g and chanting, the priest uncovered
the basket, revealing two beautiful dazzlingly white flowers.

"The champakas!" cried Papita in amazement as the rare flowers
were exposed. An admonishing hand was placed over her lips. Slowly
Asin raised the flowers, heavy with dew, above the two boys, and the
clear, crystal drops fell upon their heads. Across the sky trailed a
flock of white rice-birds; as they flitted across the clearing, their
shadows leaped from one picturesque Moro to another; a twig snapped,
startling a baby, who cried out. The spell was broken.

The chant was taken up by the entire tribe, and slowly at first, they
began to revolve around the central figures. As their excitement
grew, the pace quickened, until they were whirling and gyrating
at a reckless rate. Like a pistol-shot came the command to cease,
and quietly all returned to their original places. Kali Pandapatan
raised his hand for silence.

"I shall throw my creese into the air. Sicto, you may have first
choice. Do you choose the point, or the flat fall?"

Sicto considered:

"If the creese falls without sticking into the ground, I shall choose
my route first."

The crowd instinctively pushed a little closer as Kali tossed the
shining blade into the air. A gasp, forced from between some anxious
lip, broke the stillness. Every eye followed the course described by
the knife, and when it fell, clean as an arrow, the blade piercing
the earth, there was a sigh of relief. Piang was to have first choice.

"Piang, it is given that you shall choose. Will you proceed by the
river or take your chances with the jungle? One route is as safe as
another, and only the real charm boy can reach Ganassi."

"I will go by the river," Piang answered quietly, with great dignity.

It was a beautiful day. To us, the heat would have been stifling,
the humidity distressing, but Piang loved it all and joyfully looked
forward to the trip up the river.

The trying ceremony over, the two candidates had hurried off to prepare
for the long journey. Cumbersome garments were discarded, and Piang
was clothed in the easy costume of the jungle traveler; breech-clout,
head-cloth, a sarong, flung carelessly over one shoulder, and a
_panuelo_ (handkerchief) with a few necessary articles tied securely
in it. His weapons were a bolo, a creese, and a bow and arrow. Piang's
bare limbs, bronze and powerful, glistened in the brilliant sunshine,
and he was very picturesque as he pa