There
can be no doubt that the tyrant was constantly cudgelling his brains
to invent new methods of showing his contempt for the friars; at the
unlucky time we write of he conceived the infamous plan of ordering
a circular enclosure of cane to be made, put a pig into it--we trust
the reader will pardon the details--with a bell hung to his neck,
blindfolded the priests and compelled them to enter the enclosure with
sticks in their hands, and in this ridiculous attitude, obliged them to
strike about when the sound of the bell appraised them of the animal's
proximity; it is obvious that the principal purpose of the fiendish
Villa was to have the priests lay about them in such a way as to
deal each other the blows instead of the pig. The tyrant also had the
idea of making us and the other priests in Ilagan parade the streets
of that town dancing and playing the band. The wish to consummate
his plan was not lacking but he was deterred by the presence of the
Americans and the arguments of Sr. Sabas Orros to whom we also owed
the signal favour that Villa did not take us to our prisons at Tumauini
and Gamut on foot and with our clothing in a bundle at our backs."
On October 2 a banquet was given in Villa's honour at Ilagan and the
pleasant idea occurred to him to have four of the friars dance at
it for his amusement.
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