Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-07
Gods Little Devils
BY ROWLAND THOMAS
Illustrated by Charles ssrka.

Copyright, 1914. by the Newspaper En-
terprise Association.l
One night when rice was eaten and
the circle of darkness had shut down
about our fire Fermin Majusay, the
private of Native Scouts, who was
my escort on the mountain, stretched
out on his slim stomach and gazed
into the hypnotic flames.
I am going to tell you about my
teniente," he said suddenly, my lieu
tenant, who is dead six months. He
was devil, that man.
Il remember how he laughed at
Don Augusta. We were in very
bad province then. All the middle
OF it was mountains where ladrones
hved, and they came down to the
coast and made people give them food
and money, and they stole carabaos
from the plantations and killed trav-
elers, and sometimes they burned a
town and took pretty girl away.
We were sent there to catch them,
and it was very hard work We
chased them in the mountains and
killed some, but it did no good. When
we were in one place they raided an
other, and when man guided US in a
little while he was dead. We knew
what was the matter. 1t is always
the same. The ladrones are in the
mountains, but some man in the town
is their leader, and he gets 30 rich
and strong that everybody is afraid
of him. In that island it was a
planter named Augusta de los Reyes.
Three times my lieutenant arrested
him and sent him down to San Pablo,
and every time the judge said there
was no proof, and he came back, and
in little while the witnesses against
him were killed. And the ladrones in
the mountains always knew when we
mere coming.
If our teniente had been like other
white men he would have given up
then. But he arrested Don Augusta
once more. l remember the morning
very well. l was orderly that day,
and we were in the guard room look
ing at some prisoners, and a guard
came in, two in front and two be-
hind. with this Don Augusta. He
was a big fat Bisayan, and we all
looked at him, and he looked at us
and smiled, and we didn't feel very
good, for we knew what he'd like to
do to us.
But the teniente laughed when he
saw him. He got up and shook hands
with Don Augusta, and he said:
sBuenos dias, Senior Don Augusta do
los Reyes Like that making fun.
1t is not long since we met he said.
i am very glad to see you again.
hope you found the prison at San
Pablo pleasant
This Don Augusta knew how to
play the game. He smiled with his
mouth and said; Tt is not bad, Senior
Teniente. But it is tiresome to have
the comedy of going there SO often.
The judge gets tired, too deciding
that | am not such a bad man as my
friend, the teniente, would have him
think
1.-THE teniente laughed again. 'Ah,
these judgesp he said. If only they
could see US as we are. Senior Don
Augusta de los Reyes. 1t is hard to
make them understand Then he
stopped smiling and talked very
slow--more as if he talked to himself.
I could send you down to San Pablo
again, and I could say to the judge:
rThis is the Senior Don Augusta de los
Reyes. whom the Swiss Robin accused
of giving information to the enemy,
No that he lay in San Pablo jail for
three weeks, till you said there was
no proof" And 1 could say to the
fudge: Last week this innocent one
came back from his trial and last
Sunday, as the Swiss Robin rode on
a narrow trial. four men attacked him
and cut off his hand as he drew his
revolver, and then killed him" But
what would that amount TOT
Even if we tell him that all the
enemies of the Senior Don Augusta
de los Reyes for twenty years have
gone that way, and that no one dares
to be a witness against him for fear
of his revenge, the judge will not care
about that. The judge wants proof. |
So | shan't send you to Jail again, |
my dear friend. I am tired of it, |
too.'
fsAll we soldiers looked at the
ground, for we thought our teniente |
was a fool like the judge, and would |
let Don Augusta go again. And Don |
Augusta looked at us as If we were |
dogs-I wanted to give him the ba-
yonet-and he smiled and said: I
thank you very much, Senior Teniente, |
for sparing me another of the come |
dies. 1t is better for every one. |
Adios, Senior
"Oh, that teniente of mine was a |
devil He got up and shook the hand |
of Don Augusta, and he smiled and |
said: 'Adios, Senior Don Augusta de |
los Reyes. We shall not meet again |
Tor some time. I think. I am very |
tired of it, myself. josef
We all jumped, his voice was so |
different, and the corporal of my |
squad stepped forward. You will be |
the guard of the Senior to his home, |
the teniente said. You will need only |
your revolver He stopped a minute, |
and then he said: Jose, be very care |
full that he does not escape
"Yeu know what that order meant |
then? We all knew, and Jose's face |
went like ashes-he was a coward |
anyway-and he could hardly say, Isl, |
mi teniente.' And that big fat pig |
Of Don Augusta, he dropped alto |
gether as if he had no bones, and |
he went down on his knees. But my |
tenfente only laughed and said: "A |
pleasant journey to you, Senior Don |
Augusta de los Reyes, and a relief
from comedies
And then he took the commissary
reports, and he wrote on them all the
time till Jose came back. Jose was
shaking and white and the teniente
looked at him. You are back quickly,
Jose he said. rs anything the mat |
ter?'
1.-THE prisoner tried to escape, mi
teniente,' Jose said.
THAT was very foolish my tent
erlte said. Where is he now, JOSEF
"'Across the river, mi teniente,'
Jose said.
"'Sergeant, send two men across