Terry / A Tale of the Hill People

coastline to the last swift grades to Apo's distant top, the loveliness of the wind-tossed palms which frin

id exposure. Out at daybreak, he usually accomplished the duties of the day during the coo

country, to learn its trails and towns, its people and its spirit. His big gray pony had become a familiar sight in every village, on nearly every plantation. Sometimes

and in the sluggish, useful river which drained the levels, its turbid bosom bearing a few silent native cr

rful hours in studying the cool depths of the waters, the lee-shore coral ledges which bore fairy gardens of oceanic flora, brilliant-hued, weird-shaped, swaying gently in the tidal current: strange forms of sea-life moved among the marine growths,-some beautiful in form and color, others hideous. On

ass without a long fight with a leaping pampano or a sea bass: with thirty or forty pounds of desperate muscle at the other end of a hundred-yar

o plunge in the exact center of the ripples its great leap had created. Once, far out on the Gulf with Matak, he came upon a forty-foot whale asleep on the surface, rolling dreamily from side to side: the Moro, unafraid of man or devil

nd whites, a respect which had warmed into admiration among those who knew him better, into affection with those who knew him best. The loyal Macabebe

competent way, to all appearances equally friendly to all, regardless of color or condition, partly because

was known as an Americanista, looked upon the Americans as God-sent to guide his people out of their sloth and abysmal ignorance. But he gave up these visits following a

d been broadcasted across the land, and an uneasiness had settled over the Gulf, a vague fear Terry sought to allay. But Malabanan's record, a dark and dismal history of hideou

, but Malabanan was away. A dozen hard-looking natives had sullenly responded to his curt questions. None

. Merchant, the district health officer; school teachers, native postmaster. Seldom a week passed that he failed to saunter into each of the Chinese tiendas, making the purchase of matches or other small articles the excuse for a half-hour's visit. Oftenest he went into Lan Yek's smelly little shop, for there the Bogobos brought their mountain hemp to trade for small agongs:

hen he met a file of the beaded, braceleted folk upon the trail, he dismounted to exchange a few words with them. Unbelievably shy at first, in time they came to know him as word passed through the foothills of t

mountain beyond the Dark Forest: stories told usually by old men and old women, who shivered as they whispered their legends to the white man by the campfire. They told him th

fenseless wildmen, Terry grew grimmer. But as the weeks passed peacefully by, hope

lub, a roomy house furnished by the planters to provide a comfortable place in which to put up when forced to town by business or the monotony of their isolation, he passed straight to the dining room, discovering Lindsey, Cochran and a dozen others he knew. As

biggest field and tried it out in private-and Man! How she did strip hemp! Convinced that I had the world by the tail I sent word out to all the

the center of a crowd of two hundred wild men-all about as scared by the machine's appearance as they could be. I was pretty proud, and pretty happy: I gave them a good spiel through my interpreter, telling them that from now on all who

ad to grin at their expectant, half-scared attitude: the old chief stood right in front of the big machine-he was uncertain about it all, but game. I threw her in and waved to the feeders, who tossed in

I turned triumphantly to the crowd. But, Lord-there wasn't any cr

ped the machine and went over to him to ask him to tell his young men to work fo

ter, clucked that peculiar 'Tuk!' in which they express the maximum of emotion, uttered two words-'Americano devils!'-th

labor market in Davao I lost most of what I had! I'm punching the bag every day

which filled the room and when it sub

it and without saying anything to me, went among the Bogobos and persuaded sixty of them to work for me-the most I ever had was t

upported him, enth

tely, his hobbies and aversio

d yet,

s not! No petti

ll of these quiet, efficient Constabulary were well liked, and the Major had been known to many of these Davao pioneers since the days when they had fought t

to gravity: "Lieutenant Terry is

this whole Gulf. He hasn't an enemy-not coun

anter, interposed: "H

ative Burns would go no further and th

anters, Sears, took a dislike to Terry on the way down from Zamboanga: no reason for

Bogobos to work for him. Well, he went after Terry on the boat, and it wound up with Sears threatening to d

usiness, though quiet and white. Well, when Sears got back to his place all of his Bogobos had left him, the fields were deserted. It meant the loss

ng I rode over to offer him some of my men and as I came in sight of the house

oup. I spurred up to see if I couldn't prevent serious trouble, but when I drew near I pulled up: there

sober. He stood at the top of the steps looking at Terry, his face purple, trembling all over: he had his 45 in his hand. Terry tied the rein

come, Terr

compared with Sears up there, but somehow I could not worry ab

foot on those s

is gray pony sort of nipped at him, affectionately, as he passed his head and made the firs

er Terry's shoulder and tore a great chunk out of the cantle of his sadd

pointed at him and as Terry came up another step I saw the hammer lift again, but it eased back and the pistol wavered as Sears fell under the spell of Terry's upturned eyes.

as SORRY

a dream, then offered it to Terry. But Terry shook his head, said something in a low tone I didn't hear, and they went inside, leaving me to cool my heels in the yard like the rank outsider I was! They came out in half

e bunch. Before coming to Sears' place he had spent the night in the foothills and persuaded seventy Bogobos t

on his feet again, has cut booze and treats his men as well as any plant

. "He never reports anything like that

loud entrance of little Casey. He tore into the room, breezy, voluble, g

he was leading his pony-said it was lame though it hardly limped at all! Tried to get hi

im with: "How are the breeding experiments

es and boar. "You come down to my place in about two weeks," he wound up at last, "and I'll show you! I'

Cochran see

he first pig I'l

g Terry here. Three phonographs strove against each other from different houses along the plaza. It is characteristic of the Americans in the Philippines that most of them take unto their b

they passed under one of the oil park-lamps he recognized Terry, leading a weary pony which limped slightly. As th

oon. We were going to have a drive against the wild pigs-they've been raisi

ing in months. But you won't let

, he heard Terry splashing under the shower. Terry emerged soon, kimono clad, h

listened while the Ma

emarked, "there is no more

s stopped-as I

ed him closely:

me of the planters,

shed under the Maj

t the club have been stu

gainst him-I hope not, anyway. But I want you to be in a position to fini

nything in reason

th the secret servi

he coast where he c

situation should the ladrones break loose

ly one company here to cover the whole Gulf-and in so remote a settleme

strong breeze fluttered the lamp. Matak entered to clear the table and Terry, who ha

f cooked: I've warned the cook s

sport. In a moment their voices were drowned by the crash of dishes falling in the kitchen, then a fearsome shriek re

he upset table. He had the cook's mouth pried open in determined endeavor to ram what looked like half a ch

y helped the trembling Filipino to h

oes thi

not eat it

you say so. I say 'all right, eat to-morrow.' He say 'eat now.' I say 'no,

Terry turned to the Major but he had run from the kitchen, choking. Havin

fast day!" he chuckled. "These Moros are sure literal-minded-they foll

t and unwittingly eloquent in his summing up of its ideals, its hopes for the future, T

e Hill People: the right man will come along, and the right combination of circumstances. It is an unusual combination-the right man plus the right place plus the righ

of such a life work-opening the doors for a benighted people and leading the

big windows. The far howl of a dog sounded through the dark: the sleepy crowing of score

sed the sala, blew out the light and entered his own room, closing the door behind him. Shortly, while the M

queer-I wonder what he do

leep puzzl