together as rough riders; for the captain
had once been "sheriff of Gallup County," in the great Southwest.

The house no longer seemed deserted with this company, and as they
had brought supplies for two months--which included bread!--we made
an early attack upon these commissaries. Since the troops had left
I had been existing on canned salmon and sardines. Now there were
cheese, guava, artichokes, mushrooms, ham, bacon, blackberry-jam,
and fruits. The captain, natural detective that he was, caught one of
the _muchachos_ stealing a bottle of cherries, which he had thrown out
the window during the unpacking, with the purpose of securing it next
day. On being accused, he made a vigorous protest of his innocence,
but after a few minutes he returned triumphantly with the intelligence
that he had "found" that which was lost.

A heavy rain and the tail-end of a monsoon kept my two guests
prisoners for a week. The _presidente_ of the town had issued
a _bandilla_ that all able-bodied men were wanted to enlist in
the constabulary. Accordingly came awkward natives to the house,
where the interpreter examined them; for all the Spanish that the
genial captain knew--and he had lived already two years in the
Philippines--was "bueno," "malo," "saca este," and "sabe that?" The
candidates were measured, and, if not found wanting, were turned
over to the native tailor to be fitted with new uniforms. Some of
the applicants confessed that they had once been Insurrectos; but
so much the better,--they knew how to fight. They said that they
were not afraid of Moros--though I think that they would rather
have encountered tigers--and when finally dressed, a few days later,
they appeared upon the streets self-conscious, objects of adoration
in the eyes of all the local belles.

The time came when the mists dissolved upon the mountains, and
the little clouds scudded along overhead as though to get in from
the rain. The sun had struggled out for a few minutes, and the wind
abated. But the sea had not forgotten recent injuries, and all night we
could hear the booming of the surf. The launch, drowned in a nebula
of spray, dashed by, and sought an anchorage in safer waters. So
it was decided that we go to Cagayan in a big _banca_. But it was a
most unwieldly craft to launch. We got the arms and ammunition safe
aboard, and then, assisted by the sturdy corporals and miscellaneous
natives, we pushed out. A rushing comber swept the boat and nearly