son life have taught me; now I see the horrible cancer which
is sapping the life of society, which hangs to its flesh and which
requires violent extirpation. They have opened my eyes; they have
made me see the ulcer; they force me to become a criminal. I will
be a filibustero, but a true filibustero. I will call upon all the
unfortunates, on all who have beating hearts within their breasts, on
all who sent you to me.... No, no! I will not be criminal! It is never
a crime to fight for one's country! We for three centuries have given
them our hand, we have asked them for their love, we have anxiously
wished to call them our brothers. How have they replied? With insults
and jests, denying us even the quality of being human beings. There
is no God, there is no hope, there is no humanity. There is nothing
but the right of force."

Ibarra was excited. His whole body was trembling.

They passed by the Governor General's palace, and believed they saw
agitation and movement among the guards.

"Have they discovered our flight?" murmured Elias. "Lie down, Senor,
so that I can cover you up with the grass, for, when we cross over
to the side of the river near the powder house, the sentry may be
surprised at seeing two of us in this small banca."

As Elias had foreseen, the sentry stopped him and asked him where he
came from.

"From Manila, with grass for the magistrates and curates," replied he,
imitating the accent of one from Pandakan.

A sergeant came out and was informed what was going on.

"Sulung!" (Go on!) said he. "I warn you not to receive any one in
your banca. A prisoner has just escaped. If you capture him and hand
him over to me I will give you a good reward."

"All right, Senor. What is his description?"

"He wears a frock coat and speaks Spanish. With that much, be on
the watch!"

The banca went on. Elias turned his face and saw the shadow of the
sentry, still standing on the bank of the river.

"We will lose several minutes," said he, in a low voice. "We will
have to go up the Beata river in order to carry out my pretense of
being from Pena Francia."

The town was sleeping in the light of the moon. Crisostomo arose to
admire the sepulchral peace of Nature. The river was narrow and its
banks formed a plain planted with rice.

Elias threw the load on the bank, picked up a piece of bamboo and
drew out from under the grass in the banca some empty sacks. They
went on rowing.

"You are master of your own