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.

"It was useless. Not only do the Seminoles refuse to part with one of
those skulls, but I have also learned that I am the first person with a
white skin who has ever even heard of their existence--so profoundly have
these red men of the Everglades guarded their secret through centuries."

After a silence Kemper, rather pale, remarked:

"This is a most astonishing business, Miss Grey."