He recoiled some paces.
“What!” said he; “do you wish to stop here, master?”
“Certainly,” replied I.
“Oh! but you don’t see that we are in still more danger here than in the midst of the Igorrots!”
“And why, then, are we in danger?” asked I.
“Why? why? Do you not know that the Tic-balan dwells in the large balétés. If we stop here you may be very sure that I shan’t sleep a moment, and that we shall be tormented the whole night.”
I smiled, which my lieutenant perceiving:
“Oh! master,” said he, most dolefully, “what should we do with an evil spirit that fears neither bullet nor dagger?”
The terror of the poor Tagal was really too great for me to resist him, so I yielded, and we took up our quarters for the night at a place much less to my own taste, but much more to Alila’s. The night passed away like many others—I mean, perfectly well, and we woke up to resume our journey through the forest.
We had been walking about two hours, when, on leaving the wood, and entering on a plain, we met an Igorrot, mounted upon a buffalo, face to face. The encounter was somewhat curious. I levelled my gun at the savage: my lieutenant took hold of the animal by the long leather strap, and I made a sign to the Igorrot not to stir: then—always in my mimic language—I asked if he were alone. I understood from him that he was accompanied by no fellow-traveller, and that he was going northwards, in the opposite direction to our own. But Alila, who decidedly had a grudge against the savages, was most anxious to lodge a ball in this fellow’s head. However, I strenuously opposed such a project, and ordered him to let go the bridle.