MORI AND SETTLER 
 
 G.A.HENTY
 
 UNIV 
 
 . OF CALIF. LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES
 
 
 ATHtRTON TO THE RESCUE. Page 52
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 A STORY OF THE NEW ZEALAND WAR. 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY, 
 
 Aiutlior of " With Clive in India," "Under Drake's Flag," 
 Freedom's Cause," ''The Young Carthaginian" "For 
 the Temple," "Facing Death," "Bonnie Prince 
 Charlie," etc., etc. 
 
 WITH FIVE PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALFRED PEARSE, 
 AND A MAP. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS
 
 MY DEAR LADS : In the following story I have made no 
 attempt to give anything like a general history of the 
 long struggle between the brave tribes of New Zealand 
 and the forces of England and the colony. That strug- 
 gle lasted over a period of some years, and to do justice 
 to its numerous incidents in the course of a single volume 
 would have left no space whatever available for the tell- 
 ing of a story. It was divided into two distinct epochs. 
 In the first the natives of the north of the islands fought 
 for their independence and their right to have a king, 
 and be governed by their own laws. Nothing could ex- 
 ceed the courage with which they struggled for these 
 ends, and it needed a very strong force of British troops 
 to storm their pahs or fortified camps, and overcome 
 their resistance. The second epoch embraces the strug- 
 gle brought about by the conversion of a portion of the 
 tribes to the fanatical belief called the Fai Marire (liter- 
 ally "good and peaceful"), whose votaries were generally 
 known as the Hau-Haus. During the earlier war the 
 natives behaved with great moderation, and there were 
 but few cases of the murder of outlying settlers. The 
 slaying of all whites was, however, the leading feature of 
 the Hau-Hau religion, and many cold-blooded massacres 
 occurred during the struggle. The British troops had 
 been for the most part withdrawn before the commence-
 
 iv PREFACE, 
 
 ment of the Hau-Hau troubles, and the war was carried 
 on by bodies of constabulary raised by the colonists, and 
 with the aid of tribes that remained friendly to us. The 
 massacre of Poverty Bay, which forms the leading feature 
 of my story, and the events that followed it, are all 
 strictly in accordance with facts. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 G. A. HENTY.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER L PAOB 
 
 A Home Broken Up. 1 
 
 CHAPTER U. 
 The Embarkation 19 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Voyage 87 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 A Row on Shore 51 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 A Boat Expedition 67 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Putting in the Refit 88 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 A Savage Surprise 106 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 The End of the Vbynge 125 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The New Zealand War. 144 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Glade ., 163 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 TheHau-Haus w . 188
 
 vi CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 The First Alarm. 200 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 The Attack on the Glade 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Fresh Troubles 237 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The Massacre at Poverty Bay 255 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 The Pnrsuit of Te Kooti 274 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 Back at the Farm 293 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL 
 In England... $10
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A HOME BROKEN UP. 
 
 "WELL, mother, one thing is certain something has 
 got to be done. It is no use crying over spilled milk, that 
 I can see. It is a horribly bad business, but grieving 
 over it won't make it any better. What one has got to 
 do is to decide on some plan or other, and then set to 
 work to carry it out. " 
 
 The speaker, Wilfrid Renshaw, was a boy between 
 fifteen and sixteen years old. He was standing with his 
 back to an empty fireplace, his feet well apart, his hands 
 deep in his pockets. He was rather short for his age, 
 but very squarely built. His hair was dark, cut rather 
 short, and so ruffled over his head that there were no 
 signs of a parting ; his eyebrows were heavy, his eyes 
 bright but rather deeply set; his chin was square and 
 his jaw heavy ; his nose was a little upturned, and this 
 together with his eyes gave a merry expression to a face 
 that would otherwise have been heavy and stern. 
 
 At school Wilfrid Renshaw had been regarded as 
 rather a queer fellow. He was full of quiet fun, and saw 
 a humorous side in everything. He did not take a very 
 leading part in the various school sports, though there 
 was a general idea that if Renshaw only chose to exert 
 himself he could excel in any of them. In point of actual
 
 2 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 strength, although there were several boys in the school 
 older than himself, it was generally admitted that he 
 was by far the strongest there. But he always went his 
 own way and always knew his own mind, and when he 
 had once given his decision everyone knew that it was 
 of no use attempting to alter it; indeed, his reputation 
 for obstinacy was so great that when he had once said "I 
 won't" or "I will," no one ever attempted to argue with 
 him. 
 
 He was given to long walks and to collecting insects or 
 flowers. He could never be persuaded to make one of the 
 cricket eleven ; but in winter, when there was little scope 
 for his favorite pursuit, he threw himself into football; 
 and although he absolutely refused to acceptthe captaincy 
 when unanimously elected to that honor, he was con- 
 sidered by far the most valuable member of the team. 
 He was scarcely popular among the boys of his own age ; 
 for although his fun and general good temper were appre- 
 ciated by them, his determination to go his own way, and 
 his entire disregard for the opinion of others, caused him 
 to be considered an unsociable sort of fellow, an impres- 
 sion increased by the fact that he had no particular chums. 
 
 Among the smaller boys he was greatly liked. He 
 would never allow any bullying when he was present; 
 and although his interference was often resented by some 
 of the elders, his reputation for strength and obstinacy 
 was so great that he had never been called upon to take 
 active measures to support his decisively expressed opin- 
 ions. His father lived in a pretty house a quarter of a 
 mile outside Reading; and as Wilfrid attended the gram- 
 mar-school there, he was much more free to indulge his 
 own tastes and go his own way than if he had been in a 
 boarding-school. His chief companion in his rambles 
 was his only sister Marion, who was a year his senior,
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 3 
 
 although strangers would not have taken her to be so, 
 either from her appearance or manner. She had an active, 
 lithe figure, and was able to keep up with him even dur- 
 ing his longest excursions. They were in fact great 
 chums and allies, and Marion would have indignantly 
 scouted the idea had any one suggested to her that her 
 brother was either obstinate or unsociable. 
 
 Mr. Renshaw had been intended for the bar, and had 
 indeed been called to that profession ; but shortly after- 
 ward he came into a fortune at the death of his father, 
 and at once abandoned all idea of practicing. After 
 traveling for a few years on the Continent and in the 
 East, he married and settled down near Reading. His 
 time was for the most part devoted to archaeology. He 
 had a rare collection of ancient British, Saxon, and Nor- 
 man anus, ornaments, and remains of all sorts; had 
 written several books on the antiquities of Berkshire and 
 Oxfordshire; was an authority upon tumuli and stone 
 weapons ; and was regarded by his acquaintances as a man 
 of much learning. 
 
 The management of the house and children, and indeed 
 of all affairs unconnected with his favorite hobby, he 
 left to his wife, who was, fortunately for him, a clear- 
 headed and sensible woman. Mr. Renshaw was, in fact, 
 an eminently impractical man, weak and easy in dispo- 
 sition, averse to exertion of any kind, and without a 
 shadow of the decision of character that distinguished his 
 son. Except when away upon antiquarian excursions he 
 passed his time entirely in his own study, engaged upon 
 a work which, he anticipated, would gain for him a very 
 high position among the antiquarians of the country, the 
 subject being the exact spot at which Julius Caesar 
 landed in Britain. 
 
 He made his appearance only at meal-times, and then
 
 4 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 paid but little attention to what was going on around 
 him, although he was kind to his children in a gentle, 
 indifferent sort of way. For many years he had been 
 engaged in making up his mind as to the school to which 
 Wilfrid should be sent; and the boy had at first only 
 been sent to the grammar school at the suggestion of hia 
 mother as a temporary measure until the important 
 decision should be arrived at. This had been six years 
 before, and Mr. Kenshaw had postponed his decision until 
 it was too late for Wilfrid to enter at any of the great 
 public schools. 
 
 Knowing from long experience what would be the re- 
 sult were he consulted as to Marion's education, Mrs. 
 Kenshaw had, when the girl was nine years old, engaged 
 a governess for her without any previous consultation 
 with her husband, simply telling him of the arrangement 
 after it was concluded, saying : "I know, Alfred, that you 
 have not yei decided whether an education at home or at 
 school is best for a girl, and I have consequently arranged 
 with a young lady to come as governess until you can 
 come to a conclusion upon the point." 
 
 Wilfrid Renshaw was extremely fond of his mother. 
 His father he regarded with a somewhat contemptuous 
 kind of affection. He did not doubt that he was a very 
 learned man, but he had small patience with his inability 
 to make up his mind, his total want of energy, and his 
 habit of leaving everything for his wife to decide upon 
 and carry out. 
 
 "It would do father an immense deal of good if some- 
 thing were to happen that would wake him up a bit and 
 get him to take an interest in things," he had said over 
 and over again to Marion. "I cannot understand a man 
 having no opinion of his own about anything." 
 
 "I do not think you ought to speak in that sort of way, 
 Wil, about father."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 5 
 
 "Oh, that is all nonsense, Marion. One cannot be 
 blind about a person, even if he is one's own father. Of 
 course, he is very kind and very indulgent, but it would 
 be very much pleasanter if he were so because he wished 
 to give us pleasure, instead of because it is the easiest 
 thing to do. I should be downright pleased if sometimes 
 when I ask him for anything he would say positively I 
 could not have it. ' ' 
 
 Now the something that Wilfrid had hoped might occur 
 to rouse his father had taken place, and had come in a form 
 very unpleasantly violent and unexpected. The papers a 
 week before had brought the news of the failure of the 
 bank in which the greater portion of Mr. Eenshaw's 
 property was invested, and a letter had the following 
 morning been received from a brother of Mrs. Kenshaw, 
 who was also a shareholder in the bank, saying that the 
 liabilities were very large, and that the shareholders 
 would undoubtedly be called upon to pay even their last 
 penny to make up the deficiency. This news had been 
 confirmed, and there could be no doubt absolute ruin 
 had fallen upon them. 
 
