nded Private Kelly, as he turned to look

ind reader-no,

country is a fine p

Sergeant Overton, with u

in the Army. "Mind ye, I said this was a good country

foreign service, invariably

an eye ever rested, and the soldier will stil

"and say that I wish, Kelly, that you could

nt, and have put in another two years in t

verton, gazing across the fields toward the town of Bantoc. "I never saw

t eat beauty. 'Tis a long way from anywhere, t

y?" asked Sergeant Nol

on. But this boy sergeant is trying to make me think t

ur old soldier is always kicking. But just send you and the rest, Kelly, hiking up through those mountains yonder, give you twenty miles a day of ro

we'd be doing a soldier's work, and a kicker on a hike

a camel when things are all going wrong. The only time when your real soldier kicks

orted Private Kelly, shaking his head and strol

st until he had the chevrons taken from his sleeve so that he could be a private soldier again. Now you and I, Noll, work like blazes all the time, and win our promotion, yet Kelly considers us only boys, and boys who don't know much, either. Either one of us can take K

e we're young,

e a little enthusiasm left in our make-ups.

e else in the Philippines, possibly. One of the prospects that caught me

went on Hal. "I've been looking forward to the Philippines f

the warm air with lazy satisfaction. "And I'm

had re?mbarked at Manila also as a regiment, but now the time had come when

eft on the island of Negros, and two more on Cebu. B and C Companies had been left at Fort Franklin, in t

ary commands which the Thirty-fourth had relieved. Two companies

y is as great as the fertility. If it were not for the occasional ferocity of some of the tribes this

rge country district. The people of Bantoc, outside of the small white population, were more than half Moros, the other islanders belonging to the Tagalo and other allied tribes. Almost without exception these people were lazy and good-natured. A newco

ugh which these products were sent out

circulation, the leading Moros and Tagalos having handsome homes and entertaining lavishly. There was

no artillery here, and the only fortifications were semi-permanent earthworks, fronted by ditches, thrown up around the officers' qu

ith the yarns we hear of trouble breeding among the M

ut here is that it threatens to become too lazy an existence. If there's going to be any active service for us, I want to se

'll have our trouble soon enough," Hal replied. "You

o your detail,

turn. I'm sorry it came to you to-day, though, for I've a pass and I'm go

be back fo

o parade. I never want to mi

ardly a soldier showed himself, for all had caught the s

work your fatigue party too hard u

laughed Noll. "It's only as a sort of speci

out on to the hard, level, white road

ent to protect the young soldier all the way into town. Ere he had gone far he found it

ot," he muttered. "It keeps a

is road lay some of the prettiest small farms to be found on northern Mi

as he glanced here and there over the charming scene. "If I settled down here

one room in a house that he passed a pair of

fe as soon as possible, why not to-day? He is going to Bantoc, where it will be easy to snare him. And his friend Terry is not with him. That pai

a gallop. Hal glanced at the fellow indolently, but did not recog

on wandered. He glanced into shops, though only

ng an ice cream. When this was finished he ate another. It was so restful, sitting here, t

asked a white-clad Filipino, rising

es

h of Bantoc?" asked the Fil

see of the town," Hal an

not yet seen the collection of ancient Mo

't," Hal

, but you will no doubt go to see

o. Where is

time, Se?or Sergente, I am walking t

ptly. His was the profession of arms, and a display of any

He wore his Moro costume, with its tight-fitting trousers and short, embroidered blo

of swords and knives, all of them of old-time patterns. It was a sight

rd, usually, with a very heavy blade, which gradually widens towards the end. This is a heavy cutting sword, and one that

h a sword as thi

ars," repli

ol

; M

as compared with the curio stores in Manila. Forty dollars "M

" went on Cerverra. "Here

ne of these campilan

alo who had brought him to the shop had left

inquired Cerverra, passing down the s

ved, snaky blade-a weapon with which the Malay

y are very interesting looking," he re

ant did not wai

r side of a trap door on which h

suddenness that Hal Overton did not

elieved of his weight

cline, too smooth for him to be a