g in this part of the country, then? Have you
come to spy?'

"'No,' said the youth. 'I have come in search of my uncle named
Paulino, general of the Patriots of Banahaw.'

"'And who are you to seek for him? What is your name?'

"'Federico.'

"The uncle stared at him. 'If that is so,' he said, 'I am the man
you are looking for. I am your uncle.' Federico was amazed, but was
very glad to have found his uncle so easily. Then the old man took
his nephew to the cave where he dwelt with his soldiers.

"Weeks passed by, months elapsed, but Federico never thought of
going back to his mother. So one day Federico's father went out to
seek for his son, and soon found him and his uncle. The father, too,
remained there with the soldiers, and never thought of going back home.

"One day Josefa received news that the bandits of Banahaw had been
caught by the government authorities. Among the prisoners were her
brother Paulino, her son Federico, and her husband. The captives were
to be executed at sunrise without any trial. Josefa hurried to the
capitan general, and pleaded with him to release her husband, her
son, and her brother. Besides, the woman presented the officer with
some gifts. She pleaded so hard, that finally the capitan general
was moved with pity. He consented to release one of the prisoners,
but one only. Josefa did not know what to do. Whom should she select
of the three,--her husband, the other half of her life; her son, the
fruit of her love; or her brother, that brother who came from the same
womb and sucked the same milk from the same mother? To take one would
mean to condemn the other two to death. She wished to save them all,
but she was allowed to select only one."

"If you, Antonio, were in her place, whom would you select?" Antonio
did not speak for some moments, but with knitted eyebrows looked up
to the ceiling and tried to think of the answer.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the grandfather; "you cannot find the answer
in the ceiling! You really do not know, do you? Very well. I will
give you until next Tuesday to get your answer. You have one week in
which to think it out. Tell me the correct answer before you go to
school on that day."

When Tuesday came, Antonio had gotten the answer to his grandfather's
puzzle-tale; but the rascally little boy deceived the old man: he
had sought the information from his uncle.

"If you were in the place of the woman," asked the playful grandfather
with a smile on h