Terry / A Tale of the Hill People

ed day. Shaving in the dim light, he watched the plaza merge out of its dar

inctive vigils through the night, made couches in the dusty road: across from where Terry stood at his bedroom window, the four daughters of his Tagalog neighbor sa

oat expected in that evening. It is the function of the Constabulary to know everything that transpires: health conditions, state of crops, appearance of any strangers, activities of native demago

among the Bogobos in the barrio of Dalag. The Health Officer is on the scene and in conference with the undersigned dec

nish family living in this Gulf during the last months of Spanish occupation suffered the loss, by abduction, of a female in

ao had relapsed into stupid placidity, and the Chinos had stored the meager cargoes dropped for them-print goods, cigarettes, matches, rice, a few small agongs, and, probably, a little opium. The lethargy

his pulses, he discovered, miserably, that there was none from her. Fighting off the discouraged feeling that accompanied lapses in her correspondence with him, he slowly opened a letter from Ellis. Ellis' letters, few in number, had always been cheerful but brief statements of how matters went on at home, usually business af

nt Terry rose and crossed to the dinner table, and as he seated himself a white missile was tossed through the open window by an unseen hand and landed with a thud on the ba

i

anan left here with a newcomer na

ould not see if

t yet return

ca. They sailed sout

further wh

4

eepsea fisheries. Yet the secreto had said nothing of nets, and a party of twenty-four men would be in each others' way. Terry hastened over to the cuartel, checked up the patrol chart, then called the Sergeant, who verified the po

right Club window and answered the arm waved at him: it looked like Lindsey, he thought.... "Give 'em plenty of rope and if they make a break-Smash 'em!" He shivered at the thought of sighting a gun against a fellow man, and again in sudden rush of memory o

dge as Lindsey came in, s

tting here alone and came over t

't, Li

he demanded. "You're working too hard, Terry, and worr

Lindsey, but I ca

you, Terry. They think it i

m to spend the evening in the pleasant Club, but was unsuccessful. Desisting, he tal

hought, vaguely, that he must have shaved too closely. Loosening his stiffly starched blouse, h

le, Nov.

r D

things are going to pick up

usiness I took him into my private office. Well, he just sat there facing me for several minutes, not knowin

uble, whatever it was: I have had it in for him ever since-since you kn

came over to-to ask you to-to send over that

t he was glad that you had found something worth doing and were doing it well, that he took a lot of interest in your goings-on-as he called it-and that Deane always read yo

-in-law! Great leaping frogs!

ite-and make

li

so that Bruce is more than professionally interested in the nurse he imported from Albany to look after his office.

stubborn, crown lock, the wistful twist of mouth ironed out by a faint smile. He bent to read the letter again but after a few lines the words were blurred out by a salty rush to his steady gray eyes. Rising, he w

by the monsoon, purred in gentle contact. In the starlight the old stone church outlined its old-world, old-time architecture in friendly shadows which veiled the pitiful scars and age-stains: the bambo

restraint. Suddenly he started, tightened as the idea fastened upon him, then fairly ran to his desk. A hurried search for

nter, Crampvi

re. Please cable will you accept so humble a Chris

ard

cabebes lounging in the cuartel, who had sprung to attention when he passed, stared at him and then at each other-this joyous, whistling boy was new to them! He c

n thy

these shall

nctively attuned to the most ancient of emotions that throbbed in the low baritone,

e Club ... he had neglected opportunities to be with these good friends. He sailed his cap up th

ll, of his deviltries, the clean jests and keen wit he whetted-always at his own expense, and as rough old Burns put it the next morning when they talked it over: "And he niver took a drink and he niver cussed once, I'll be ---- if he did!" As the stor

g measure. Story followed story, in quickly shifting brogues that rocked the building with the sidesore laughter of the transported audience; they followed him through a seemingly inexhau

astonished Cochran, "

t, saw a vision on the white wall that was not visible to the others. A few deep ch

again those win

starry

more your

ender

strings of those lonely men, who, womenless, never discussed w

st what is there about-about that

But it's about time you quit pi

urdly solemn, he declaimed tragically, combing the classics for sepulchral passages, plunging the intent listeners int

ve Terry a breathing spell. He sat astride the billiard table under the acetylene lights, vainly trying to smooth down his scalplock, his eyes dancin

ucous whoop. They all turned toward where he stood near t

t up a minute ago-it just arrived-from Casey. He couldn't

then straightened and s

sional Record but he sure min

Club,

illy colt last night. Also si

se

om hand to hand till it reached Terry. He studied it, his head cocked to one side like a puppy's and with something of a puppy's quizzical expression. A mo

eet he started slowly, pausing, rapt, after each few works. As line followed line the room became quiet save for the click of the machine, the planters eyeing each other, waiting impatiently

owlish in its affectation of heavy wisdom, he thrust his hand in

AS

nged gulf of

n-spot of

e Theater w

part our mo

us Nature,

former dee

Burbank's g

unts, whose

on a wir

f space a j

does Ediso

finder, Pi

his deed a

all that m

since days

simal, a

fore has

e rudiment

ntent with

quota for

e thistles y

are with si

eceives a s

e seventee

ing on ea

performanc

For while

nother cla

shame all

s humble Y

y hog did

fame as race

e annals o

xtolled in pr

n Clio's tre

encyclop

ot find in

uch high pi

lived in

raised his

d Kingdom

ght have had

istly Berk

rone of C?u

e give our m

would these i

im who plann

s Casey a

him whose

n all is do

ic stunt-t

rung from

but in the

sunny tro

the senses

this genius

tent with co

oduce dome

brimming m

rates an

r, frankly happy in the uproarious r

composing: and in the momentary silence during which they gazed at the happy, l

ant who had stopped in the open doorway. He hesitated a moment, then urgency overbore hi

abebe saluted, then reported in a savage grating

s plantation at one o'clock last night: killed one servant, sto

ared! The ladro