THE AMERICANS AND THE ABORIGINES. 407 



who seized a stool and endeavoured to force his way to 

 Eosa, but was repulsed by the Comanches and Oconees. 



" Therefore did the white snake accompany me ! " 

 yelled Tokeah. " Does my son know," cried he to 

 El Sol, "that the White Eose has betrayed her 

 father betrayed him for the pale-faces? Will the 

 white snake follow her father 1 " screamed the frantic 

 savage. 



"I cannot," was the reply. "The voice of my 

 Avhite father calls me." 



An expression of intense hatred came over the 

 features of the Indian, as he gazed at the beautiful 

 creature who lay half-fainting oh his arm. 



"Tokeah will leave the White Eose with her 

 friends," said he, with a low deadly laugh, drawing 

 back his hand and aiming the knife at her bosom. 



" Gracious God ! he is killing her ! " cried the 

 major, breaking furiously through the opposing 

 Indians. But at this critical moment the young 

 Comanche was beforehand with him. With a bound 

 he interposed himself between the chief's armed hand 

 and intended victim, tore Eosa from the grasp of 

 Tokeah, and hurled him back against the door with 

 such force that it flew into fragments. 



" Tokeah is indeed a wild cat ! " cried he with 

 indignant disgust. "He forgets that he is a chief 

 amongst his people, and brings shame upon the 

 name of the red men. El Sol is ashamed of such a 

 father." 



