The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-29

f" HE origin Of the Devil is lost In
the obscurity of his early ca
reer. We are not now referring
to His Satanic Majesty, but to a lesser
light; lesser to the world at large,
though far more brilliant to the little
sphere in which he lived and moved
and butted.
To the American soldiers who gar
srisoned San Ramon in Northern Lu-
5zon, and to the natives of the sur
rounding district, the Devil was far
more tangible object of comprehen-
sion than the wider known Prince OF
F., DARKNESS, with whom they had only
an abstract acquaintance. Their Devil
was living, moving, breathing power
of evil, whose evasion required the
keenest control Of the physical senses,
Tor when he came on mischief bent
1t needed more muscular activity than
prayer to get out of his reach.
The natives had named him "Di-
sablo ell Segundo," which means Devil
the Second. There were certainly
strong lines of comparison to merit
him this title. What the Devil may
have been in the obscurity of his ear
lter life We cannot tell, but as we
knew him in the prime of his later
chin, not forgetting the cloven hoof,
were lstrikingly suggestive Of his
namesal1e. The comparison, however,
was more than physical 1t was in
temperament and in general character
that resemblance was strongest.
When the boys of Company A took
San Ramon they found what at first
seemed an entirely deserted town.
Every man, woman and child had fed
with the last of the retreating insur-
gents, and they had taken with them
every chicken, cat, dog, pig or horse
that the community owned. Even
much of the furniture had been carted
away from the houses Evidently the
Filipinos had decided to make their
next stand at some more advantage
Gus point and, as the men in khaki
marched in, they expected no resist
ance. But there Is where they made
their mistake.
The company lined up in the big
shaded plaza and there proclaimed
American sovereignty by raising the
colors. This ceremony had just been
completed when there appeared a
startling apparition in the open doors
of the municipal town hall. facing the
plaza on the north side. A huge,
bearded goat stalked out on the steps
and stood for a moment regarding
them with marked expression of dis
approval on his satanic face which
was in no wise lessened by the rem
nant of a soldiers castaway coat sus-
pended from his massive jowls This
was he who was yet to be handed
down to local fame as "Diablo"
Being native born, 1t may naturally
be supposed that DiabIo's political
tendencies were in favor of the Fill
pino cause. AT any rate, having sized
up the enemy's position in the plaza,
he dropped the coat lowered his head
and charged the line of dust-colored
troops. At first a laugh arose from
the men, but as the champion of the
absent insurgents gained momentum in
his wild charge for the company CEN
ter, some of the men shifted uneasily,
then scrambled quickly to both sides,
as the ponderous beast cut his way
through. Having missed the sergeant
who had been the object of his espe-
cial attack he turned again, and then
the brown ranks wavered and a wild
panic broke loose.
The captain shouted commands to
which were attached words not good
to. hear, but this unexpected sort of
attack had tdemoralized all discipline.
The band stand and the stone fence
surrounding briStled with men; only
the captain stood his ground. And
when at last the enemy turned on him,
he, too. lodged and sought refuge with
his men.
Having won what he considered a
complete victory. Diablo withdrew to
the end of the plaza to contemplate
the confusion he had wrought in the
enemy's ranks. proclaiming his tri-
umph with loud noises that were more
bellows than the "baas" of his kind
Evidently he was satisfied to rest on
his laurels, for when the men reassem-
bled in ranks he made no further hos
tile demonstration and disappeared be-
hind the walls of the municipal town
hall.
Next day he appeared again, but in
a more peaceful mood. The first ser
geant approached him with a wisp of
straw, and this Diablo accepted as