ut of their velvet _chinelas_, gathered her voluminous skirts
close about her, and, seating herself upon the top step of the ladder,
_slid_ down! Surely a simple solution of the difficulty.

That evening a ball was given in our honour at the Headquarters
Building, which for the time being was transformed into a most
attractive place with palms and flags and coloured lanterns, while
just outside the broad windows a wonderful tropic sky, hung with
silver stars, added its enchantment to the scene. No carriage being
available in the town, we walked from the dingy little wharf to the
Headquarters Building, arrayed in our very best, and followed by a
guard of armed soldiers, our escorts themselves wearing revolvers.

At every corner a dark form would shoot out suddenly from the shadows
and there would be the swift click of a rifle as it came to position,
while a voice cried, "Halt! Who's there?" "A friend," some one would
reply, or "Officer of the garrison," as the case might be. Then
again would come the sentinel's voice telling the person challenged
to advance and be recognized, at which one of the number would march
forward, and, on being identified, the rest of us were allowed to pass
the sentinel, who, meanwhile, kept his rifle at a port, his keen eye
watching closely, that no enemy slip by under our protection.

It was a rarely beautiful night even for the tropics, that first
of January, and as we women wore no wraps of any description, the
contrast between our satins and chiffons and the rough khaki clothes
of the soldiers was a strange one; and still stranger was the fact
of our going under guard to a ball, a ball that at any moment might
be interrupted by the bugles blowing a call to arms, whereupon our
partners would have to desert us, perhaps to quell an uprising in
the town, perhaps to defend it against an attack from the outside.

But fortunately the occasion was not marred by any such sinister
happening, and doubtless still lives in the annals of Misamis as a
very grand affair, for everyone of consequence in town was invited
to the _baille_, and everyone invited came, not to mention those not
invited who came also. When we arrived the rooms were quite crowded
and the dancing had begun. Far down the street we heard the music
and the sound of the women's heelless slippers shuffling over the
polished floor to a breathlessly fast waltz. If possible the people
of Misamis dance faster and hop higher than the people