United States or Norway ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Sergeant Hal Overton not only got out of the gully, but also satisfied himself that the slopes were not guarded. "As the gully looks like a natural trap, and the datto has at least four hundred men between himself and the gully, I suppose old Hakkut is not worrying a great deal," reflected Overton. Hal did not now trouble himself to move so stealthily, until he neared the American encampment.
Then laying two fingers across his mouth as a sign for silence, he pointed inside the mud-walled enclosure. "Him hasta putti datto?" asked Hal, in a low voice. "Datto" was the only word the Moro could make out, but he understood that, and again pointed inside. "Banga tim no satti du," remarked Hal softly to his chum. Then Sergeant Hal bent low, making an elaborate bow before the gateway.
Into the closely packed ranks of the brown men who sought to defend the datto's house the Gatling poured its raking fire with fearful effect. Whatever the issue of this madly fought battle, it began to look as though the Datto Hakkut were doomed. "Have your men fix their bayonets, Lieutenant Prescott!" commanded Captain Freeman. "Fall in, men! We'll take the datto on the rush!"
A minute later Datto Hakkut's followers discovered that the American fire had ceased. Yelling, the brown men rose and charged like a cyclone. "Begin firing! Give it to 'em hot!" shouted the young officer, leading the firing coolly with his revolver. Again the Moros dropped to earth, though not until they had lost a score of men.
He went along the road towards home and said to all the people he met: "The datto will be along this way pretty soon and when he asks you to whom all these farms and cattle belong, you must say that they are Masoy's, for otherwise he will kill you." The ape knew that in a certain spot stood an enchanted palace invisible to men.
"The Datto Hakkut, however, has been doing business here on Mindanao since before the Spaniards left, and my opinion is that he will do business as long as he lives. This fellow Hakkut is a wily old scoundrel, who often falls into traps set for him by our soldiers. Yet, just when the soldiers are about to close the trap, they find that Hakkut isn't there. His escapes are marvelous."
Also, by waiting, we shall give several of our wounded men time to get back into fighting condition." "But what, sir," broke in Lieutenant Holmes, "if the datto takes your negative course for a confession of weakness, and attempts to carry this hill by assault?" "Answer that, if you can, Mr. Prescott," directed Captain Freeman, turning to the other West Pointer.
The second datto was much younger, and repaired to the officers' quarters to wait until the old chap had departed, evidently recognizing his own social inferiority, for he boasted half a dozen warriors only, and not a gun or spear among them, though they carried barongs of great beauty, with damascened blades and handles of handsomely carved wood, some of them being inlaid with pearl or ivory.
The victim was a slave owned and sacrificed by Datto Ansig. The first bolo cut which severs the body at the waist and which in this case we were told was done by Ansig is always performed by the person making the sacrifice.
The child's ena, or mother, was evidently very proud of her daughter, and through the interpreter, told me that within a year the little maid was to marry a datto in a neighbouring town.
Word Of The Day