The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-20
ThR Kris With the Plain Handle.
By Frederic Coleman.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

was reminded by my friend Feldman
that l had promised. before starting
for the south, to purchase foc him a
fine kris. a weapon much in evidence
among the savage tribes Of the islands
Of Mindanao and Jolo.
I accordingly asked my friend to
drop into my quarters and select 4
weapon to his liking from my store Of
200 or more krises. Feldman lost no
time in calling on me, and after some
hesitation, owing to his inability to de-
eide between a beautiful "snake-kris'
from the Lake Lanao country, which
had a fine ivory handle, and a Jolo
weapon, the handle Of which was COW
cred with leaf-gold, hammered from
Spanish coins, he selected the former,
as Lake Lanao curios are extremely
rare. Before Feldman left the room,
however, he spied peculiar kris with
a plain wooden handle wrapped with
strong black thread, which was lying
on my writing desk. The blade Of this
weapon was inlaid with silver, and
the curves at its base began in wide
sweeps at the hilt, and ceased alto
gether. at the centre Of the blade. leav-
ing the point straight for at least a
foot and half.
81 say, old man." said my friend.
picking up the kris with the plain han
die, Il didn't see this one. 1t isn't
very elaborate as to finish, but it GER
tainIy has sinister look of business
about At If you have no objections.
think will take it in preference to the
.suake.--Do you know, I wouldn't
wonder, il ; that knife had history.
Where did it come from?"
Eeldman was right in his surmise.
TheEf with the plain handle had
history. and that a pretty exciting one.
The odd thing about it was that no
one knew that history better than my
self, for 1 saw the keen, cruel knife
sating its lust for blood one day, and
could give, direct testimony to the ef-
feet that it had taken the lives Of at
leats FIVE human beings, besides
wounding and manning as many more.
It was early January in Parang-Pa-
rang, q town on the south coast OF
Mindanao, and the day Of an event Of
the greatest interest to the inhabitants.
The company of American soldiers
which had been detailed to garrison
Parang-Parang had arrived In the
morning, and the vertical rays OF the
fierce tropical sun at monday were
beating down as If bent on showing
the newcomers how hot they could
make day along the seventh parailei
of latitude. The people of the town
were enjoying their siestas after the
excitement caused by the coming OF
the first Americans they had ever seen
with the exception Of Major Brett,
Governor of Cotta-Bato. and myself
who had visited Parang-Parang few
weeks before. The landing OF the
troops had been effected in the most
satisfactory manner, and the soldiers
were quartered temporarily in the ce-
ment church of the town, as the old
Spanish barracks were in a most un-
sanitary condition.
Parang-Parang bears rather a bad
reputation. AS post Of the soldiers
of Spain it caused the Dons nearly as
much trouble as all the rest of the
great, unruly, unexplored Island OF
Mindanao put together. Nearly 300
Spanish soldiers were killed In and
about Parang-Parang during the scant
eight years that Spain maintained a
garrison there.
One day I was standing in the main
street Of Parang-Parang, unmindful OF
the heat, engaged in an earnest en-
deayor to induce a big, ugly Moro to
place q price on his kris, the blade OF
which was Of uncommon y kai-
though the knife bore al andle
and the sheath wse Sesoid Of orna-
was frequently the case
;! le Moros, the owner Of the
krfs not care to part with 1t, and
wouK not consider any offer, no mat
ter how extravagant. In reply to my
question as to why so fine a blade
should be fitted to so plain handle
he answered, in surly tone, that he
kept his weapon for use and not for
sale. The remark was one I had heard
frequently before, in reply to similar
questions, but I had good cause to re-
member 1t later in the day.
When the cool of the evening began
to replace the heat of the day the en-
tire population Of Parang-Parans
turned out to see the "Americanos.'
The Datto Uttamama Baqui, the chief
among the Moros, who lived in the vi
cinity of the town, was standing in the
main street, not far from the church
where the Americans We're quartered
surrounded by large group of his re-
tainers and followers.
Suddenly a commotion was notice
able a few hundred yards up the street
Attracted by the sound Of cries we al
once centred our interest on the stall
wart figure of man who came run
ming toward the little group, In the
centre of which stood the Datto anc
myself. As the approaching figure
drew near noticed with surprise thai
it was the ferce-looking, surly Moro
whose plain-handled kris 1 had en-
deavored to purchase from him earlier
in the day. The weapon, unshathed
was in his right hand as he ran rapid
" toward US, and we could see bloo(
upon his sleeve and upper garments
When the Datto heard the clamor an'
SAW man running toward hin
tnst par5epsn po5fs %ssDoe or possibly tn
survivor, of some Moro alteration wa
coming to him, either in search OF Jus
tice at Baqui's hands or else protectlol
from his enemies.
If such was the suppositlon thae TN
Datto placed upon the case he wa
soon proved wofully in error. In
Moro had been engaged in altercaton
true enough. but. as we subsequent.
1o,1 thnnrht OF seek