he spirits of their departed husbands which were bothering them. Ansig
called a meeting of the old men at which were present besides himself
Bagobos Oling, Pandaya, and Ansig, and these four decided that as they
had not had a sacrifice since the great drought (about three years ago)
and that since that time many evils had befallen them, it would be well
to offer a sacrifice. These four men sent out to find a slave for
sacrifice, the finder becoming the chief of the sacrifice.

"Ongon, a henchman of Datto Ansig, purchased from Bagobo Ido, a Bilan
slave boy named Sacum about eight years old and who was deaf and
cross-eyed, and had other defects of vision, making him of little or no
value as a laborer. Ido originally received this slave from Duon, a
Bilan, as a wedding present when he married Duon's daughter about a year
ago.

"Ongon agreed to pay Ido five agongs for the boy and took him to the
house of Ansig where arrangements were made for the sacrifice by calling
on all who for any reason had need to appease the evil spirits to come
and take part. Three days after the slave was brought to the house of
Ansig, the people met at Talun near the river Inolia, a short distance
from Ansig's house, this being the regular place of sacrifice.

"Leaving the house of Ansig the boy Sacum was seated upon the ground
near the place of sacrifice. He was naked but no other preparation was
made with regard to the person. Upon a platform or bench of bamboo about
two feet high and a foot or two square was placed a small basket or
receptacle made of the bark of the bunga tree; in this each person
present and taking part in the sacrifice placed a piece of betel-nut,
over this the men placed their head handkerchiefs and the women strips
of the bark of the palma tree. Upon this the men laid their bolos, and
spears were then stuck in the ground in a circle around the platform.
Next Datto Ansig as chief of the sacrifice made an oration which was
about as follows: 'Oh, Mandarangan, chief of evil spirits and all the
other spirits, come to our feast and accept our sacrifice. Let this
sacrifice appease your wrath and take from us our misfortunes, granting
us better times.'

"After this, the boy Sacum was brought forward by Ongon, placed against
a small tree about six feet high, his hands tied above his head, and his
body tied to the tree with bejuco strips at the waist and knees. Ansig
then placed a spear at the child's right side at a point below