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?"

Up went the single stone in the air, and Omas grabbed the batch that
were lying on the ground, and then caught the first as it came down.

"That won't do!" called Alice, seizing the brawny hand, which--sad to
say--had been stained with blood as innocent as hers; "you didn't do
that fair!"

"What de matter?" he asked, looking reproachfully into the round face
almost against his own.

"I'll show you how. Now, I lay those three on the ground like that. Then
I toss up this, pick up one without touching any of the others, keep it
in my hand and pick up the next--see?"

She illustrated her instructio