ied off by a ferocious crocodile. She screamed,
she cried, she prayed to God for pardon, and for only so much time
as should serve her to make her confession. Her husband, who was
not far away, ran up quickly, threw himself into the water to attack
the monster, struck it, and at last dragged his wife from its claws;
but she was so mangled and lacerated that there was no hope for her
life. What were the good people to do in a village without a priest,
and far distant from the residence where the fathers lived? The woman
was in such a condition that it was impossible to take her there before
her death. Yet a way out of all these difficulties was easily found by
the wise God of mercy, for by His guidance there came into the village,
while they were still doubting what to do, a priest of our Order, quite
unaware of what had happened. As soon as the matter was reported to
him, he went to the dying woman, consoled her in her affliction, and
sent her to Heaven, confessing and sorrowing for her sins. The other
case differs little from that which we recorded earlier as occurring
at the Carigara establishment. A fellow whom no fear or warning could
improve, and who would not control his wicked habit of swearing and
blaspheming, was one day testifying in a legal case. He devoted his
head to the crocodile, if the matter were other than as he testified,
adding that he could confirm his testimony by calling in others as
witnesses. As he was crossing a stream to summon them in behalf of
his case, he was carried off by a crocodile; and--a certain proof of
the damnation of the man--it was later discovered by the testimony
of others that he had borne false witness.

XII. At the settlement at Palapag there has been a conflict with hunger
and disease; yet the Indians have so conducted themselves that the
sick have not lacked the necessary services. Likewise Ours have made
such provision that the poor were cared for from the harvest; for at
their gate they daily served food to more than seventy persons. Their
newly-built church and their sodality make them hopeful of great
good, for their beginnings are such that six hundred of full age
have presented themselves at the sacred font for purification;
while I should reckon the number of children at eight hundred,
the greater part of whom have gone the straight way to heaven. One
of Ours was called to a little infant which was said to be sick,
to baptize it; and he refused, partly because he th