Such an attack on the army, in the course of which there is not given a name or a fact which could serve as a basis for an investigation, is cowardly and despicable.

I do not for a moment believe that Blount speaks the truth, but if he does, then his failure to attempt to bring to justice the human fiends concerned brands him!

It has been the fashion in certain quarters to make vile allegations of this sort against officers of the United States army, couching them in discreetly general terms.  This is a contemptible procedure, for it frees those who make reckless charges from danger of the criminal proceedings which would otherwise doubtless be brought against them.

On arrival at Ilagan, the town where Piera was tortured to death, Blount says [287] that Messrs. Wilcox and Sargent were

“given a grand baile [ball] and fiesta [feast], a kind of dinner-dance, we would call it....  From Ilagan they proceeded to Aparri, cordially received everywhere, and finding the country in fact, as Aguinaldo always claimed in his proclamations of that period, seeking recognition of his government by the Powers, in a state of profound peace and tranquillity—­free from brigandage and the like.”

Within sight of the banquet hall, within hearing of the music, lay a lighter on which were huddled eighty-four priests of the Catholic Church, many of them gray-haired old men, innocent of any evil conduct, who for weeks had suffered, mentally and physically, the tortures of the damned.

Of the events of this evening and the following day Father Malumbres says:—­

“From the river the convento could be seen profusely illuminated and the strains of music could be heard, an evident sign that they were engaged in revelry.  This gave us a bad start, as we came to fear that Villa had returned from the expedition undertaken to come up with two Americans who had crossed the Caraballo range and were thinking of coming down as far as Aparri.  It was late to announce to Villa our arrival at Ilagan, so that we were obliged to pass the night on the lighter.  In the morning our boat was anchored in front of the pueblo of Ilagan, where we were credibly informed that Villa had returned.  This accursed news made us begin to fear some disagreeable incident.

“Our Matias went ashore and delivered the official communication regarding our transfer to Villa, while we waited impatiently for his decision.  Sergeant Matias at length returned with orders for our disembarkation; we put on the best clothes we had and the rowers placed a broad plank between the lighter and the arsenal and we left our floating prison two abreast.  Matias called the roll and the order to march, we were eighty-four friars in a long column climbing the steep ascent to Ilagan.