 Mr. Kenshaw had been completely overwhelmed by the 
 tidings, and had taken to his bed. Wilfrid's holidays 
 had begun a few days before, and his mother at once 
 acquainted him with the misfoTtune that had befallen 
 them, and she now told him that the calls that would be 
 made upon the shares would more than swallow up the 
 rest of their fortune. 
 
 "There will be absolutely nothing remaining, Wilfrid, 
 except a thousand pounds that I had at my marriage, and 
 which were fortunately settled upon me. This cannot be 
 touched. Everything else will have to go." 
 
 "Well, it's a bad business, mother. I will go for a 
 walk and think it over. Marion, put on your hat and 
 come out with me."
 
 6 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 They had been for their walk a long one, and he was 
 now expressing the result at which they had arrived. 
 
 "One thing is certain something has got to be done." 
 
 "Yes," Mrs. Renshaw replied, with a faint smile. 
 "The question is, What is it?" 
 
 "Well, mother, it is quite certain that we four cannot 
 live on the interest of a thousand pounds unless we go into 
 a hovel and live on bread and water." 
 
 "I quite see that, Wilfrid; but I am sure I do not see 
 how we are to earn money. It is far too late for your 
 father to go back to the bar now, and it might be years 
 before he got a brief. At any rate, we could not afford 
 to live in London till he does so. I have been thinking 
 I might open a little school somewhere." 
 
 The boy waved his hand. 
 
 "No, mother, you are not going to take us all on to 
 your shoulders. You have got to look after father ; that 
 will be a full share of the work, I am sure. Marion and I 
 have been talking it over, and the only possible thing we 
 can see is for us to emigrate." 
 
 "To emigrate!" Mrs. Eenshaw repeated in astonish- 
 ment. "Why, my dear boy, what should we be fit for in 
 the colonies more than here?" 
 
 "A good deal, mother. A thousand pounds is nothing 
 here, and it would be a good deal out there. It would be 
 horrible to come down to live in a little cottage like work- 
 ing people here, after living like this ; but it would be 
 nothing out there. We could buy land for next to 
 nothing in New Zealand, and could employ a couple of 
 men to work with me to clear it and cultivate it; and get 
 a few cows and sheep to start with, and still have a little 
 money in hand. You and Marion could look after things 
 indoors; I should look after things out of doors." 
 
 "You don't seem to count your father at all," Mrs. 
 Eenshaw said a little reproachfully.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 7 
 
 "No, mother, I don't," Wilfrid said bluntly. "You 
 know as well as I do that father would be of no use to 
 speak of in a life like that. Still, I think he could make 
 himself happy out there as well as here. He could take 
 all his books with him, and could inquire into the man- 
 ners and customs of the natives, who are every bit as good 
 as the ancient Britons ; better, I should say. But what- 
 ever we do, mother, whether it is here or anywhere else, 
 we must settle upon it and do it. Of course we must 
 consult him ; but we must quite make up our minds 
 before we do so. If you wait a few weeks for father to 
 make up his mind what we had better do, we shall wait 
 till this thousand pounds is spent and there is nothing to 
 do but to go into the workhouse. 
 
 "I am sure that my plan is the best for us. I am ai 
 strong as a great many men; and anyhow, out there, 
 there ought to be no fear about our keeping ourselves. 
 I have no doubt that when we get out there father will be 
 able to help in many ways, though I do not know at pres- 
 ent what they are. Anyhow, we shall have a house to live 
 in, even if it is only a log hut, and I have no doubt have 
 plenty to eat and drink ; and that is more than we shall 
 do if we stay here. I could not earn anything to speak 
 of here ; the most I could expect to get would be ten 
 shillings a week as an office-boy. And as to your idea of 
 a school, you might be years before you got pupils ; and, 
 beside, when there are two men in a family it would be 
 shameful to depend upon a woman to keep them." 
 
 "Why do you think of New Zealand more than Canada, 
 
 "Because, in the first place, the climate is a great deal 
 pleasanter, and, in the second place, I believe that as the 
 passage-money is higher the emigrants are of a better 
 class, and we are likely to have more pleasant neighbors
 
 g MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 people that you and father can associate with than we 
 
 should have if we went to a backwoods clearing in Can- 
 ada. Tom Fairfax has an uncle in New Zealand, and I 
 have heard him say there are lots of officers in the army 
 and people of that sort who have settled there. Of 
 course I know it is going to be hard work, and that it 
 will be very rough for you and father when we land at 
 first, but I expect it will be better after a time ; and any- 
 how, mother, I do not think we can starve there, and I 
 feel sure that it will come to that if we stop here. At 
 any rate, you had better think it over. 
 
 "Of coarse if you hit on anything better I shall be 
 ready to agree at once ; but whatever it is we must quite 
 make up our minds together and then tell father. But 
 when we do tell him we shall have to say that we are 
 quite convinced that the plan we have fixed on is the only 
 one that offers a hope of success. Of course I do not 
 expect that he will see it as we do, but if we put it that 
 if he can suggest anything better to be done we will set 
 about it at once, I think he's pretty certain to let things 
 go on as we arrange. I do not mean to speak disrespect- 
 fully of father," he went on, seeing that his mother's face 
 was a little clouded, "but you know, mother, that people 
 who are learned, scientific, and all that sort of thing are 
 very often bad hands at everyday matters. Sir Isaac 
 Newton, and lots of other fellows I have read about, were 
 like that ; and though father is a splendid hand at ary- 
 thing to do with the Britons or Danes, and can tell you 
 the story of every old ruin in the kingdom, he is no good 
 about practical matters. So that we take all the trouble 
 off his hands, I think he will be quite ready to agree to 
 do whatever you think is the best. At any rate, mother, 
 I think my plan is well worth thinking over, and the 
 Booner we make up our minds the better; after all it is a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 9 
 
 great thing having something to look forward to and 
 /Ian about." 
 
 Three or four days later Mrs. Renshaw told Wilfrid 
 that think as she would she could see no better plan for 
 utilizing her little capital than for them to emigrate. 
 
 "It is putting great responsibility on your shoulders, 
 my boy," she said; "for I do not disguise from myself 
 that it is upon you that we must principally depend. 
 Still you will be sixteen by the time we can arrive there, 
 and I think we should be able to manage. Besides, as 
 you say, we can hire a man or two to help, and shall 
 have some money to fall back upon until things begin to 
 pay. There are plenty of women who manage even with- 
 out the assistance of a son, and I do not know why I 
 should not be able to get on with you and Marion to help 
 me, especially as farming is a comparatively simple busi- 
 ness in a new country. At any rate, as you say, with 
 two or three cows and plenty of ducks and hens, and 
 what we can grow on the ground, there will be no fear of 
 our starving." 
 
 The next day Mr. Renshaw came downstairs for the 
 first time since he had heard of the misfortune. He had 
 received a letter that morning saying that a call was at 
 once to be made on each shareholder for the amount still 
 standing on each share, and this sum was in itself more 
 than he could meet even after the sale of his house and 
 its contents. He was in a state of profound depression. 
 He had, while upstairs, been endeavoring to think of 
 some, means of supporting his family, but had been wholly 
 unable to think of any plan whatever. He knew that at 
 his age he should find it next to impossible to obtain 
 employment, even as a clerk at the lowest salary ; his 
 knowledge of archaeology would be absolutely useless to 
 him, for the books he had already published had not even 
 paid the expenses of printing.
 
 10 MA OEI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Few words were spoken at breakfast, but when the 
 meal was finished Mrs. Renshaw began : "My dear Alfred, 
 Wilfrid and I have been talking over what we had better 
 do under the circumstances. I have told him that the fail- 
 ure of the bank involves the loss of all our property, that 
 the house will have to be sold, and that, in fact, there re- 
 mains nothing but the thousand pounds of my settlement. 
 We have talked it over in every light, and have quite 
 arrived at the conclusion as to what we think the best 
 thing to be done if you see matters in the same light and 
 will consent to our plan. I had at first thought of 
 starting a little school." 
 
 "I would never agree to that," Mr. Renshaw said; 
 "never. I must do something, my dear, though I have 
 not maae up my mind in what direction. But whatever 
 it is, it is for me to work, and not for you." 
 
 "Well, we have already given up the idea," Mrs. Ren- 
 shaw went on. "Wilfrid was sure that you would not 
 like it, and, as he pointed out, the money might be spent 
 before I could obtain sufficient pupils to pay. Beside, 
 he is anxious to be of use; but the difficulty struck us of 
 obtaining any kind of remunerative work here." 
 
 "That is what I have been thinking, " Mr. Renshaw 
 said. "I shall be willing to work at anything in my 
 power, but I don't see what possible work I can get." 
 
 "Quite so, my dear. In this country it is of course 
 terribly difficult for any one to get employment unless he 
 has been trained in some particular line, therefore Wil 
 and I are agreed that the very best plan, indeed the only 
 plan we can think of, is for us to go out to a new country. 
 My little money will take us to New Zealand, buy a good- 
 sized piece of land there, and suffice to enable us to clear 
 it and stock it to some extent. The life will no doubt 
 be rough for us all for a time; but none of us will care
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 11 
 
 for that, and at any rate we are sure to be able to keep 
 the wolf from the door." 
 
 "To New Zealand!" Mr. Benshaw repeated, aghast. 
 "That is a terrible undertaking. Beside, I know nothing 
 whatever about i'arming, and I fear that I am quite unfit 
 for hard work." 
 
 "I do not think it will be at all necessary for you to 
 work yourself, Alfred. Of course we can hire men there 
 just as we can in England. I believe the natives are 
 willing to work at very low rates of pay, so we need have 
 no difficulty on that score. Wilfrid is growing up now, 
 and will soon be able to relieve you of all responsibility, 
 and then you will be able to devote yourself to your 
 favorite studies ; and I should think that a book from 
 your hand upon native manners and customs would be sure 
 to be a great success. Accustomed as you are to tracing 
 things up from small remains, and with your knowledge 
 of primitive peoples, your work would be very different 
 from those written by men without any previous acquaint- 
 ance with such matters." 
 
