A VISIT TO BANQUET MOUNTAINS. 
JOHN W. BRYAN, 
In May, just before the wet season, I 
started from Dagupan in a caramata drawn 
by an Australian ox, for the Banquet moun- 
tains. Reaching my destination at 7.p. m., 
I found awaiting me my friend Mr. M., who 
had invited me to stay a while on his 
coffee plantation. The 35 mile ride in a 
rude cart was exceedingly tiresome, though 
the road was fairly good. 
The following morning after breakfast 
we paid a visit to the hot springs, and tried 
the famous baths. On the way we looked 
for traces of game, in order to be able to 
hunt it in the evening, as during the middle 
of the day game generally stays in heavy 
thickets. About 4 o'clock’ we. set out, but 
our hunt was not successful. We heard the 
crowing of a wild cock, but at our approach 
he was quick to take the hint and kept his 
mouth shut and we could not trace him. 
All we got was a few wild pigeons. 
After supper my friend suggested that we 
take a moonlight walk to a creek near, 
where we could perhaps find game. This 
we did, and followed the stream up 300 
yards or so when my companion suddenly 
exclaimed, “There they are! shoot!” At 
first I saw nothing, but soon perceived 8 
or 9 hogs of various sizes standing in the 
middle of the stream where the water was 
shallow. Singling out the largest, which 
was attempting to escape, my first shot 
broke both his hind legs. The second shot, 
more carefully directed, ended his career. 
He was a monster with extra large tusks, 
which I kept as trophies. We left him lying 
there and went farther on, got a shot at 
another hog as he was making for the 
thicket, but my aim was bad and he es- 
caped. We came back to the one we had 
killed, tied his feet together, slipped a stout 
pole between them in Chino fashion and 
proceeded to camp. The _ hide 
served, but only enough of the flesh to sup- 
ply us and a neighboring camp a day, as 
meat soon spoils in this climate. 
we pre- 
I spent enough time in those mountains 
to verify to my satisfaction the statement 
that wherever man goes the crow is sure 
to be present. One day, while sitting beside 
a mountain trail, my attention was called 
to a number of crows flying here and there 
and from tree to tree. At first I thought 
they were following me. All at once one 
darted swiftly to the ground, rising im- 
mediately, with a wild hen after him. The 
hen flew back to where she came from, 
leaving the crow apparently much excited. 
The crow soon darted down again and when 
he flew out he had something in his claws. 
I shot him, and found he had a small wild 
chicken. Even here in the enchanting re- 
gion of Banquet, the paradise of Luzon, the 
crow persists in his barborous habits. 
Wild chickens are the most plentiful 
game in this province; they are found every- 
where in the woods. 
Once, while slowly walking through the 
woods, I heard the familiar clucking of a 
hen to her chicks. I stood still and found 
they were coming toward me. As it was 
getting dark and I was partly hidden by 
bushes, they did not take fright until with- 
in 3 feet of me. Then the hen flew over my 
head back in the thicket and the chicks dis- 
appeared as if by magic. They are wild 
birds in every sense of the word and it 
often takes a wild man to get them. 
The same evening I crossed the creek 
where I had killed the hog, and, to my sur- 
prise, 2 large mallard ducks flew up and 
alighted only a short distance away. I 
followed them and fired, killing one on the 
water and the other with my second barrel 
as it rose, 
During my stay I killed 2 hogs, one wild 
cat, 16 ducks, 7 chickens and a few quails 
and pigeons. I also killed one large snake 
and one lizard, or gecko, 5 feet long. After 
a visit of 20 days I returned to my army 
duties, much improved in spirits and health. 
During a recent session of the House of 
Representatives a member intimated that 
the gentleman who had the floor was trans- 
gressing the limit of debate. 
“I thought it was understood,” said the 
offending member, “that the gentleman di- 
vided his time with me.” 
“True,” responded the objector grimly, 
“but I did not divide eternity with you!” 
—New York Tribune. 
34 
