HOW WE CONQUERED HALLECK TUSTENUGGEE. 319 



and had embarked in a revenue cutter to go down the 

 coast with a relative who had been appointed light- 

 keej^er somewhere in the neighborhood of Key Bis- 

 cayne. 



It seemed strange that after the danger experienced 

 at the plantation she would so soon go off to an equally 

 exposed and lonely life. Could she not find a better 

 position than that of a light-keeper's assistant ? Or did 

 the lonely life it promised agree with her disposition and 

 her feehngs of sadness ? 



Mike expressed his feelings, looking southward as if he 

 could see the lighthouse, by the words " Waall, waall !" 



However there was no explanation to be had, and 

 after talking it over, we turned to the frolic of the camp 

 and the Indian negotiations, which seamed rapidly 

 approaching a definite result. 



A few days more at the lakes, and we found ourselves 

 at Fort King, having accompanied Col. "Worth with a 

 detachment of troops by the way of Warm Springs, 

 where there was a collection of Indian chiefs who had 

 come in for a conference. 



This was one of the occasions of periodical truce, so 

 common in this war. Each party was glad of cessation 

 — the soldier to be relieved from marching and incessant 

 watchfulness, and the Indian to gain time to recruit and 

 purchase a stock of ammunition. At such times the pre- 

 cincts of a fort was the scene of a pageant. The chiefs 

 came in under the white flag, without their arms, bring- 

 ing their wives and children, and pitching their camps 



