ence of
distrust, and Osceola was used to respectful usage. "Am I a negro, a
slave?" he exclaimed. "My skin is dark, but not black. I am a red man, a
Seminole. The white man shall not treat me as if I were black. I will
make the white man red with blood and then let him grow black in the sun
and rain." His language became so violent that General Thompson ordered
him put in irons and cast into prison.

Alone in the dark, Osceola ceased to rave. Thoughts of a terrible
vengeance soothed him. He planned it all carefully. After several days
had passed he seemed repentant. He asked to see General Thompson and
said he had spoken in anger. He expressed his friendship for the agent
and his willingness to assist in persuading the Indians to live up to
their treaty.

After he was liberated Osceola seemed as good as his word. His manner at
the Fort changed. He even brought in two or three sub-chiefs to sign the
treaty. The agent was completely deceived and believed he had gained a
powerful ally.

When the Indians learned that Osceola had been put in irons they felt
his wrong as their own and wished to visit the agent with swift
punishment. But Osceola looked at the place on his wrist where the
fetters had been and said: "That is my affair. Leave General Thompson to
me. Your part is to see that no Indian leaves Florida."

Almost daily something happened to show both Indians and white men that
they could no longer live together in peace. One evening while a little
company of Indians was camping in a hammock cooking supper, a party of
white men came upon them, seized their rifles, examined their camping
equipment and then fell to beating them. While they were occupied in
this way some friends of the campers came up and seeing the plight of
their comrades opened fire on the white men. The latter returned the
fire and killed an Indian.

While the Indians blamed the white men for this affair the white men
held the Indians responsible for it. They ordered out the militia to
protect the citizens and punish the Indians. Both parties believed that
the time had come for definite action. By definite action the white men
meant the transportation of the Seminoles, the Indians meant war. The
former pushed forward preparations at Tampa, and issued a summons to all
Indians to come in, sell their cattle and pledge themselves to assemble
on the first of January 1836 for their journey. The latter held a
council and decided that while the Indians