"All told the same story; all asserted that since the time their records
ran the Seminoles had hunted and slain every three-eyed man they could
catch; and that as long as the Seminoles had lived in the Everglades the
three-eyed men had lived in the forests beyond Black Bayou."
She paused, dramatically, cooling her cheeks in her palms and looking
from Kemper to me with eyes made starry by excitement.
"And _what_ do you think!" she continued, under her breath. "To prove
what they said they brought for my inspection a skull. And then two more
skulls like the first one.
"Every skull had been painted with Spanish red; the coarse black hair
still stuck to the scalps. And, behind, just over where the pituitary
gland is situated, was a hollow, bony orbit--unmistakably the socket of
a _third eye_!"
"W-where are those skulls?" demanded Kemper, in a voice not entirely
under control.
"They wouldn't part with one of them. I tried every possible persuasion.
On my own responsibility, and even before I communicated with Mr.
Smith--" turning toward me, "--I offered them twenty thousand dollars for
a single skull, staking my word of honour that the Bronx Museum would
pay that sum.
Pages:
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36