l rocks that extended some twenty or thirty feet
out into the water, thus forming the only landing place of a town of
several thousands of people and of considerable commercial importance.
A few moments after we had landed, an army wagon drawn by a
magnificent pair of mules came up out of a tropical jungle along a
narrow road. We clambered into the wagon and were soon lost in the
depths of foliage from which we had just seen the vehicle emerge.

Long waving bamboos with their plumy leafage hung over the road from
each side, meeting and overlapping in the center until they formed an
archway so dense that the tropical sun now high in the heavens
penetrated it only at intervals. At times the wagon sank up to the
hubs in the soft earth, and the muscles of the mules stood out like
whip-cords under the skin as they drew us forward.

At a sharp turn in the road we came upon the first division of troops
that was to embark for home. The look of joy upon their sun-browned
faces was inexpressible. Their work was done, and with elastic step
and smiling faces they saluted us as they passed by. The reign of
force was at an end; it was going out with them; the reign of peace
had begun; it was coming in with us.

In the afternoon when we returned from the town the last of the troops
had arrived and, as we drove up, the bugle was sounding the call to
supper. We noticed native women mingling with the troops and, indeed,
a native woman was in constant attention waiting upon one of the
soldiers with whom we ate. Her clothes were clean, her hair was nicely
combed, and her general appearance was neat. She seemed to anticipate
the slightest wish of the soldier with whom she was. She brought him
water to drink, cleaned his plate after the meal and saw that his
knife, fork, and spoon were put into his haversack.

We had now finished supper and the launch had returned for the last
load of troops. The lieutenant in command of the company gave the
order to "fall in"; the men shouldered their rifles and fell into
line. "Forward, march!" called the lieutenant, and the column swept
forward towards the boats. The women had until now restrained
themselves, but, as their husbands marched away never to return, their
feelings could no longer be restrained. One young woman of about
eighteen, who was leaning against a rock by the roadside sobbing, when
her husband passed, leaped up in frenzy of passionate love and caught
the rifle from his shoulder. Her