word. I
had already remarked that when in presence of danger he became dumb,
but when he had lost sight of the Igorrots his speech and loquacity
returned to him.

"Master," said he to me, in a very dissatisfied tone, "how I do regret
not having fired directly into the middle of those miscreants!"

"And why so?" asked I.

"Because I am certain I should have killed one of them at least."

"Well?"

"Well, master, our journey would not have terminated without our
sending at least one soul of a savage to the devil."

"Ah! Alila," said I; "so you have become wicked and naughty, have you?"

"No, no, no, master," replied he; "but I cannot conceive why you
are so kind and compassionate to that infernal race. You, who pursue
and persecute the Tulisans, [10] who are a hundred times better than
these wretches are, and who are Christians besides."

"What!" cried I; "brigands, robbers, and assassins better than poor
primitive beings, who have no one to guide and conduct them to the
path of virtue!"

"Oh, master!" replied my lieutenant, and most sententiously this time;
"Oh! the brigands, as it pleases you to call them, are in nowise
what you think them. The Tulisan is not an assassin. When he takes
away life it is only when he is compelled, in defence of his own,
and if he do kill, why it is always de bon coeur."

"Oh! oh!" said I; "and the robberies--how do you explain them?"

"If he rob, why it is only to get possession of a little of the
superfluity of the rich, and that he divides among the poor--that's
all. Now, master, do you know what use the Tulisan makes of his
plunder?"

"No, indeed, master Alila," answered I, smilingly.

"Well, he keeps nothing of it for himself," said my lieutenant, with
great pride; "in the first place he gives a part of it to the priest,
to have masses said for him."

"Indeed! it is mighty edifying--go on."

"And then he gives another part of it to his mistress, or bonne amie,
because he loves her, and likes to see her finely dressed out; and as
for the remainder, why, faith! he spends it among his friends. You
may therefore see, master, that the Tulisan possesses himself of
the superfluity of one person to satisfy several other persons with
it. [11] Oh! but he is far, very far indeed, from being so wicked as
those savages, who kill you without saying a word to you, and then eat
up your brains--fie!" And here Alila heaved a deep sigh, for the brain
feast was ever present to his mind.