 "The idea certainly pleases me," Mr. Kenshaw said; 
 "but, of course, I shall want time to think over your 
 startling proposal, Helen." 
 
 "Of course, my dear. In the meantime we will go on 
 packing up and preparing to move at once from here, as 
 you say that there must be a sale of everything ; then 
 you can think the matter over, and if you decide upon 
 any better scheme than ours we can carry that out. If 
 not, we shall be ready to put ours into execution." 
 
 The next month was a busy one. There was great sym- 
 pathy evinced by all the Eenshaws 5 neighbors and ac- 
 quaintances when it was heard that their whole fortune 
 was swept away by the failure of the bank. There were 
 farewell visits to be paid, not only to these, but to their
 
 12 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 poorer neighbors. In answer to inquiries as to their 
 plans, Mr. Renshaw always replied that at present noth- 
 ing whatever was settled. Mrs. Eenshaw hinted that, 
 although their plans were not definitely fixed, she 
 thought it probable that they would go abroad; while 
 "Wilfrid and Marion both informed their friends confi- 
 dently that they were going to New Zealand. 
 
 The work of packing went on. A few articles of furni- 
 ture that were special favorites with them all were packed 
 up and sent to be warehoused in London, in order that 
 they might some day be forwarded to them when they 
 had made themselves a home ; but nothing else was taken 
 beyond their clothes, a good selection of books for their 
 general reading, a large box of those which Mr. Kenshaw 
 declared absolutely indispensable to himself, and a few 
 knickknacks specially prized. Everything else was 
 handed over for sale for the benefit of the creditors of the 
 bank. During these weeks Mr. Eenshaw continued to 
 speak as if he regarded the New Zealand project as wholly 
 impracticable, and on each occasion when he did so his 
 wife replied cheerfully: "Well, my dear, we are in no 
 way wedded to it, and are quite ready to give it up and 
 adopt any plan you may decide upon. The matter is 
 entirely in your hands." 
 
 But Mr. Kenshaw could hit upon no other scheme; 
 and, indeed, his wife's suggestion as to a book on the 
 natives of New Zealand had much taken his far_cy. Cer- 
 tainly he, a trained antiquarian, should be able to pro- 
 duce a book upon such a subject that would be of vastly 
 greater value than those written by settlers and others 
 having no training whatever that would qualify them for 
 such work. It was probable that he should be able to 
 throw some entirely new light upon the origin and his- 
 tory of the Maoris or natives of New Zealand, and that
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 13 
 
 his book would greatly add to his reputation, and would 
 sell well. Really the idea was not -such a very bad one, 
 and, for himself, he should certainly prefer a life in a 
 new country to shabby lodgings in some out-of-the-way 
 place, after having for so many years been a personage of 
 importance in his own neighborhood. 
 
 "I see one great objection to your scheme, Helen, and 
 that is that there is a war going on with the Maoris." 
 
 "I know there is," Mrs. Renshaw, who had talked the 
 matter over with Wilfrid, replied; "but it is confined to 
 two or three of the tribes, and the settlers in other parts 
 have been in no way disturbed. The troops have taken 
 most of their strongholds, and the troubles are considered 
 to be approaching an end; therefore I do not think 
 there is any occasion to be uneasy on that score. Be- 
 side, in some respects the trouble will be advantageous, 
 as we should ; probably be able to buy land cheaper than 
 we otherwise should have done, and the land will rapidly 
 rise in value again when the disturbances are over. But, 
 of course, we should not go to the disturbed districts. 
 These are round Auckland and New Plymouth, and the 
 troubles are confined to the tribes there. Everything is 
 perfectly peaceable along the other parts of the coast." 
 
 It was not until two or three days before the move was 
 to be made from the house that Mrs. Renshaw recurred 
 to the subject. 
 
 "You have not [said yet, Alfred, what plans you have 
 decided upon. As we shall leave here in three days it is 
 quite time that we made up our minds about it, as, of 
 course, our movements must depend on your decision. 
 If you have fixed upon any place for us to settle down in, 
 it would be cheaper for us to move there at once instead 
 of wasting money by going up to London first. Another 
 reason I have for asking is, that Robert and William
 
 14 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Grimstone, the gardener's sons, who have got an idea 
 from something Wilfrid said to them that we might be 
 going abroad, have asked him to ask you if you would 
 take them with you. They have been working in the 
 garden under their father for the last two or three years, 
 and are strong, active young fellows of nineteen and 
 twenty. As their father has worked here ever since we 
 came, and we have known the young fellows since they 
 were children, such an arrangement would have been a 
 very pleasant one had you liked my plan of emigrating as 
 it would have been much more agreeable having two 
 young fellows we knew with us instead of strangers. Of 
 course I told Wilfrid to tell them that nothing whatever 
 was settled, and that our plans were not in any way 
 formed, and that they had better, therefore, look out for 
 situations about here, and that I was sure you would give 
 them good letters of recommendation." 
 
 Mr. Kenshaw was silent. "I really do not see that 
 there is any occasion to come to a decision in a hurry," 
 he said irritably. 
 
 "Not in a hurry, Alfred," his wife said quietly. "You 
 see we have had a month to think it over and I do not 
 see that we shall be more likely to settle upon an advan- 
 tageous scheme at the end of six months than we are now. 
 From the day we leave here and hand over everything to 
 the receiver of the bank we shall be drawing on our little 
 capital, and every pound is of importance. I think there- 
 fore, Alfred, that you and I should make up our minds 
 before we leave here as to what course we are going to 
 adopt. As I have said, I myself see no scheme by which 
 we are likely to be able to maintain ourselves in England, 
 even in a very humble way. A life in the c61onies would, 
 to me, be very much more pleasant than the struggle to 
 make ends meet here.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 15 
 
 "It would afford an opening for Wilfrid, and be vastly 
 more advantageous for him than anything we should hope 
 to get for him here ; and I think it will be far better for 
 Marion too. Of course, if we decided to emigrate, we 
 could, should you prefer it, go to Canada, Australia, or 
 the United States in preference to New Zealand. I only 
 incline to New Zealand because I have heard that there is 
 a larger proportion of officers and gentlemen there than 
 in other colonies, and because I believe that the climate 
 is a particularly pleasant one. But, of course, this is 
 merely a suggestion at present, and it is for you to 
 decide." 
 
 "If we are to emigrate at all," Mr. Renshaw replied, 
 "I should certainly prefer New Zealand myself. The 
 Maoris are a most interesting people. Their origin is a 
 matter of doubt, their customs and religion are peculiar, 
 and I have no doubt that I should, after studying them, 
 be able to throw much new and valuable light upon the 
 subject. Personally, I am sure that I am in no way fitted 
 for the life of a settler. I know nothing of farming, and 
 could neither drive a plow nor wield an ax ; but if I could 
 make the native subject my own, I might probably be 
 able to do my share toward our expenses by my books, 
 while Wilfrid could look after the men. The offer of 
 these two young fellows to go with us has removed several 
 of my objections to the plan, and I agree with you that it 
 would be more advantageous for Wilfrid and Marion than 
 to be living in wretched lodgings. Therefore, my dear, 
 I have decided to fall in with your plan, and only hope 
 that it will turn out as well as you seem to expect. It will 
 be a great cfVange and a great trial; but since you seem 
 to have set your heart upon it, I am willing to adopt your 
 plans instead of my own, and we will therefore consider 
 it settled that we will go to New Zealand."
 
 16 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Mrs. Renshaw was too wise a woman to point out that 
 her husband had not, so far as she was aware, any plans 
 whatever of his own, and she contented herself by saying 
 quietly: "lam glad you have decided so, my dear. I 
 do think it is the best thing for us all, and I am quite 
 sure it is the best for Wilfrid and Marion. If it had not 
 been for them I should have said let us take a tiny cot- 
 tage near some town where I might add to our income by 
 giving lessons in music or other things, and you might 
 have the companionship of people of your own tastes; 
 but, being as it is, I think it far better to give them a 
 start in a new country, although I know that such a life 
 as we shall lead there must entail, at any rate at first, some 
 hardships, and the loss of much to which we have been 
 accustomed." 
 
 Wilfrid and Marion were delighted when they heard 
 from their mother that the matter was settled. Both had 
 had great hopes that Wilfrid's scheme would be finally 
 accepted, as there did not seem any other plan that waa 
 possible. Still Wilfrid knew the difficulty that his father 
 would have in making up his mind, and feared there 
 might be a long delay before he could bring himself to 
 accept the plan proposed to him. Mrs. Eenshaw, who 
 was a good business woman, lost no time in arranging 
 with Robert and William Grimstone as to their accom- 
 panying them. Their passage-money was to be paid, and 
 they were to bind themselves to remain for three years in 
 Mr. Renshaw's service on wages similar to those they would 
 have obtained at home; after that, they were to be paid 
 whatever might be the colonial rate of wages. 
 
 The excitement that the prospect of emigration caused 
 to the young people lessened their pain at leaving the 
 house where they had been born and brought up, with all 
 its pleasant associations and material comforts. It was,
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 17 
 
 however, very trying to them when they bade good-by 
 for the last time to their surroundings and shook hands 
 with their old servants. 
 
 "If ever we get rich in New Zealand, father," Wilfrid 
 said, "we will come back and buy the house again." 
 
 Mr. Renshaw shook his head. Just at present he was 
 disposed to regard himself as a martyr, and considered 
 that he had made an unprecedented sacrifice of his own 
 wishes and comforts for the sake of his children, and that 
 no good could be expected to arise from the plan to 
 which he had consented. A good many friends had 
 gathered at the station to say good-by, and it was some 
 time after the train had started on its way to London 
 before any of the party felt themselves inclined to speak. 
 On arriving in town they went at once to lodgings they 
 Lad engaged in Eastbourne Terrace, facing the station. 
 Once settled there, no time was lost in making prepara- 
 tions for their voyage. The files of the advertisements 
 had already been searched and the names of the vessels 
 sailing for New Zealand and the addresses of their owners 
 noted, and after paying a visit to several shipping offices 
 the choice of vessels remained at last between the Flying 
 Scud and the Mayflower. They were vessels of about the 
 same size, both bore a good reputation as sailers, and 
 they heard excellent accounts of the captains who com- 
 manded them. 
 
