boat loads of such
material, for once in their lives, at least, working for honest
wages. I sorted over the stuff they brought, on a platform built
out in front of my house, and disposed of the mass of refuse in the
easiest way imaginable, merely by shoving it off the edge of the
platform into the water, where the tide washed it out to sea.

Then, too, this keeping house over the water brought a blessed
relief from the invasion of one's home by snakes, rats, ants and
all the vermin of that kind which makes Philippine housekeeping on
the land a burden to the flesh, while I did not foresee at first
that the very water which protected me from these dangers might make
possible the secret incursions of larger creatures. The disadvantage
of this semi-marine style of architecture, as I looked at it, was that
some night a big tidal wave might come along, chasing a frolicsome
earthquake, and bearing my house and myself along with it, leave us
hanging high and dry in the tops of some clump of palm trees half a
dozen miles inland.

So far as the Moros were concerned, I got along all right with
them. They knew, in the first place, that I had the authority of the
Spanish government to do about what I chose in Palawan, and although
they cared not one ripple of the Sulu Sea for the authority of Spain
when it could not be enforced by force of arms, they did respect my
arsenal of weapons and the skill with which I one day shot down a
crazy "tulisane" of their tribe who had started to run amuck, and
by the shot saved the lives of no one knew how many of them. This,
and my doctoring back to health two of their number who were ill,
made us very good friends, and I could not have asked for more willing
helpers, or more able, especially Poljensio.

It was not for many weeks after I had left Palawan for good, that I
came to understand that Poljensio may have had a double reason for
his willingness, which at the time I little suspected.

I remember very well the first time I saw the fellow. It was the
day of the "macasla" festival. Up to that time I had found no Moro
who would work steadily as my helper. Whatever men I hired, although
satisfactory while they worked, would eventually have something else
to do, either pearl fishing, or hunting, or long trips seaward in
their proas, they said for fishing, but I thought, and found later I
had thought rightly, for robbery. Even Poljensio used to claim time,
now and then, when he said the cond