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?"