 The Mayflower was to sail direct to Wellington round 
 the Cape. The Flying Scud was taking in cargo for Rio 
 and Buenos Ayres, and would proceed thence via Cape 
 Horn. Her rates of passage were somewhat lower than 
 those of the Mayflower, as the route via the Cape of Good 
 Hope was that more generally used, and the number of 
 passengers who had secured berths by her were very 
 much smaller than those who intended to travel by th
 
 18 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Mayflower. It was this that principally decided them in 
 choosing the western route ; Mr. Eenshaw was in a 
 depressed and nervous state, and his wife considered that 
 he would be far more comfortable with a comparatively 
 small number of fellow-passengers than in a crowded ship. 
 Marion quite agreed with her mother ; and Wilfrid was 
 also in favor of the Flying Scud, as he thought it would 
 b.e pleasant to break the passage by putting into the great 
 South American ports and getting a glimpse of their 
 inhabitants. Mr. Renshaw himself was quite satisfied to 
 accept his wife's decision, whatever it might be. The 
 Flying Scud was therefore selected, and passages for the 
 party secured in her.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 19 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 THE EMBARKATION. 
 
 THE Flying Scud was to sail in ten days ; and this was 
 ample time for their preparations, for~ Mrs. Eenshaw 
 wisely decided that it was better to buy all that waa 
 requisite for starting their new life in New Zealand. 
 
 "We have none of us the least idea what will be re- 
 quired," she said. "It will.be far better to pay some- 
 what higher prices for what we really do want out there 
 than to cumber ourselves with all sorts of things that may 
 be useless to us. We have already a considerable amount 
 of baggage. There are our clothes, linen, and books, 
 your father's two double-barreled guns, which, by the 
 way, I do not think he has ever used since we have been 
 married. The only thing we had better get, as far as I 
 see, will be four rifles, which no doubt we can buy cheap 
 second-hand, and four revolvers. 
 
 "I do not for a moment suppose we shall ever want to 
 use them, but as we may be often left in the house alone 
 I think it would be pleasant to know that we are not alto- 
 gether defenseless. We had better lay in a good stock of 
 ammunition for all these weapons. Besides the clothes 
 we have we had better get serge dresses and suits for the 
 voyage* and a few strong, serviceable gowns and suits 
 for rough work out there. Beyond this I do not think 
 that we need spend a penny. We can certainly get 
 everything we shall want for our new life at Wellington, 
 which is a large place."
 
 20 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 On the morning of the day on which they were to em- 
 bark the Grimstones came up from Reading. All the 
 heavy luggage had been sent on board ship on the pre- 
 vious day, and at twelve o'clock two cabs drove up to the 
 side of the Flying Scud in St. Catherine's Docks. The 
 one contained Mr and Mrs. Renshaw, Marion, and a vast 
 quantity of small packets inside. Wilfrid was on the box 
 with the driver, and the roof was piled high with lug- 
 gage. The other cab contained the two Grimstones and 
 the rest of the luggage. The Renshaws were already 
 acquainted with the ship in which they were to sail, hav- 
 ing paid her a visit four days previously to see their 
 cabins. The parents had a comfortable cabin to them- 
 selves. Marion was berthed in a cabin with two other 
 ladies, who, she learned, were sisters, the elder about her 
 own age, and Wilfrid found he would have but one fel- 
 low-passenger. The Grimstones were in the steerage 
 forward. 
 
 The vessel was in a state of bustle, and what to the 
 travelers seemed confusion. Numbers of other passen- 
 gers were arriving, and the deck was littered with their 
 luggage until it could be sorted and sent down to their 
 cabins ; late cargo was being swung on board and lowered 
 into the hold. On the deck aft were gathered the cabin 
 passengers, with relatives and friends who had come to 
 see them off. An hour later the bell rang as a signal for 
 all visitors to go ashore. There were sad partings both 
 fore and aft as the bell clanged on its impatient signal. 
 
 "I am very glad, mother, that we have no friends to 
 say good-by to us here, and that we got that all over at 
 Beading." 
 
 "So am I, Wil. I think it much better myself that 
 these partings should be got through before people leave 
 home. It is natural of course that relatives and friends
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 21 
 
 should like to see the last of each other, but I think it is 
 a cruel kindness, and am glad, as you say, that we had 
 no dear friends in London. Those at home have already 
 shown their thoughtfulness and friendship." For in- 
 deed during the last few days hampers of presents of all 
 kinds had arrived in a steady flow at Eastbourne Terrace. 
 There had been great feeling of commiseration among all 
 their acquaintances at the misfortune that had befallen 
 the Renshaws ; and the manner in which they had at once 
 surrendered everything for the benefit 'of the share- 
 holders of the bank, and the calmness with which they 
 had borne their reverses, had excited admiration, and 
 scarce a friend or acquaintance but sent substantial tokens 
 of their good-will or sympathy. 
 
 As soon as it was publicly known that the Renshaws 
 were about to sail for New Zealand, the boys and masters 
 of the grammar-school between them subscribed and sent 
 a handsome double-barreled gun, a fishing rod, and all 
 appurtenances, to Wilfrid. Mr. Renshaw received two 
 guns, several fishing rods, two crates of crockery, and 
 several cases of portable furniture of various kinds, be- 
 side many small articles. Mrs. Renshaw was presented 
 with a stove of the best construction and a crate full of 
 utensils of every kind, while Marion had work-boxes and 
 desks sufficient to stock a school, two sets of garden tools 
 and innumerable knickknacks likely to be more or less 
 useful to her in her new life. Beside these there were 
 several boxes of books of standard literature. 
 
 "Everyone is very kind," Mrs. Renshaw said, as the 
 crates and hampers arrived; "but if it goes on like this 
 we shall have to charter a ship to ourselves, and how we 
 are to move about there when we get out with all these 
 things I have not the least idea. " 
 
 At last the good-bys were all finished, the visitors had
 
 22 MAORI AND SETTLER, 
 
 left the ship, the hawsers were thrown off, and the vessel 
 began to move slowly toward the dock gates. As soon 
 as she had issued through these she was seized by a tug, 
 and proceeded in tow down the crowded river. There 
 was a last waving of handkerchiefs and hats to the group 
 of people standing at the entrance to the docks, and then 
 the passengers began to look round and examine each 
 other and the ship. Sailors were hard at work the last 
 bales and boxes were being lowered into the hold, ropes 
 were being coiled up, and tidiness restored to the deck. 
 Parties of seamen were aloft loosening some of the sails, 
 for the wind was favorable, and the captain had ordered 
 some of the canvas to be set to assist the tug. 
 
 "Now, Marion," Mrs. Renshaw said, "we had better 
 go below and tidy up things a bit. Wil, you may as 
 well come down and help me get the trunks stowed away 
 under the berths, and put some hooks in for the brush- 
 bags and other things we have brought; the hooks and 
 gimlet are in my handbag." 
 
 Wilfrid assisted to set his mother's cabin in order, and 
 then went to his own. It was a good-sized cabin, and 
 when the ship was full accommodated four passengers; 
 but the two upper bunks had now been taken down, and 
 t^ere was, Wilfrid thought, ample room for two. On his 
 own bunk were piled his two portmanteaus, a gun-case, a 
 bundle of fishing rods, and other odds and ends, and a 
 somewhat similar collection of luggage was on that op- 
 posite. Wilfrid read the name on the labels. "Ather- 
 ton, " he, said; "I wonder what he is like. I do hope he 
 will be a nice fellow." 
 
 Scarcely had the thought passed through his mind when 
 a figure appeared at the cabin door. It was that of a 
 tall, stout man, with immensely broad shoulders. His 
 age Wilfrid guessed to be about thirty-five. He had a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 23 
 
 pleasant face, and there was a humorous twinkle in hia 
 eye as the lad looked round in astonishment at the figure 
 completely blocking up the doorway. 
 
 "So you are Renshaw ?" the big man said. "I congrat- 
 ulate myself and you that your dimensions are not of the 
 largest. My name is Atherton, as I dare say you have 
 seen on my luggage. Suppose we shake hands, Renshaw? 
 It is just as well to make friends at once, as we have got 
 to put up with each other for the next five or six months. 
 Of course you are a little appalled at my size, ' ' he went 
 on, as he shook hands with the lad. "Most people are at 
 first, but nobody is so much appalled as I am myself. 
 Still it has its amusing side, you know. I don't often 
 get into an omnibus, because I do not think it is fair; but 
 if I am driven to do so, and there happen to be five people 
 on each side, the expression of alarm on those ten faces 
 when I appear at the door is a picture, because it is man- 
 ifestly impossible that they can make room for me on 
 either side." 
 
 "What do you do, sir?" Wilfrid asked, laughing. 
 
 "I ask one of them to change sides. That leaves two 
 places Vacant, and as I make a point of paying for two, 
 we get on comfortably enough. It is fortunate there are 
 only two of us in this cabin. If I have the bad luck to 
 travel in a full ship I always wait until the others are in 
 bed before I turn in, and get up in the morning before 
 they are astir ; but I think you and I can manage pretty 
 comfortably." 
 
 "Then you have traveled a good deal, sir?" Wilfrid 
 said. 
 
 "I am always traveling," the other replied. "I am 
 like the fidgety Phil of the story book, who could never 
 keep still. Most men of my size are content to take life 
 quietly, but that is not so with me. For the last twelve
 
 24 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 or thirteen years I have been always on the move, and 1 
 ought to b worn down to a thread paper ; but unfortu- 
 nately, as you see, that is not the effect of travel in my 
 case. I suppose you are going out to settle?" 
 
 "Yes, sir. I have my father, mother, and sister on 
 board." 
 
