tripes, and so stiff in the breeze that with half an eye you could tell
it was no bunting but a sheet of tin.

"Hullo!' said I. 'Spaniards?'

"'Puf!' Hamid grinned at the flag and spat. 'A Captain Marquinez
inhabits there, with four Manila men and their wives. He is a sensible
fellow, and does no harm, and if it pleases him to hoist that toy on a
bamboo, he is welcome.'

"'They claim the island, then?'

"'What matters it if they claim? There was a letter once came to us
from the Spanish Governor in Tolo. That man was a fool. He gave us
warning that by order of the Government at Manila he would send a
hundred men to build a fort inland and set up a garrison. Hassan and I
took counsel together. 'He is a fool,' said Hassan; 'but we must answer
him.' So we answered him thus. 'Send your men. To-day they come;
to-morrow they die--yet trouble not; _we_ will bury them.'

"'Were they sent?' I asked.

"'They were not sent. He was a fool, yet within bounds. Nevertheless
a time may come for us--not for Hassan and me, we shall die in our
beds--but for our sons. Even for this we are prepared.' He would have
said more, but checked himself. (I learned later on that the islanders
kept one of the craters fortified for emergency, to make a last stand
there; but they never allowed me to see the place.) 'We have gods of
our own,' said Hamid slily, 'who will be helpful--the more so that we do
not bother them over trifles. Also there are--other things; and the
lake Sinquan, and another which you have not seen, are full of
crocodiles.' He stamped his foot. 'My son, beneath this spot there
has been fire, and still the men of Cagayan walk warily and go not
without their spears. For you it is different; yet when you come upon
aught that puzzles you, it were well to put no questions even to
yourself.'

"'Not even about this?' I asked, and showed him the purse and stone
which Aoodya had tossed to me.

"'You are in luck's way,' said he, 'whoever gave you that.' He pulled a
small pouch from his breast, opened it, and showed me a stone exactly
like mine. 'It is a cocoanut pearl. Keep it near to your hand, and
forget not to touch it if you hear noises in the air or a man meet you
with eyes like razors.'

"I wanted to ask him more, but he started to walk back hastily, and when
I caught him up would talk of nothing but the sugar and sweet-potato
crops, and the yield of cocoanut oil to be carried to Kudat at the next
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