

the sport under the observant eyes of his little mistress.

While both were intent on the amusement, Mrs. Ripley came to the

door and stood wonderingly looking at them.

"It does seem as if Indians are human beings like the rest of us,"

was her thought; "but who could resist her gentle ways?"