thies had earned the money, having held the
unfortunate Velarde under the water until he ceased to bubble, the
thrifty woman wanted them to accept three dollars apiece. They held
stoutly for six dollars apiece. The widow would not pay it. There
was a long and undignified wrangle,--disputes over funeral bills
are often warranted, but are seldom seemly,--and it ended in the
angry departure of the fishermen, without even their three dollars,
to lodge a complaint against the Widow Velarde for cheating.

Now, would you suppose that two men, having just murdered a
fellow-creature, would go to a magistrate to complain about the
payment? These Filipinos did it. They went to a judge at Los Banos and
tried to get an order for the woman's arrest. The judge, fancying this
must be a kind of joke peculiar to Luzon, said he would think over the
matter, and he resumed his slumbers. In a day or two he learned that
the men had really killed their companion, and had fallen out with the
widow on the matter of terms. They meanwhile had learned that their
act was contrary to white man's law and had escaped, though it is said
they were afterward caught and put to death. Perhaps it is the disquiet
caused by the reflection that he was worth no more than six dollars
that leads the extinguished husband to vex the scene of his demise.

The Grateful Bandits

Monsieur de la Gironiere, a French planter and trader, who visited the
Philippines a lifetime ago, or more, told stories of the islands and
their people that are taken in these days with a lump of salt. Among
these narrations is one pertaining to the bandits who in the first
years of the nineteenth century were numerous and troublesome
on several of the islands, and who were alternately harassed and
befriended by the officials,--chased when they had money and well
treated when they had parted with most of it to cool the sweating palms
of authority. Gironiere was visiting the cascades of Yang Yang when
he found himself surrounded by brigands who were chattering volubly
and pointing to his horses. They did not at first offer violence, but
presently he understood that soldiers were in chase of them, and they
were considering whether it would not be wise to kill the horses, lest
the troop, on its arrival, should seize them to aid in the pursuit.

Gironiere could not afford horses often. He eagerly assured the
thieves that he would not give his nags to the military; that he
would, on t