s moving about all
night. When we first went to Jolo and saw these torches at night we
thought they were signals, and close watch was kept on their movements.

They evidently made some preparations for resisting us at first, and
stored away such arms as they could obtain, for later I saw twenty-eight
new Mauser rifles hidden in an abandoned house on the beach. Another
soldier and I secured a pass and went, at the risk of our lives, beyond
the limit of our pass, and on this outing discovered the hidden Mausers.
We went up the beach about fifteen miles, and went into two towns where
there were a great many Morros. We watched their movements very closely,
and kept at some distance from them, and never bothered anything or any
one. They watched us very closely, and acted to us very strangely, but
made no effort to get near us. We were a little frightened and thought
it safer to get away from them, when we started on our return, the
nearest and quickest route that we could. Our pistols were no doubt the
instrument of keeping them away from us, and at the same time tempted
them to kill us to secure them.

Some of the soldiers were afterwards killed, and their guns and
cartridges taken. It was very dangerous for two or three men to be out
in the woods away from any help. In the mountains of Jolo and Mindanao
are wild cannibals, who would kill and eat a white man should he be
found in their midst. We were not allowed to go out in the mountains,
but the places where we were prohibited from going by orders of the
commanders were the places most desirable of all for us to slip out and
go to. The dangers to us by going out were only fascinating rather than
hindering.

It was my belief while there that the natives were gathering up and
storing away arms and ammunition preparatory for resisting the Americans
when they thought the proper opportunity was offered. The guns I saw
hidden in the house on the beach, and many other things, led me to this
belief. They claimed to have some big guns posted back in the mountain.
Whether this was true or not I am unable to say, for we never went to
ascertain the correctness of the story. While stationed at Jolo a vessel
arrived loaded with ammunition for the sultan. It was discovered and
taken into custody by the custom house guards.

CHAPTER X.

All the larger islands have an abundance of game, wild hogs, chickens
and deer. Wild dogs are plentiful in the woods. They are very wild,