The conference having adjourned without result, was again called some time later, to hear the message of President Jackson, which was as direct as that sturdy man knew how to make his words. It was useless; the chiefs knew they had been cheated and remained defiant. What specially angered Osceola was that some of them, upon whom he had counted for support, were won over by the agent. This was done no doubt through the corrupt means that had convinced those who reported favorably on the country selected for their new homes beyond the Mississippi. He accused General Thompson of unfairness. The quarrel became so heated that the agent had Osceola put in irons. He was kept over night and a part of two days, finally gaining his release by promising General Thompson to sign the treaty, and use his influence to persuade the other chiefs to do the same. [Illustration: "THAT IS MY OPINION!"] Osceola was a half-breed, and this submission was simply a ruse to gain his freedom. His heart burned with rage, and he yearned for the chance to strike him who had put the crowning shame upon him. As might have been expected, the mongrel was hardly free of the camp when the outrages were renewed with more ferocity than ever. He killed one of the friendly chiefs, and then the Seminoles left all their towns, and took their families far into the gloomy swamps, beyond reach of the white men. The remarkable thing about this removal was that it was done with such skill that not the slightest sign showed where the fugitives had gone. The most skillful scouts of the American army tried for weeks to trace their hiding place, but in not a single instance did they succeed. The feat was marvelous, nothing of the kind having been known before or since.