The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-12
AN INSURGENT STRATAGEM
Copyright, 1902, by W. r. Hearst.)

AlN ANbONNAAN SA1AsA
fCopyright, 1902, by W. r. Hearst.) 5sG
General Jose Amaro was active in the
southern islands Of the PhiliR1fskkne
group. He was as invulneraa Jas
Achilles, and had as pretty a ~ronfance,
which 1 unfortunately CHANGED upon.
Although a volunteer regular, my
knowledge of Spanish gave me some
| privileges in the early campaigning OF
Uncle Sans soldiers in the Philippines.
srhe doors Of wealthy and. educated
Filipinos opened to me Hospitality. A
wealthy native, to whom l had rem
dered service as an interpreter, invited
me to a bale. IT, t.
I wa surprised at the magnif1cence
| of the hacienda of Senior SAINT. The I'M
accustomed blackness or the highly pol
ished floor and unrelieved greenness OF
the floral decorations emphasized the
foreign effect Of the scene. Two rows
Of chairs supported the dark beauties
of Panay island.
Carlota Santilian sat in the front
row. She was a light mestizas with
glorious eyes. After the pleasure OF a
presentation came a waltz with TINS
belle of the bale. Low-toned, volup-
tuous music stole through banks of
palms. The heavy scent of %cocoanut
bill, from hidden lamps and the smooth
black braids that. crowned M heads or
brown nlaidens, hung on the still air.
rarlota's Waiting was perfect rhyth-i
mic motion. I Whirled with her in ce-
lestial space. When she paused, flushed
End radiant, her black eyes sparkling,
| realized that the music had ceased.
Hardly conscious of my action I left
Ter and sought the cool veranda. The
tropical moon poured down it's silver.
thinning the glory of Japanese Ian
Terms. Below me tossed the Sulu sea.
How was I to knoW that in the
lumbling lorcha blotting the moonlit
nath the ~fercest of insurrectos was
seeking a haven. and an interview with
The mestiza maid who had stirred my
heart?
When I re-entered the room. Carlota
had gone. With her departure my in
!erest waned. Even the banquet,
I heavy as was that function, failed to
revive the charm of the early evening
spent in the starlight of Carlota's
eyes.
The next day / drew a box Of candy
from the commissary stores and COM
inenced a long walk to Carlota's home,
hidden in a grove of cocoanut palms.
With my usual recklessness, I went
unarned, although my destination was
quite out Of the region protected by
our American garrison. Rosita, a
lark-brown imp, ushered me to the up
per rooms used by all Filipinos. Car
iota showed agitation at my visit.
which encouraged my vanity. Her
childish delight at the sticky mess of
candy quite repaid my thought 49,
We were engaged in a charming play,
poking out fingers in the molten sweet
ness, when gallop, gallop, gallop, broke
the Sabbath stiffness, and a horseman
rode in the stable under the living
' -~-s- ~-1 -,.-l- - Il 80
stood in the doorway. To my astonish-
ment appeared the head and shoulders
of ain insurgent general in snowy uni
form.
Mi amigo! Mi amigo!" she cried,
pointing to me. I quailed under the
fierce eyes Of that swarthy counte-
nance. He started as he looked at me,
and experienced a strange sensation
of familiarity. A strong face with a
pair of black mustaches and a chin
slightly SCARED by a knife cut-no, I
could not place it.
He drew Carlota into the adjoining
room, where they conversed in low
tones. Presently I heard the gallop of
his horse. Carlota returned.
&C., she said, emphatically. 'I1e is
Jose Amaro!" I did o await a sec
ond invitation. AS my long legs COW
cred the ground I heard the shrill, imp
ish laugh of brown Rosita.
$50 Il E u y q
"A native will carry the cans in a
caribou cart to the place agreed upon.
and John Paley put down his half-fn-
shed glass of beer on the rickety table
Of the fonda.
Who is the native to be honored
with your conidence?" I asked, sar-
castically.
Francisco Santos, who sells tin
lamps in the market place" I remem-
bered Francisco. He had befriended
me at the time of a threatened attack.
so Francisco is back from his peri
odical excursion to the mountains. You
can trust him."
II have located the treasure, ten
thousand dollars, Mexican, concealed in
large cans, buried under the cistern be-
hind the cathedral. Francisco gave, me
the cleW. He said a couple Of Ameri-
cans could remove it at night. and In
the morning he would carry it boldly to
his nipa shack on the outskirts Of
lloilo. There we could divide. His am-
b1tion Is to be anhasendero. Well,
George, | poked around the cistern and
struck those tin cans. Tor.ight We,ii
go together. Is it a pargain4.o0 0s Mex-
lean apiece, and 1000 70 the asI
held out my. hand.
Francisco waited with his carih61,1
cart hiddenSin the banana clumn nsar
the rear gate in the high stone wall.
His smooth, dark countenance bearned
with intelligence and friendliness as
he took my offered hand. My mind.
without thinking further, dwelt on the
small, white scar that disigured his
firm chin.
John and I entered the eathedra,
grounds together as the purple glow
faded from the mountains of Panay,
The darkness in the intense tropical
foliage was intense, but we made our
way silently to the old cistern that mad
refreshed with soft rain water genera
tons ofSpadres. Francisco furnished