 "Lucky fellow!" Mr. Atherton said; "I have no rela- 
 tions worth speaking of. ' ' 
 
 "Are you going to settle at last, sir?" Wilfrid asked. 
 
 "No, I am going out to botanize. I have a mania for 
 botany, and New Zealand, you know, is in that respect 
 one of the most remarkable regions in the world, and it 
 has not yet been explored with anything approaching 
 accuracy. It is a grand field for discovery, and there are 
 special points of interest connected with it, as it forms 
 a sort of connecting link between the floras of Australia, 
 Asia, and South America, and has a flora of its own en- 
 tirely distinct from any of these. Now let me advise you 
 as to the stowing away of your traps. There is a good 
 deal of knack in these things. Have you got your port- 
 manteaus packed so that one contains all the things you 
 are likely to require for say the first month of your voy- 
 age, and the other as a reserve to be drawn on occasion- 
 ally ? because, if not, I should advise you to take all the 
 things out and to arrange them in that way. It will take 
 you a little time, perhaps, but will save an. immense 
 amount of trouble throughout the voyage." 
 
 "Wilfrid had packed his trunks with things as they 
 came to hand, but he saw the advantage of following his 
 fellow-passenger's advice, and accordingly opened his 
 portmanteaus and piled the whole of their contents upon 
 his berth. He then repacked them, Mr. Atherton sitting 
 down on his berth and giving his advice as to the trunk 
 in which each article should be placed.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 25 
 
 The work of rearrangement occupied balf an hour, and 
 Wilfrid often congratulated himself during the voyage 
 upon the time so spent. "When all was complete and the 
 cabin arranged tidily, "Wilfrid looked in at the next cabin. 
 This was occupied by two young men of the name of 
 Allen. They were friends of an acquaintance of Mr. 
 Kenshaw, who, hearing that they were journeying by the 
 same ship to New Zealand, had brought them down to 
 Eastbourne Terrace and introduced them to Mr. Een- 
 shaw and his family. The two were occupied in arrang- 
 ing their things in the cabin. 
 
 "Well, Renshaw, " James, the elder of them, said when 
 he entered, "I am afraid I cannot congratulate you on 
 your fellow-passenger. We saw him go into your cabin. 
 He is a tremendous man. He would be magnificent if 
 he were not so stout. Why, you will scarce find room to 
 move!" 
 
 " 'He is a capital fellow, " Wilfrid said. 'I think we shall 
 get on splendid together. He is full of fun, and makes 
 all sorts of jokes about his own size. He has traveled 
 a tremendous lot, and is up to everything. He is nothing 
 like so old as you would think, if you have not seen his 
 face. I do not think he is above thirty-five or so. Well, 
 as I see you have just finished, I will go up and see how 
 we are getting on." 
 
 When Wilfrid reached the deck he found the vessel 
 was off Erith, and was greeted by his sister. 
 
 "You silly boy, you have been missing the sight of all 
 the shipping, and of Greenwich Hospital. The idea of 
 stopping below all this time ! I should have come to call 
 you up if I had known which was your room." 
 
 "Cabin, you goose!" Wilfrid said; "the idea of talk- 
 ing of rooms on board a ship. I would have come up if 
 I had thought of it ; but I was so busy putting things to
 
 $ 6 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 right and making the acquaintance of the gentleman in 
 the cabin with me that I forgot altogether we were mov- 
 ing down the river. 
 
 "Which is he, Wilfrid?" 
 
 Wilfrid laughed and nodded in the direction of Mr. 
 Atherton, who was standing with his back toward them a 
 short distance away. 
 
 Marion's eyes opened wide. 
 
 "Oh, Wil, what a big man! He must quite fill up the 
 cabin." 
 
 "He seems an awfully good fellow, Marion." 
 
 "I dare say he may be, Wil; but he will certainly take 
 up more than his share of the cabin." 
 
 "It is awkward, isn't it, young lady?" Mr. Atherton 
 said, suddenly turning round on his heel, to Marion's 
 horror, while Wilfrid flushed scarlet, for he had not 
 the least idea that his words could be heard. "I have 
 capital hearing, you see," Mr. Atherton went on with a 
 laugh, "and a very useful sense it is sometimes, and has 
 stood me in good service upon many occasions, though I 
 own that it effectually prevents my cherishing any illu- 
 sion as to my personal appearance. This is your sister, 
 of course, Eenshaw ; in fact, any one could see that at a 
 glance. There is nothing like making acquaintances 
 early on the voyage ; the first day is in that respect the 
 most important of all." 
 
 "Why is that?" Marion asked. 
 
 "Because as a rule the order in which people sit down 
 to table on the first day of the voyage is that in which 
 they sit the whole time. Now, if one happens to sit 
 one's self down by people who turn out disagreeable it is 
 a very great nuisance, and therefore it is very important 
 to find out a little about one's fellow-passengers the first 
 day, so as to take a seat next to some one whom you are
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. <tf 
 
 not likely to quarrel with before you have been a week at 
 sea." 
 
 "Then they do not arrange places for you, Mr. Ather- 
 ton?" 
 
 "Oh, no; the captain perhaps settles as to who are to 
 sit up by him. If there is any one of special importance 
 a governor or vice-governor or any other big wig, he and 
 his wife, if he has got one, will probably sit next to the 
 captain on one side ; if not, he will choose some one who 
 has been specially introduced to him or who has sailed 
 with him before, and the steward, before the party sit 
 down, puts their names on their plates; everyone else 
 shifts for themselves. Kenshaw, I shall be glad if you 
 will introduce me to your father and mother, and if we 
 get on well I will -go down below and arrange that we get 
 places together. I have been chatting with the first officer, 
 who is a very pleasant fellow; I have sailed with him be- 
 fore. The rule is he sits at the end of the table facing the 
 captain, and my experience is that when the first officer 
 happens to be a good fellow, which is not always the case, 
 his end. of the table is the most pleasant place. There 
 is generally more fun and laughing at that end than there 
 is at the other ; for all the people who fancy that they are 
 of importance make a point of getting seats as near as 
 they can to the captain, and important people are not, as 
 a rule, anything like as pleasant as the rest of us." 
 
 Wilfrid walked across the deck with Mr. Atherton to 
 the point where his father and mother were sitting. 
 "Mother, this is Mr. Atherton who is in my cabin. "Mr. 
 Atherton shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Eenshaw. 
 
 "I asked your son to introduce me at once, Mrs. Een- 
 shaw, because, as I have been telling him, a good deal of 
 the comfort of the voyage depends upon making a snug 
 little party to sit together at meals. There is nothing I
 
 28 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 dread more than being put down between two acidulated 
 women, who make a point of showing by their manner 
 every time one sits down that they consider one is taking 
 up a great deal more than one's share of the seat." 
 
 Mrs. Renshaw smiled. "I should think people were 
 not often as rude as that. 
 
 "I can assure you that it is the rule rather than the 
 exception, Mrs Renshaw. I am not a particularly sensi- 
 tive man, I think; but I make a point of avoiding 
 crowded railway carriages, being unable to withstand the 
 expression of blank dismay that comes over the faces of 
 people when I present myself at the door. I have thought 
 sometimes of hiring a little boy of about four years old 
 to go about with me, as the two of us would then only 
 take up a fair share of space. I have been looking to the 
 cabin arrangements, and find that each seat holds three. 
 Your son and daughter are neither of them bulky, so if 
 they won't mind sitting a little close they will be con- 
 ferring a genuine kindness upon me." 
 
 "We shall not mind at all," Wilfrid and Marion ex- 
 claimed together, for there was something so pleasant 
 about Mr. Atherton's manner they felt that he would be 
 a delightful companion. 
 
 "Very well, then; we will regard that as settled. Then 
 we five will occupy the seats on one side of the chief 
 officer." 
 
 "We will get the two Aliens opposite," Wilfrid put in. 
 
 "I will look about for three others to make up what I 
 may call our party. Who do you fancy, Mrs. Renshaw? 
 Now look round and fix on somebody, and I will under- 
 take the duty of engineering the business." 
 
 "There are two girls, sisters, in my cabin," Marion 
 said. "I think they seem nice. They are going out 
 alone to join their father and mother in New Zealand."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 29 
 
 "In that case, Mrs. Renshaw, I had better leave the 
 matter in your hands.'' 
 
 "That will be very simple, Mr. Atherton, as I have 
 already spoken to them," and she at once got up and 
 moved across to two girls of about thirteen and seventeen 
 respectively, who were standing together watching the 
 passing ships, and entered into conversation with them. 
 When she proposed that, as they were in the same cabin 
 with Marion, they should sit near each other at table, 
 they gladly agreed, saying, however, that they had been 
 placed under the special care of the captain, and as he 
 had said that he would keep them under his eye, they 
 were afraid he might want them to sit near him. 
 
 "I will speak to the captain myself," Mrs. Eenshaw 
 said. "I dare say he will be rather glad to have the 
 responsibility taken ofJ his hands, especially if I propose, 
 which I will if you like, to take you under my general 
 charge. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, we should like that very much," the elder of the 
 two girls said. "It seems BO very strange to us being 
 here among so many people without any lady with us. 
 We should be so much obliged to you if you would take 
 us under your wing." 
 
 "I can quite understand your feelings, my dears, and 
 will speak to the captain directly. I see that he is 
 disengaged. If we were under sail there would not be 
 much chance of getting a word with him ; but as the tug 
 has us in charge, I see that he has time to chat to the 
 passengers. ' ' 
 
 A few minutes later the captain left the gentleman with 
 whom he was speaking and came along the deck. The 
 Renshaws had made his acquaintance when they first came 
 down to see their cabins. 
 
 "How are you, Mrs. Renshaw?" he said as he came up
 
 30 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 to her. "We have fine weather for our start, have we 
 not? It is a great thing starting fair, as it enables people 
 to settle down and make themselves at home." 
 
 "I have been chatting with the Miss Mitf ords, captain; 
 they are in the cabin with my daughter. They tell me 
 that they are under your special charge." 
 
 "Yes, they are among the number of my responsibil- 
 ities," the captain said, smiling. 
 
