Its task has been no sinecure.  Eleven officers and one hundred ninety-seven enlisted men have been killed in action.  Forty-eight officers and nine hundred ninety-one men have died of disease.  Forty-six officers have been wounded in action.  Seven hundred sixty-eight men have been discharged for disability.  Seven thousand four hundred twenty-four firearms and 45,018 rounds of ammunition have been captured by, or surrendered to, the constabulary.  Four thousand eight hundred sixty-two outlaws have been killed and 11,977 taken prisoners.  Twelve thousand two hundred sixty-two stolen animals have been recovered.

There are many things which are not brought home to the reader by such statistics.  The weary days and nights on tropical trails; the weakness and pain of dysentery; the freezing and the burning of pernicious malaria; the heavy weight of responsibility when one must act, in matters of life and death, with no superior to consult; the disappointment when carefully laid plans go wrong; the discouragement caused by indifference; the danger of infection with loathsome diseases; ingratitude; deadly peril; aching wounds; sudden death, and, worse yet, death after suffering long drawn out, when one meets one’s end knowing that it is coming and that one’s family will be left without means or resources,—­these are some of the things that the officers and men of this gallant corps have faced unflinchingly.

The work of the constabulary and of the Philippine scouts has conclusively demonstrated the courage and efficiency of the Filipino as a soldier when well disciplined and well led.

The establishment and maintenance of order in the Philippines have afforded opportunity for some of the bravest deeds in the annals of any race, and the opportunity has been nobly met.  The head-hunters of the Mountain Province, the Mohammedan Moros of Mindanao, Jolo and Palawan, the bloody pulajanes of Samar and Leyte, the wily tulisanes of Luzon, all unrestrained by any regard for the rules of civilized warfare, have for twelve years matched their fanatical bravery against the gallantry of the khaki-clad Filipino soldiers.  Time and again a single officer and a handful of men have taken chances that in almost any other land would have won them the Victoria cross, the legion of honor, or some similar decoration.  Here their only reward has been the sense of duty well done.

The force known as the Philippine constabulary was organized for the purpose of establishing and maintaining order.  It has established and is maintaining a condition of order never before equalled or approached in the history of the islands.  The policy which led to its organization has been a thousand times justified.

CHAPTER XV

The Administration of Justice

In no branch of the public administration have there been more numerous or more beneficial reforms than in the administration of justice.  They have resulted in simplifying organization, in decreasing the possibility of corruption and partiality, and in diminishing the cost of litigation and the time which it requires.