Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ...put a bullet through them, --reporting to his men, who of course came running back, that they had tried to escape. The character of Spanish administration of affairs in the archipelago may be inferred from the fact that although the west coast of Mindoro has long been known to be peopled by these outlaws, no serious attempt has been made to break up their settlements. Worse than this, they have had a stronghold close to Manila which has not been so much as attacked. The officer who was after Ca Martin, in Negros, had a hard problem to solve. The bandit was believed to have anting anting, having earned this reputa ion by escaping the fire of six native soldiers, at a range of a dozen yards. They were scared nearly to death, and doubtless shut their eyes before drawing trigger; but they reported that their bullets had glanced from his A GOBERNADORCILLO AND HIS WIFE--BAIS. NEGROS body, and their tale was believed. The story lost nothing in the telling, and at the time I mention the hero of it was believed to have a new charm, by virtue of which he could step from one mountain peak to another, or precipitate a rushing stream of ice-cold water on any one hardy enough to pursue him. These child's tales were implicitly believed, not only by the natives but even by intelligent mestizos. I heard them from the gobernadorcillo of Bais (see opposite page), who vouched for their truth. But the things this fiend incarnate really did do were sufficiently unusual to require no embellishment. He had a cheerful way of taking a small child, tying one of its legs to a tree, and pulling at the other until he tore the body open. So much the officer in command of the force which had been operating against him vouched for. The natives believed that he feasted on..