 "They naturally feel rather lonely on board from hav- 
 ing no lady with them, and have expressed their willing- 
 ness to put themselves under my charge if you will sanc- 
 tion it. It will be pleasant both for them and my 
 daughter, and they can sit down with us at meals, and 
 make a party together to work or read on deck." 
 
 "I shall be extremely glad, Mrs. Eenshaw, if you will 
 accept the responsibility. A captain's hands are full 
 enough without having to look after women. There are 
 four or five single ladies on board, on all of whom I have 
 promised to keep a watchful eye, and I shall be delighted 
 to be relieved of the responsibility of two of them. " 
 
 So the matter was arranged, and going down into the 
 cabin a few minutes before the bell rang for dinner, the 
 party succeeded in getting the places they desired. Mr. 
 Atherton was next to the chief officer. Wilfrid sat next 
 to him, Marion between her brother and Mrs. Eenshaw, 
 and Mr. Eenshaw next. The two Aliens faced Mr. Ather- 
 ton and Wilfrid; the Miss Mitf ords came next, facing 
 Marion and her mother. A Captain Pearson and his wife 
 were next to the Mitf ords, while a civil engineer, Mr. 
 Halbrook, occupied the vacant seatrnext to Mr. Eenshaw. 
 Once seated, the Eenshaws speedily congratulated them- 
 selves on the arrangements that they had made as they 
 saw the hesitating way in which the rest of the passen- 
 gers took their places, and the looks of inquiry and doubt
 
 31 
 
 they cast at those who seated themselves next to them. 
 For a time the meal was a silent one, friends talking to- 
 gether in low voices, but nothing like a general conversa- 
 tion being attempted. At the first officer's end of the 
 table, however, the sound of conversation and laughter 
 began at once. 
 
 "Have you room, Miss Kenshaw? or do you already 
 begin to regret your bargain?" 
 
 "I have plenty of room, thank you," Marion replied. 
 "I hope that you have enough?" 
 
 "Plenty," Mr. Atherton answered. "I have just been 
 telling your brother that if he finds I am squeezing him 
 he must run his elbow into my ribs. Let me see, Mr. 
 Ryan ; it must be three years since we sat together. ' ' 
 
 "Just about that, "the mate replied with a strong Irish 
 accent. "You went with us from Japan to Singapore, 
 did you not?" 
 
 "That was it, and a rough bout we had of it in that 
 cyclone in the China Seas. You remember that I saved 
 the ship then?" 
 
 "How was that, Mr. Atherton?" Wilfrid asked. 
 
 The first officer laughed. "Mr. Atherton always took 
 a deal more credit to himself than we gave him. When 
 the cyclone struck the ship and knocked her right down 
 on her beam-ends, he happened to be sitting up to wind- 
 ward, and he always declared that if it hadn't been for 
 his weight the ship "would never have righted itself." 
 
 There was a general laugh at the mate's explanation. 
 
 "I always plant myself to windward in a gale," Mr. 
 Atherton said gravely. "Shifting ballast is a most useful 
 thing, although they have abolished it in yacht-racing. 
 I was once in - a canoe, down by Borneo, when a heavy 
 squall struck us. I was sitting in the bottom of the boat 
 when we saw it coming, and had just time to get up and
 
 32 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 sit on the weather gunwale when it struck us. If it had 
 not been for me nothing could have saved the boat from 
 capsizing. As it was it stood up as stiff as a roc?, though 
 I own I nearly drowned them all when the blow was over, 
 for it stopped as suddenly as it began, and the boat as 
 nearly as possible capsized with my weight. Indeed it 
 would have done so altogether if it hadn't heeled over so 
 sharply that I was chucked backward into the sea. For- 
 tunately the helmsman made a grab at me as I went past, 
 and I managed to scramble on board again. Not that I 
 should have sunk, for I can float like a cork ; but there 
 are a good many sharks cruising about in those waters, 
 and it is safer inside a boat than it is out. You see, Miss 
 Renshaw, there are advantages in being stout. I should 
 not wonder if your brother got just my size one day. 
 My figure was very much like his once." 
 
 "Oh, I hope not!" Marion exclaimed. "That would be 
 dreadful! No; I don't mean that, "she went on hurriedly, 
 as Mri Atherton's face assumed an expression of shocked 
 surprise. "I mean that, although of course there may 
 be many advantages in being stout, there are advantages 
 in being thin too." 
 
 "I admit that,"Mr. Atherton agreed; "but look at the 
 disadvantages. A stout man escapes being sent trotted 
 about on messages. Nobody would think of asking him 
 to climb a ladder. He is not expected to dance. The 
 thin man is squeezed into any odd corner; and is not 
 treated with half the consideration that is given to a fat 
 man. He worries about trifles, and has none of the quiet 
 contentment that characterizes stout people. A stout 
 man's food always agrees with him, or else he would not 
 be stout, while the thin man suffers indigestion, dyspep- 
 sia, and perhaps jaundice. You see, my dear young 
 lady, that almost all the advantages are on our side. Of
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 33 
 
 coarse you will say I could not climb a ladder, but then 
 I do not want to climb a ladder. I could not make the 
 ascent of Matterhorn ; but it is much more pleasant to sit 
 at the bottom and see fools do it. I could not very well 
 ride a horse unless it were a dray horse ; but then I have 
 no partiality for horse exercise. Altogether I think I 
 have every reason to be content, I can travel wherever I 
 like, see whatever I want to see, and enjoy most of the 
 good things of life." 
 
 "And hould your own in a scrimmage," Mr. Ryan put 
 in, laughing. "I can answer for that." 
 
 "If I am pushed to it, " Mr. Atherton said modestly, 
 "of course I try to do my best." 
 
 "Have you seen Mr. Atherton in a scrimmage?" Tom 
 Allen asked the mate. 
 
 "I have; and a sharp one it was while it lasted. " 
 
 "There is no occasion to say anything about it, Ryan," 
 Mr. Atherton said hastily. 
 
 "But no reason in life why I should not, " the mate 
 replied. "What do you say, ladies and gentlemen?" 
 
 There was a chorus of "Go on, please, do let us hear 
 about" it, " and he continued: 
 
 "I don't give Mr. Atherton the credit of saving our 
 ship in the squall ; but it would have gone badly with us 
 if he hadn't taken part in the row we had. You see, we 
 had a mixed crew on board, for the most part Chinamen 
 and a few Lascars ; for we were three years in the China 
 Seas, and English sailors cannot well stand the heat out 
 there, and besides don't like remaining in ships stopping 
 there trading. So when, after we arrived at Shanghai, 
 we got orders to stop and trade out there, most of them 
 took their discharge, and we filled up with natives. 
 Coming down from Japan that voyage there was a row. 
 I forget what their pretext was now, but I have no doubt
 
 34 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 it \va8 an arranged thing, and that they intended to take 
 the ship and run her ashore on some of the islands, take 
 what they fancied out of her, and make off in boats, or 
 perhaps take her into one of those nests of pirates that 
 abound among the islands. 
 
 "They felt so certain of overpowering us, for there 
 were only the three officers, the boatswain, and two cabin 
 passengers, that instead of rising by night, when they 
 would no doubt have succeeded, they broke into~mutiny 
 at dinner-time came aft in a body, clamoring that their 
 food was unfit to eat. Then suddenly drawing weapons 
 from beneath their clothes they rushed up the gangway 
 on to the poop ; and as none of us were armed, and had 
 no idea of what was going to take place, they would have 
 cut us down almost without resistance had it not been 
 for our friend here. He was standing just at the top of 
 the poop ladder when they came up, headed by their sera- 
 ing. Mr. Atherton knocked the scoundrel down with a 
 blow of his fist, and then, catching him by the ankles, 
 whirled him round his head like a club and knocked the 
 fellows down like ninepins as they swarmed up the gang- 
 way, armed with knives and creases. 
 
 "The captain, who was down below, had slammed and 
 fastened the door opening on to the waist on seeing the 
 fellows coming aft, and handed up to vis through the sky- 
 light some loaded muskets, and managed, by standing on 
 the table and taking our hands, to get up himself. Then 
 we opened fire upon them, and in a very few minutes 
 drove them down. "We shot six of them. The seraing 
 of course was killed, four of the others had their skulls 
 fairly broken in by the blows that they had received, 
 and five werfc knocked senseless. We chucked them 
 down the hatchway to the others, had up four or five of 
 the men to work the ship, and kept the rest fastened
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 35 
 
 below until we got to Singapore and handed them over to 
 the authorities. They all got long terms of penal servi- 
 tude. Anyhow, Mr. Atherton saved our lives and the 
 ship, so I think you will agree with me that he can hold 
 his own in a scrimmage. ' ' 
 
 "It was very hot work," Mr. Atherton said with a 
 laugh, "and I did not get cool again for two or three 
 days afterward. The idea of using a man as a club was 
 not my own. BeJzoni put down a riot among his Arab 
 laborers, when he was excavating ruins somewhere out 
 in Syria,! think it was, by knocking the ringleader down 
 and using him as a club. I had been reading the book 
 not long before, and it flashed across my mind as the 
 seraing went down that he might be utilized. Fists are 
 all very well, but when you have got fellows to deal with 
 armed with knives and other cutting instruments it is 
 better to keep them at a distance if you can." 
 
 "That was splendid!" Wilfrid exclaimed. "How I 
 should like to have seen it!" 
 
 "It was good for the eyes," the mate said; "and bate 
 Donny brook entirely. Such a yelling and shouting as 
 the yellow reptiles made you never heard." 
 
 By this time the meal was finished, and the passengers 
 repaired on deck to find that the ship was just passing 
 Sheerness. 
 
 "Who would have thought," Wilfrid said to his sister 
 as he looked at Mr. Atherton, who had taken his seat in 
 a great Indian reclining chair he had brought for his own 
 use, and was placidly smoking a cigar, "that that easy, 
 placid, pleasant-looking man could be capable of such a 
 thing as that! Shouldn't I like to have been there!" 
 
