elessly
to the tune of a guitar.

"That guitar sounds as though some beggar were playing it," said
Sinang, laughing. But when the young fellows caught up with the rest of
the party, the girls suddenly became as quiet and as serious as though
they never had learned how to laugh. The young men, however, chatted
away, saluted the ladies, laughed and smiled and asked half a dozen
questions without giving the girls time to answer any one of them.

The two large bancas, [7] which had been secured to transport the
picnic party to the fishing grounds, were fastened together and
picturesquely adorned with wreaths and garlands of flowers and a
large number of vari-colored candles. Paper lanterns hung from the
improvised covering of the bancas. Alternately with these were roses,
pinks and baskets of fruits such as pineapples, kasuys, bananas,
guayabas and lanzones. Ibarra had brought his carpets, blankets and
rugs and arranged comfortable seats for the ladies. The poles and
paddles used to propel the bancas had also been ornamented. In the
better banca were a harp, guitars, accordeons, and a buffalo horn;
while, in the other boat, a little fire had been lighted in an
improvised stove in order that tea, coffee and salabat [8] might be
prepared for the light breakfast.

"The women sit here; the men, there," said the mothers on stepping
into the banca. "Sit still and don't move, or we will be capsized."

"Cross yourselves before we start," said Aunt Isabel, as she traced
the form of a cross on her breast.

"And are we to be here all by ourselves," asked Sinang, on seeing how
the girls had been separated from the young men, by the assignment
of the seats. Then making a grimace she asked again, "Are we going
to be all alone? Aray!"

This aray was caused by a little pinch which her mother had given
her on the arm in the way of a reprimand for her complaint.

The bancas were now putting off slowly from the shore. The light
from the torches and Japanese lanterns was reflected in the water,
for the lake was as smooth as a mirror. In the far eastern horizon
could be seen the first rosy tints of the approaching dawn.

Everything was very quiet. The young women, in consequence of the
separation from the young men, seemed to be absorbed in meditation.

As the water was smooth as glass and the bamboo weirs where the fish
were to be found were not far off, and, it was still early, it was
decided that all should stop paddling and take