Evening star., 1927-04-24

NN our gear, set out from
Iloilo for the north coast
of Negros, where we in
tended TO make a start at pearling.
With a typhoon coming along. we
had to run to the island of Tintotalo.
where we arrived after a very rough
trip, picking up on the way some
unfortunate natives whose barotra
had capsized and who We're hanging
on to it for dear life.
About this time I began to suffer
badly with liver trouble. Another
spell of bad weather coming on, l
ran the boat into the shelter of the
passage between the islands of Kalig-
nan and Sicogon, where l was des-
tined 10 undergo very remarkable
cure.
Anchoring off a little barrio (vil-
Iage) in the straits, / sent the crew
ashore to get water. and while they
were away two venerable old ruffians
came off in a dug-out and volun-
teered to make a deal with us-eight
eggs for modicum of rice.
This incident of the eggs proved to
be more serious than we imagined.
The old ruffians' piratical counte
nances did not belle their looks, for
under the guise of being egg-venders
they were not only taking stock of
my deplorable condition. but man
aged to find out that the only fire
arms on board were a shotgun and
q revolver.
About o'clock in the morning,
while l was enjoying the first sleep /
had had for some nights, | was
awakened by the diver, who informed
me in scared whisper that there
were two big bancos (dug -outs) full
Of men circltng round the schooner.
Having filled my pockets with
cartridges and loosened my revolver
in its holster, I stepped cautiously on
deck. There was a moon showing
slightly through bang of clouds and
at once saw one of the boats to
seaward of the schooner. The other
l picked up q minute or two later,
between US and the shore. The boats
We're about fifty yards away, circling
slowly round us.
This state of uncertainty did not
last long, however, for presently the
outside boat came a little nearer and
the crew started to blaze away at us,
the other craft almost Immediately
following suit.
BY this time the diver and the rest
OF the crew were lying fiat on the deck
frantically imploring me to shoot, but
as the outside boat was broadside on,
with the ladrones (robbers) firing over
the gunwales, / waited my time, for ]
knew that If could only get raking
shot in when she turned and headed
towards us could make every pellet 4
tell.
Presently she swung around, after
firing two ragged volleys at us, and
then I let her have both barrels. The
first tumbled the bow paddler into the
water; the second hit good many OF
them. There are lot of pellets in an
ordinary No. 12-guage cartridge, and
before the dug-out got broad-side on
again managed to get six clean shots
in, raking the crew fore and aft. !
heard afterward that nearly every
pellet found a billet. to the vast
surprise and discomfort of the natives.
p
THIS bombardmento obviously quench-
a ed their ardor, whereupon turned
my attention to the other boat. When
I crossed over to the other side of
the Iugger, found them unpleasantly
close. I managed to get off 10 rounds
into these misguided rascals, and II
was soon obvious that they had had
enough. They drifted away into the
night, and we saw no more Of either
Of the boats.
The most remarkable sequel to the
affair was that-whether from fear or
excitement, cannot say--I found that
my aches and pains had entirely dis
appeared; I felt as fit as possible
again.
Directly the weather cleared, we ran
over to the island of Bantayan, where
the people were very kind and hos
pitable.
Nervous the diver and 7 had had a
few words. It was nasty, squalIy
weather, and he wanted to knock
on" but 1 insisted on continuing
working and with bad grace he went
down several times at the fourth time
bringing. un five nairs of shell. which