 "So should I, "Marion agreed; "though it must have 
 been terrible to look at. He doesn't look as if anything 
 would put him out. I expect Samson was something
 
 36 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 like him, only not so stout. He seems to have been very 
 good-tempered except when people wanted to capture 
 him ; and was always ready to forgive that horrid woman 
 who tried to betray him to his enemies. Well, every- 
 thing is very nice much nicer than I expected and I 
 feel sure that we shall enjoy the voyage very much."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 37 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 IN addition to those already named, the Flying Scud 
 carried some twenty other cabin passengers. She took 
 no emigrants forward, as she was full of cargo, and was 
 not, moreover, going direct to New Zealand. There were 
 therefore only three or four young men in addition to 
 the Grimstones forward. The fine weather that had 
 favored the start accompanied them dow.n the channel and 
 across the bay. Life went on quietly on board. It was 
 early in May when they started ; and the evenings were 
 still too chilly to permit of any sojourn on deck after 
 sunset. Each day, however, the weather grew warmer, 
 and by the time the vessel was off the coast of Portugal 
 the evenings were warm and balmy. 
 
 "This is not at all what I expected," Marion Kenshaw 
 said, as she sat in a deck-chair, to Mr. Atherton, who 
 was leaning against the bulwark smoking a cigar. "I 
 thought we were going to have storms, and that every 
 one was going to be seasick. That is what it is like in 
 all the books I have read; and I am sure that I have not 
 felt the least bit ill from the time we started." 
 
 "You have had everything in your favor. There has 
 been just enough breeze to take us along at a fair rate 
 with all our light canvas set, and yet not enough to cause 
 more than a ripple on the sea. The ship has been as 
 steady as if in port; but you must not flatter yourself 
 this is going to last all the time. I think we shall have
 
 38 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 a change before long. The glass has fallen a little, and 
 the wind has shifted its quarter two or three times during 
 the day. The sky, too, does not look so settled as it has 
 done. I think we shall have a blow before long." 
 
 "What! A storm, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "No, I don't say that; but wind enough to get up a 
 bit of sea, and to make landsmen feel very uncomfort- 
 able." 
 
 "But I suppose we should not be ill now even if it w^re 
 rough, after being a week at sea?" 
 
 "I do not think you would be likely to be ill so long as 
 you might have been had you encountered a gale directly 
 we got out of the river, but I think that if it comes on 
 rough all those addicted to seasickness are likely to suffer 
 more or less. Some people are ill every time rough 
 weather comes along, however long the voyage. I sup- 
 pose you don't know yet whether you are a good sailor 
 or not?" 
 
 Marion shook her head. "We have been at the seaside 
 almost every year, but we have never gone out in boats 
 much there. Papa was always too busy to go, and I 
 don't think he likes it. Mother gets a bad headache, 
 even if she isn't ill. So I very seldom went out, and 
 never when it was the least rough." 
 
 Mr. Atherton 's predictions turned out well founded. 
 The wind got up during the night and was blowing 
 freshly in the morning, and only two or three of the lady 
 passengers made their appearance at breakfast; and sev- 
 eral of the gentlemen were also absent. Wilfrid, to his 
 great satisfaction, felt so far no symptoms whatever of 
 impending illness. The two Aliens were obliged to keep 
 on deck during the meal, being unable to stand the 
 motion below; but they were well enough to enjoy the 
 cup of tea and plate of cold meat Wilfrid carried up to
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 39 
 
 them. An hour or two later they went below. The 
 wind was rising and the sea hourly getting up. Marion 
 came up after breakfast, and for some time afterward 
 walked up and down on the deck with Wilfrid, enjoying 
 the brisk air, and considering it great fun to try to walk 
 straight up and down the swaying deck. Presently, 
 however, her laugh became subdued and her cheeks lost 
 their color. 
 
 "'I am afraid I am going to be ill, Wilfrid; but I shall 
 stay on deck if I can. Both the Mitfords are ill, I am 
 sure, for neither of them got up, though they de 
 that they felt nothing the. matter with them. I Lave 
 made up my mind to stay on deck as long as I possibly 
 can." 
 
 "That is the best way," Mr. Atherton said as he 
 joined them in their walk, and caught the last sentence. 
 "There is nothing like keeping up as long as possible; 
 because if you do so it will sometimes pass off after a 
 short time, whereas if you give up and take to your berth 
 it is sure to run its course, which is longer or shorter 
 according to circumstances sometimes two days and 
 sometimes five ; but I should say that people who are 
 what you may call fair sailors generally get over it in 
 two days, unless the weather is very bad. So fight 
 against it as long as you can, and when you cannot bear 
 it any longer I will wrap you up in rugs, and you shall 
 have my great chair to curl up in close by the lee bul- 
 wark. But determination goes a long way, and you may 
 get over it yet. You take my arm, you. won't throw me 
 off my balance ; while if the vessel gives a sharper roll 
 than usual, you and your brother may both lose your 
 feet together. " 
 
 As soon as they started on their walk Mr. Atherton 
 began an amusing story of some adventure of his in the
 
 40 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Western States of America, and Marion was so interested 
 that she forgot all about her uncomfortable sensation, 
 and was astonished when on hearing the lunch-bell ring 
 she discovered she was getting perfectly well. 
 
 "Where is Wilfrid?" she asked. 
 
 "There he is, leaning over the lee bulwark; the fiend 
 of seasickness has him in its grip." 
 
 "Only think of Wilfrid being unwell and me being all 
 right! You have quite driven it away, Mr. Atherton, for 
 I was feeling very poorly when I began to walk with 
 you." 
 
 "I will go down and get you some luncheon and bring 
 it up here to you. Curl yourself up in my chair until I 
 return, and do not think more about the motion than 
 you can help. You had better not go near your brother 
 people who are ill hate being pitied." 
 
 An hour later Wilfrid went below. In the evening, 
 however, the wind dropped considerably, and the next 
 morning the sea was sparkling in the sunlight, and the 
 Flying Scud was making her way along with a scarcely 
 perceptible motion. Thenceforth the weather was de- 
 lightful throughout the voyage to Rio. The passengers 
 found upon closer acquaintance that they all got on well 
 together, and the days passed away pleasantly. In the 
 evenings the piano was brought up from the cabin on to 
 the deck, and for two or three hours there was singing, 
 varied by an occasional dance among the young people. 
 
 From the day of their leaving England Mr. Atherton 
 had been the leading spirit on board the ship. If a mis- 
 understanding arose he acted as mediator. He was ever 
 ready to propose pastimes and amusements to lighten the 
 monotony of the voyage, took the leading part in the 
 concerts held on deck when the evenings were calm and 
 clear, and was full of resource and invention. With the
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 41 
 
 four or five children on board he was a prime favorite, 
 and Mr. Renshaw often wondered at the patience and 
 good temper with which he submitted to all their whims, 
 and was ready to give up whatever he was doing to sub- 
 mit himself to their orders. He had, before they had 
 been ten days at sea, talked over with Mr. Renshaw the 
 latter's plans, and advised him upon no account to be in 
 a hurry to snap up the first land offered to him. 
 
 "Half the people who come out to the colonies," he 
 said, "get heavily bit at first by listening to the land 
 agents, and allowing themselves to be persuaded into 
 buying property which, when they come to take posses- 
 sion of it, is in a majority of the cases almost worthless. 
 I should advise you when you get there to hire a house 
 in Wellington, where you can leave your wife and daugh- 
 ter while you examine the various districts and see which 
 offer the greatest advantages. If you do not feel equal 
 to it yourself, let your son go in your place. He is, I 
 think, a sharp young fellow, and not likely to be easily 
 taken in. At any rate, when he has made his report as 
 to the places that seem most suitable, you can go and see 
 their relative advantages before purchasing. 
 
 "There is no greater mistake than buying land in a 
 locality of which you know nothing. You may find that 
 the roads are impracticable, and that you have no means 
 of getting your produce to market, and after awhile you 
 will be glad to sell your place for a mere song, and shift 
 to another, which you might at first have obtained at a 
 price much lower than you gave for your worthless farm. 
 1 have knocked about in the States a good deal, and have 
 known scores of men ruined by being too hasty in mak- 
 ing a choice. You want to be in a colony six months at 
 least before investing your money in land, so as to know 
 something of the capabilities and advantages of each
 
 42 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 district. To a young man I should say travel about in 
 the colony, working your way, and making a stay of a 
 month here and a month there. Of course in your case 
 this is out of the question ; but a personal examination 
 of the places offered to you, which in nine cases out of 
 ten men are ready to sell for less than they have cost 
 them, will insure you against absolute swindling." 
 "What are you going to do yourself, Mr. Atherton?" 
 "I have come out simply to study the botany of the 
 island. I may stay in the colony for a month or for a 
 year. At any rate, if you depute "Wilfrid to travel about 
 to examine the various districts where land can be 
 bought, I shall be glad to accompany him, as I myself 
 shall also be on the lookout. " 
 
 "You are not thinking of farming, Mr. Atherton?" 
 "No. My own idea is to take a bit of land on one of 
 the rivers, to get up a hut to serve as my headquarters, 
 and to spend much of my time in traveling about. I am 
 very fortunately placed. I have ample funds to enable 
 me to live in comfort, and I am free to indulge my fancy 
 for wandering as I please. I consider that I have been 
 spoiled by being my own master too young. I think it 
 is bad for a young man to start in life with a competence ; 
 but when it comes to one in middle age, when one has 
 learned to spend it rationally, it is undoubtedly a very 
 great comfort and advantage. I suppose, however, that 
 the time will come when I shall settle down. I am 
 thirty-five, and I ought to 'range myself,' as the French 
 say." 
 
