Whilst Elias Rody is pondering upon his scheme, let us tell the reader
who he is.
A Georgian, who began life without any fixed idea.
His father, a wealthy merchant of Savannah, had brought him up to do
nothing; and, until he had attained man's estate, he faithfully carried
out his father's teaching.
Like many Southern lads borne to competence, he could not appreciate the
dignity of labour, and accordingly loitered through his youthful life,
wasting both time and patrimony before discovering that idleness is a
curse.
At his father's death, which happened upon Elias reaching his twentieth
year, all the worthy merchant's property descended to the son, and the
idler suddenly found himself the possessor of a large sum of money with
a sort of feeling that something was to be done with it.
He accordingly spent it.
Spent it recklessly, freely and rapidly, and then discovered that what
he _had_ done was not the thing he _should_ have done.
He then became reformed.
Which meant, that from a liberal, open-handed, careless fellow, he
changed to a cynical, cautious man.
With a small remnant of his fortune, and an inheritance from a distant
relative, Elias became a man of the world, or rather, a worldly man.
In other words, he began life for a second time, and on an equally wrong
basis.
Before his eyes were two classes of his equals. Reckless men with large
hearts, and careful men with no hearts at all, for such was the
organisation of the society surrounding him.
Of the first class he had full experience; of the second he had none
whatever.
To the latter he resolved to attach himself.
It is useless wondering why this should have been. Perhaps he had never
been fitted for the community of large-hearted men, and had only mixed
with them through novelty, or ignorance of his own station.
Be this as it may, one thing is certain, he became before long a most
exemplary member of the society he had selected for imitation. No one
drove a closer bargain, saw an advantage (to himself), or could lay
surer plans for securing it, than Elias Rody.
He learned, also, to control, and in every way wield influence over
those around him. Power became his dream. He was ambitious of
governing men.
Strange to say, this feeling was almost fatal to his prospects. We say
strange, because ambition generally carves its own road, and moulds its
own fortune.
Rody, however, had commenced an active career too late to arrive at much
importance in the political world--that grand arena for attaining
distinction.
He therefore cast about him for another field of ambitious strife, and
speedily found it.
At this time throughout the state of Georgia were many planters, who,
without capital to purchase additional property, found themselves daily
growing poorer as their land became worn out with exhausting crops.
These men were naturally enough the grumblers and discontented spirits
of the community.
Another class were those with little save a restless disposition, ever
ready for any venture that may arise.
Rody, shrewd and plausible, saw in these men the very instruments for a
purpose he had long thought of, and had well matured.
"If I cannot attain the object of my wishes here," said he, to himself,
"perhaps I may be successful elsewhere, if I can only persuade others to
join me. These are men ready to my hand; I will take them with me, they
shall be my followers; and whilst contributing their means to my end,
they will look upon me as a benefactor."
Rody, it will be seen, was a thorough egotist.
This idea becoming fixed in his mind, the rest was easy. He spoke to
them of their present condition; drew a brilliant picture of what might
be achieved in a new land; painted with masterly eloquence the increase
of wealth and happiness his plan presented, and finely gathered around
him a large number of families, with whom he started from Georgia, and
settled in that section of Florida we have described.
The reason for Rody's selection of this spot was another proof of his
profound selfishness.
In his reckless, generous days, he had, on the occasion of a visit to
Columbus, been the means of saving from insult and outrage a Seminole
chief, who had visited the capital upon some business connected with the
State Government.
This act of generosity had been impulsive; but, to the Indian, it
assumed the proportion of a life-long debt.
In the fulness of his gratitude, the chief caused papers and titles to
be drawn up in Rody's favour, giving a grant of a portion of his own
property lying on the shores of Tampa Bay.
The Indian chief was named Oluski.
The grant of land was the settlement we have spoken of.
Rody, at the time, made light of Oluski's gratitude, and thrust the
title into his desk without bestowing a second thought on the matter.
Now, in his days of worldly wisdom, these papers with the Seminole's
emblematic signature, were brought to light with a very different
appreciation.
He saw that they represented value.
Elias Rody accordingly determined to make use of them.
It ended in his carrying a colony southward, and settling upon Tampa
Bay.
The scheme originated in selfishness turned out a success.
The lands were valuable, the climate salubrious, and the colony thrived.
A bad man may sometimes do a good thing without intending it.
Rody received even more credit and renown than he had expected; and,
being a shrewd man, he achieved a part of his ambition.
He was looked up to as the most important personage in the community.
Although some of the settlers did not approve of all his measures,
still, their opposition was rather negative than positive, and had, as
yet, found vent only in remonstrances or grumbling.
None had dared to question his prerogative, although he often rode a
high horse, and uttered his diction in a tone offensively arrogant.
What more, then, did Elias Rody want?
A covetous man always wants more. Oluski's gift was a noble one. It
covered a large area of fertile land, with water privileges, and a
harbour for trade. It was the choicest portion of his possessions. The
chief, in bestowing it, gave as a generous man gives to a friend. He
gave the best he had.
Unfortunately the best he had did not embrace the hill; and, therefore,
Rody was unsatisfied.
More than once during the progress of the settlement, he had cast a
wishful eye upon the spot, as the choicest site in the whole district
for a dwelling.
As his means expanded so had his tastes, and a grand dwelling became the
great desire of his life.
It must, perforce, be built upon the hill.
To every offer made to Oluski for a cession of this spot, the chief had
firmly and steadfastly given a refusal. He, too, had his ambition;
which, although not so selfish as the white man's, was not a whit less
cherished.
For nine months in the year Oluski and his tribe dwelt in a distant
Indian town, and only visited the waters of Tampa Bay for the remaining
three, and then only for the purposes of pleasure. The wigwams of
himself and people were but temporarily erected upon the hill. For all
this they had an attachment for the spot; in short, they loved it.
This was what Elias Rody stigmatised as a mere fancy.
There was another reason held in similar estimation by Elias. In the
rear of their annual encampment was an Indian cemetery. The bones of
Oluski's ancestors reposed therein. Was it strange the spot should be
dear to him?
So dear was it, in fact, that to every proposal made by Rody for the
purchase of the hill, Oluski only shook his head, and answered "No."