The Law of the Bolo

ONER GUMPERTZ O

broken up, and their chief either captured or killed. As a man, he could not disguise from himself the fact that he would be extremely sorry were any ill-luck to befall the old chief, who had proved his friend on so many occasio

ary from other parts of the Archipelago were brought in to do the work. But he took the slight philosophically, feeling that, as a matter of fact, he would much sooner not have anything to do with the hunting down of Felizardo, a view in which his men concurre

ner Furber that Basil heard the result of the expedition. Even th

the Commissioner the fright of his life, and hanged your old friend, the Presidente of Igut. That is all

ally lay. After all, life at Silang would have seemed very drab and dreary had the fier

y to himself as he read of the dramatic ending of it all, the sudden dash on horseback through the cordon of

every one is tired and cross, and in favour of leaving Felizardo alone for the future. Still, the man who must decide, the Commissioner, says nothing. Somehow, he seems

kground of their lives, they are apt to become illogical, or even rash, and to do things which are never supposed to be done in civilised countries. Basil’s conduct was the more foolish, and therefore [211]the more indefensible, because he was convinced that, even if Bush were to be eliminated by means of the bolo, he himself would be no better off—worse even, for Mrs Bush would then go back to the States, and he would see her no more. All these

sibly because they saw that, for the time at least, he was a broken man. Even his colleagues showed considerable forbearance, saving only Commissioner Gumpertz, who, having discovered that the opera

, though, instead of taking his colleague’s advice and finishing it outside the door, he hurried back to his own office and vented

estion of Felizardo. “What do you propose as y

. “I have no further move i

“May I ask why?” he enquir

do no good. We have done our best; but we have been mistaken all along. Felizardo would have done us no harm had we left him alone. He is an old man n

rnor spoke in an unusually severe tone. “It was your de

sled all through by some of our native officials here in Manila. It is to them that I shall give my attent

st them, at whom they had always laughed amongst themselves, because he thought of his principles and not his pocket? But the

g the Commission decides not to make peace with this old scoundrel, but to conti

f it. I should resign first.” He spoke very quietly, knowing well that they dare not force his resignation, and so allow him to return to

that the Army authorities would refuse too—he could not open peace negotiations w

shot. “What about the three million doll

remained unruffled. “The

rrected him mildly. “Wa

shing eyes—“I am not the only man here who has made mistakes, and wasted money and lives. And”—his glance travelled from the Governor to Commissioner Gumpertz, and from Commis

periences.” The Governor-General sighed. “He must see a doctor. A

rthern side of Felizardo’s mountains would acquire a commercial value, which meant that he himself would rake in a very considerable sum over the selling of them. Consequently, he was very greatly opposed to the principle of leaving Felizardo alone. “There is a way,” he said, in answer to the Governor-General’

sted in Manila itself offering five thousand dollars, United States currency, for the head of Felizardo, the outlaw of the mountains; and o

” it said—“a pitiful [216]confession of weakness. As if there wasn’t

any statement. “I have nothing to say,” he answered to the enquiries. “The proc

whilst the discovery of how he had been deceived and misled as to Felizardo’s character and the strength of his band, with the consequent waste of money and lives, was always a very bitter memory to him, as the mestizos found to their cost. On the other hand, the public saw little outward signs of change; he was too deeply, and it must be said, sincerely, committed to the Party and i

ubig that time, after he had met the o

an to float round concerning the breaking-up of the band. The old man had grown so suspicious, it was said, that the others would stand him no longer, and now he was practically

illiam P. Hart. “When Felizardo is finished with, we can get the head-hunters cl

ary tao by their appearance, came in with a large native basket, ma

s it?” the la

the [218]basket. “We have brought th

the beastly thing in here for? Never mind, though. Wait a minute,” a

s department. I will not interfere, nor must you. Send them with a guide o

I didn’t go and see him myself;” then he called a native consta

ed, delighted; but, none the less, he did not care to

fy this thing,

e wouldn’t. He’s mighty sore about it all. See here, I’ll get De Vega to ha

took the basket into a small room, and set the head on a table, and all of those six reliable witnesses declared on their oath that it was the head of Felizardo. So there was great rejoicing, and the Press published obituary notices, and the two tao received much praise, and five thousand dollars in United States currency. Yet, curiously enough, thos

ral and Commissioner Gumpertz were more than usually genial. A week later the position of affairs was somew

unication from him, warning me that certain mestizos and natives of Manila had secured the head of a cousin of his own, who had recently died at Calocan, and that they we

d the Commissioner actually smiling. “Make copies of this letter, Jones,” he said—he

t it to you, as you will remember. Most unfortunate, throwing good money after bad; and, though we know, or think we know, the culprits, we should all look foolish if we were to prosecute. It is obvious we can accomplish nothing in this way; an

Felizardo was left al