Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-12-30

Is my grandfather b. OtllI, Slnce III Is
all in the family, may as we'll tell 1t,
and, besides, it has special interest
now, when so many people in this land
are looking and longing across the Pa
cifc to where our flag floats over Ma
Mia bay.
In the year 1912 my grandfather, q
young man Of 20, shipped rs common
sailor on the three .masted ship Polly
Ann of New Bedford, bound from New
York to the Philippines with cargo
of flour. The voyage was uneventful,
aud 1856 days after passing Sandy Hook
the Polly Ann dropped anchor in Pasig
river, Manila.
During the ships stay there, grand
father, who was of an investigating
disposition, looked the city over pretty
well, and, believing there were chances
for wide.awake Yankee to make a
fortune in the islands, he quilted the
ship and took service with a trading
firm on the harbor front. In ten years
he was manager of O business of his
own and man Of influence among the
foreign traders. The Spaniarus, too
looked up to him and respected him.
AS his business grew lie was unable
to manage all the details of the in
creasing trade and so called to his help
young Filipino named Juan Aguado,
n bright young man, half Spanish,
half Malay, who had formerly been an
assistant in the packing house. Aguada
possessed polished, courtly manners
and good education; he had received
his schooling at monastery, -ut-
grandfather trusted him implicitly Tor
in the course Of time. 10, made him
chief clerk and adviser.
Aguado was absolutely fearless-that
was where his Malay, blood showed
out, grandfather would remark when
he himself had occasion to refer to the
story. They were out hunting one
day in jungle tract some ten or fif-
teen miles away from the city when
they were charged bya maddened buf-
falo that dashed out of water hole
upon them. They both ran for cover,
but grandfather by somo miastep
tripped on vine and fell, and before
he could regain his feet the animal
was upon him, 1t was no time to use
n gun--they wero armed with nothing
but light fowlinS pieces for pigeon
shooting, When grandfather fell,
Agualo, who was q little behind him,
made leap to one side to pass him;
but he was not thinking of saving
himself. Quickly drawing his kris,
which was another mark OF the Malay
in him, he rushed back upon the buff
falo and stabbed it through the neck
again and again with all the d:xterity
of q veteran matador. The buffalo fell
dead in its tracks, aud grandfather
-crawled away with broken arm.
From that time on the two men
were like brothers. Juan seemed
glad that he had hal an opportunity
TO show his regard for his employer
and eneractor, and grandfather was
too much OF man to be anything but
generous to one who had saved his
life.
But it was about the emo OF their
comradeship. One day native from
up country called at the warehouse
for Aguado. They retired TO dis.
tant part of the building aud talked
long and quietly together. Then the
stranger went away and the clerk re-.
2rned to his desk.
That night, when it came time for
ing, Aguado said; ''Senor, l
A4lye, you. am wanted at home,
gill be useless to try to detain
bdfather was surprised beyond
hlmost; but he did not try TO
lie him. He paid his arrears OF
added handsome bonus and
good bye to the only man in the
siof whom he was truly fond.
RsPTwo years passed and not q word
came from Aguado; but that was not
very strange, for the province where
he lived had been in open revolt for
some time, and as the fighting on both
sides was constant aud relentless,
communication with Mauila was pyac-
tically cut of.
However,as time went on the rebel
lion was crushed, and the insurgents
were scattered or captured. The leader
OF the revolution, one Lniz Berceo, was
man of considerable generalship and
resources, for without munitions or
money he had held his ground against