of noise, for while some of the occupants of the _bancas_ dove for
the pennies, amid wild shrieks of laughter, others, most of them
quite young boys, went through the manual of arms very acceptably,
with little sticks in lieu of rifles; still others danced and acted
a Spanish fandango; while the more mature among our entertainers
sang a song so swinging in measure that it appealed to me instantly
as one that would be immensely taking were it sung in an American
music-hall. It had an indescribable roof garden cadence, and I found
myself humming it delightedly. At the end of the second verse I was
so carried away by its possibilities that, turning to a group of
people talking near the rail, I remarked that with rag-time words,
it would be vastly popular in American vaudeville. At which everyone
stared incredulously for a moment, until one of the number, realizing
the situation, managed to explain, between gasps of laughter, that
"Hello, my Baby, Hello, my Honey" was in its dotage in the United
States. Then the laughter became general, for all were more recent
arrivals from America than I, and it was hard for them to understand
how so elderly and decrepit a ditty could be unfamiliar to any one.

When the classic words of "Hello, my Baby, Hello, my Honey," were
repeated for my benefit, and I realized that not only had these Cebu
natives picked up the air of the song, but the component parts of
its speech as well, my disgust was complete, for it showed that Cebu,
dirty and disagreeable as it was, also lacked local colour, liberal
applications of which we had found so necessary in the Philippines.

Despite our several visits to Cebu, few of us found cause to change
our first opinion as to its unpleasantness. Indeed, it would be hard
to imagine a more uninteresting, bedraggled, down-at-the-heel place
than this. Aside from the old churches and _conventos_, a few pretty
drives, and a wonderful view from the top of the fort, we found nothing
to like about it, for the natives were sullen and unfriendly, while
the town itself was not wild or barbaric enough to be interesting,
nor yet civilized enough for comfort.

Of course the officers stationed in Cebu, and their respective
families, were delightful people, who varied the monotony of their
existence with tennis, drives, little dinners, and once, I believe,
even a ball was indulged in. There was an excellent club and
reading-room for the men, and every week, on ladies' day, the