Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-03-21

to the largest shack in the village, and
when everything had been arranged
we Americans were invited in to take
part in the conference.
las the procession passed us on it's
way through the village we had made
out that the tall man at the head of the
delegation from the mountains was a
white man. His face and hands were
white, and he wore a big blond mus
tache. So far as dress was concerned
he was native pure and simple.
FINALLY the head natives of the vii
lage came and asked us to join them
in conference. We went The ma
tives were squatting in half moon
about the fire. At the very center sat
the white man-whom We recognized
at a glance as Capt. Buffer.
"The negotiators on our side spoke
in English, and Buffer answered in the
same way. We were able to reach a
satisfactory conclusion in a short time,
Buffer acting as interpreter.
after the decision had been reached
and the conference had adjourned /
took advantage of a chance to talk to
Buffer. He told me a story something
like this:
L was never anything but non
combatant, you know. Finally got a
letter of dismissal as correspondent
At that time the column I was with
was way up in the interior of the is
land. L was thrown on my owrr re-
sources, without any chance TO form
another profitable engagement. And
l had no idea of going back to where I
was known and appealing for help.
"'I had picked up good deal of the
dialect of one of the tribes-I was al
ways quick at that sort of thing. And
when my money was gone simply left
the column and took up my resid enoe
with tribe which was not and never
had been engaged in hostilities ga inst
the United States. l made up my mind
then and there that would spend the
rest of my life with them. As a GER
tain method of burning my bridges be
hind me L married the daughter of the
chief of the tribe. She is my wife who
came down the mountain with me this
afternoon. We have little son, whom
the course of time, and unless there is
a change of policy, Will be the recog-
hiHSu CuiSI Oh our people.
My people have never done any reg
ular work of any kind. They were not
warliIe, but depended chiefly on the
unassisted product of the tropical Jun
giles for their livelihood.
Il was the first great reformer who
had ever come among them. NY serv-
ice with the army of the United States
had taught me that the soldiers were
always hungry for potatoes-theco good,
old-fashioned Irish variety. KNEW by
experience how hard it was to find
them away from Manila. and one OF the
fret thiugsI did after taking up my,res-
idence with the natives was to sen1 a
runner across the country to friend
of mine in the army after bushi.T If
them.
The potatoes came and we split
them up and planted them in the sandy
soil of the mountain slopes The
ground was made for potatoes and the
crop was enormous. About the time
was showing my people how TO cig po-
tatoes along came a column of Soldiers
mountain to sell the crop to them, and
every potdlO was SOlO AT Wnat DO the
natives was a huge price.
Even before that I was. a prom
inent man in their counsels, bat now I
was made king. Ever since, then I
have been known as the Potato King
of Banquet" and don't suppose 7 sAaIl
ever win a prouder title. Al any rate.
am perfectly satisfied. have made
up my mind to spend the rest'of my life
here with these people. None OF nv
old friends knows where a IN md n one
! of them shall ever know
Early the next mornings<}apt. Bull
fer, his wife, and retinue. started on
their return journey upthe> mowntain.
| watched them until they had gone
out of sight behind the ,taIfpanms and
the tangled vines, which lined both
sides of the trail. Just AS III CIV turned
into the thiekest of the .iCsngFe the tall.
/ blond man at the head Off the column
: turned and waved whitetaIoth. to me.
| Perhaps that will be the last communi.
cation he will ever hold with civiliza,
ton as we know ito hfaa go Tribun ..