very
thoroughly of the forces in the Valley and its state of defence,
and Filipinos were not lacking who for a few pesos would put them
abreast of all information regarding the plans and projects of
Aguinaldo's government."

Relative to this Wilcox-Sargent trip Taylor says:--

"In October and November, 1898, Paymaster W. B. Wilcox, U.S.N.,
and Naval Cadet L. R. Sargent, U.S.N., travelled through Northern
Luzon from which they returned with a favourable impression of the
government which had been set up by Aguinaldo's agents.

"It was realized by the subtle men whom they met that it was highly
expedient that they should make a favourable report and accordingly
they were well received, and although constant obstacles were thrown
in the way of their seeing what it was not considered well for them
to see yet the real reasons for the delays in their journey were
carefully kept from them. At least some of their letters to the
fleet were taken, translated, and sent to Aguinaldo, who kept them,
and constant reports upon them and their movements were made."

Blount refers to the fact that Mr. Sargent tells a characteristic
story of Villa, [289] whose vengeful feeling toward the Spaniards
showed on all occasions.

It would doubtless have interested the travellers to know that the
"robbery" consisted in taking the funds out of the province to save
them from falling into Villa's hands, and in paying them to soldiers in
Nueva Vizcaya to whom money was due. It would further have interested
them to know that this unfortunate Spaniard had been twice tortured
within an inch of his life by Villa.

But let us continue our interrupted narrative:--

"The presence of the Americans in Ilagan soon freed us from certain
forms of savagery and barbarous intentions on the part of Villa. There
can be no doubt that the tyrant was constantly cudgelling his brains
to invent new methods of showing his contempt for the friars; at the
unlucky time we write of he conceived the infamous plan of ordering
a circular enclosure of cane to be made, put a pig into it--we trust
the reader will pardon the details--with a bell hung to his neck,
blindfolded the priests and compelled them to enter the enclosure with
sticks in their hands, and in this ridiculous attitude, obliged them to
strike about when the sound of the bell appraised them of the animal's
proximity; it is obvious that the principal purpose of the fiendish
Villa was to have the priests lay