 Mr. Atherton had not been long upon the voyage when 
 he discovered that the chances of success of the Renshaw 
 party as settlers would be small indeed if they depended 
 upon the exertions of the head of the family. He had 
 not been more than a day or two on board before Mr.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 43 
 
 Benshaw began to discuss his favorite hobby with him, 
 a"nd confided to him that he intended thoroughly to in- 
 vestigate the history, customs, and religion of the Maoris, 
 and to produce an exhaustive work on the subject. "An 
 excellent idea, very," the stout man said encouragingly, 
 "but one demanding great time and investigation; and 
 perhaps, " he added doubtfully, "one more suited to a 
 single man, who can go and live among the natives and 
 speak their language, than for a married man with a 
 family to look after." 
 
 Mr. Kenshaw waved the remark aside lightly. "I 
 shall, of course, set to work immediately I arrive to ac- 
 quire a thorough knowledge of the language, and indeed 
 have already begun with a small dictionary and a New 
 Testament in the Maori language, brought out by the 
 Missionary Society. As to my family, my exertions in 
 the farming way will be of no use whatever to them. 
 My wife and daughter will look after the house, and Wil- 
 frid will undertake the management of the men out of 
 doors. The whole scheme is theirs, and I should be of 
 no assistance to them whatever. My bent lies entirely 
 in the direction of archaeology, and there can be little 
 doubt that my thorough acquaintance with all relating 
 to the habits, and, so far as is known, of the language of 
 the ancient Britons, Saxons, Danes and the natives of 
 the northern part of the island, will be of inestimable 
 advantage in enabling me to carry out the subject I have 
 resolved to take up. There are analogies and similarities 
 between the habits of all primitive peoples, and one 
 accustomed to the study of the early races of Europe can 
 from a general opinion of the habits and mode of living 
 of a tribe merely from the inspection of an ancient 
 weapon or two, a bracelet, and a potsherd." 
 
 Mr. Atherton looked down upon his companion with
 
 44 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 half-closed eyes, and seemed to be summing him up 
 mentally ; after a short conversation he turned away, and 
 as he filled his pipe muttered to himself: "It is well for 
 the family that the mother seems a capable and sensible 
 woman, and that the lad, unless I am mistaken, has a 
 dogged resolution about him as well as spirit and cour- 
 age. The girl, too, is a bright, sensible lass, and they 
 may get on in spite of this idiot of a father. However, 
 the man shows that he possesses a certain amount of 
 sense by the confidence with which he throws the burden 
 of the whole business of providing a living for the family 
 on their shoulders. 
 
 "Of course they would be much better without him, 
 for I can foresee he will give them an awful lot of trouble. 
 He will go mooniug away among the natives, and will be 
 getting lost and not heard of for a tremendous time. 
 Still, I don't know that he will come to much harm. 
 The Maoris have fine traits of character, and though 
 they have been fighting about what they call the king 
 question, they have seldom been guilty of any acts of 
 hostility to isolated settlers, and a single white man 
 going among them has always been received hospitably ; 
 beside, they will probably think him mad, and savages 
 have always a sort of respect for madmen. Still, he will 
 be a terrible worry to his family. I have taken a fancy 
 to the others, and if I can do them a good turn out there 
 in any way I will. " 
 
 As the voyage went on Mr. Atherton's liking for Mrs. 
 Eenshaw, her son and daughter, increased greatly, while 
 his contempt for Mr. Renshaw became modified as he 
 came to know him better. He found that he was really a 
 capable man in his own particular hobby, and that 
 although weak and indecisive he was very kind and affec- 
 tionate with his wife and children, and reposed an almost 
 childlike confidence in his wife's good sense.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 45 
 
 Madeira had been sighted, lying like a great cloud on 
 the horizon, and indeed the young Renshaws had diffi- 
 culty when they came up on deck in the morning in be- 
 lieving that it was really land they saw. No stay was 
 made here, nor did they catch a glimpse of the Canary 
 Islands, being too far to the west to see even the lofty 
 peak of Teneriffe. - The first time the ship dropped 
 anchor was at St. Jago,one of the Cape de Verde Islands; 
 here they took in a supply of fresh water, meat, and 
 vegetables. The passengers all landed, but were much 
 disappointed with the sandy and uninteresting island, 
 and it was no consolation for them to learn from the cap- 
 tain that parts of the island were much more fertile, 
 although the vegetables and fruit came for the most part 
 from the other islands. "Now," he said, "if all goes 
 well you Will see no land again till you get to Bio. We 
 shall keep to the east of St. Paul, and unless we get 
 blown out of our course we shall not go near Ascension. " 
 
 As the wind continued favorable the ship kept her 
 course, and at twelve o'clock one day the captain, after 
 taking his observations, told them that he expected to be 
 in Rio on the following evening. The next morning 
 when they came up on deck land was in sight, and in the 
 evening they dropped anchor in the harbor of Rio, one 
 of the finest ports in the world. 
 
 "Yes, it is a splendid harbor," Mr. Atherton agreed, 
 as he listened to the exclamations of delight of the Ren- 
 shaws. "I do not know that it is the finest, but it is 
 certainly equal to any I have ever seen. As a harbor 
 New York is better, because even more landlocked. San 
 Francisco is, both in that respect and in point of scenery, 
 superb. Bombay is a grand harbor, but exposed to cer- 
 tain winds. Taken altogether, I think I should give 
 palm to Safi Francisco."
 
 46 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 A few minutes after the anchor had dropped a number 
 of shore boats came alongside, filled with luscious fruit, 
 and rowed for the most part by negroes, who chatted and 
 shouted and gesticulated, making such a din that it was 
 impossible to distinguish a single word amid the uproar. 
 Wilfrid, the Aliens, and others quickly ran down the 
 ladders, and without troubling themselves to bargain 
 returned with quantities of fruit. Several negresses soon 
 followed them on to the deck, and going up to the ladies 
 produced cards and letters testifying that they were good 
 washerwomen and their terms reasonable. The captain 
 had the evening before told them it would take him three 
 or four days to discharge his cargo for Eio, and that 
 they had better take advantage of the opportunity if they 
 wanted any washing done. They had, therefore, got 
 everything in readiness, and in a few minutes numerous 
 canvas bags filled with linen were deposited in the boats. 
 In addition to the fruit several great bouquets of gor- 
 geous flowers had been purchased, and the cabin that 
 evening presented quite a festive appearance. After it 
 became dark and the lights of Kio sparkled out, all 
 agreed that the scene was even more beautiful than by 
 daylight. The air was deliciously balmy and soft, the 
 sea as smooth as glass. The moon was nearly full, and 
 the whole line of the shore could be distinctly seen. 
 Boats flitted about between the vessels and the strand ;- 
 fishing-boats, with their sails hanging motionless, slowly " 
 made their way in by the aid of oars. The sounds of 
 distant music in the city came across the water. 
 
 There was no singing or dancing on board the Flying 
 Scud that evening. All were content to sit quiet and 
 enjoy the scene, and such conversation as there was was 
 carried on in low tones, as if they were under a spell 
 vhich they feared to break. The next morning all went
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 47 
 
 ashore soon after breakfast ; but upon their assembling at 
 dinner it was found that the general impression was one 
 of disappointment. It was a fine city, but not so fine as 
 it looked from the water. Except the main thorough- 
 fares the streets were narrow, and, as the ladies declared, 
 dirty. The young people, however, were not so critical; 
 .they had been delighted with the stir and movement, the 
 bright costumes, the variety of race and color, and the 
 novelty of everything they saw. 
 
 "The negroes amuse me most," Marion said. "They 
 seem to be always laughing. I never saw such merry 
 people. ' ' 
 
 "They are like children," her father said. "The 
 slightest thing causes them amusement. It is one of the 
 signs of a low type of intellect when people are given to 
 laugh at trifles." 
 
 "Then the natives ought to be very intelligent," Marion 
 said, "for as a whole they appeared to me to be a serious 
 race. Of course I saw many of them laughing and chat- 
 tering, but most of them are very quiet in manner. The 
 old people seem to be wrinkled in a wonderful way. I 
 never- saw English people so wrinkled." 
 
 "All southern races show age in that way," Mr. 
 Atherton said. "You see marvelous old men and women 
 in Spain and Italy. People who, as far as looks go, 
 might be a hundred and fifty little dried-up specimens of 
 humanity, with faces more like those of monkeys than 
 men." 
 
 "Are the negroes slaves, Mr. Atherton? They still 
 have slavery in Brazil, do they not? They certainly are 
 not at all according to my idea of slaves." 
 
 "The estates are mostly worked by negro slaves," Mr. 
 Atherton said, "and no doubt man}' of those you saw 
 to-day are also slaves. Household slavery is seldom
 
 * MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 severe, ana Believe the Brazilians are generally kind 
 masters. But ^robably the greater portion of the negroes 
 you saw are free. They may have purchased their free- 
 dom with their savings, or may have been freed by kind 
 masters. It is no very unusual thing for a Brazilian at 
 his death to leave a will giving freedom to all his slaves. 
 Government is doing its best to bring about the entire 
 extinction of slavery. I believe that all children born 
 after a certain date have been declared free, and have no 
 doubt that in time slavery will be abolished. Great 
 changes like this take some time to carrj' out, and even 
 for the sake of the slaves themselves it is better to pro- 
 ceed quietly and gradually. I suppose nobody inclines 
 to go on shore again to-night?" 
 
 There was a general negative. The day had been very 
 warm, and having been walking about for hours, no one 
 felt any inclination to make a fresh start. The following 
 morning the vessel began to unload her cargo. Some of 
 the older passengers declared that they had had enough 
 of shore, and should not land at any rate until the after- 
 noon. The rest went ashore; but the greater part of 
 them returned at lunch time, and the heat in the after- 
 noon was so great that none cared to land again. 
 
 In the evening the two Aliens and Wilfrid agreed to go 
 ashore to visit a theater. Mr. Atherton said that as he 
 had no inclination to melt away all at once he would not 
 join them, but would land with them and stroll about for 
 a time, and see the town in its evening aspect. Several 
 other parties were made up among the male passengers, 
 and one or two of the ladies accompanied their husbands. 
 
 Wilfrid and the Aliens did not stay out the perform- 
 ance. The heat was very great, and as they did not 
 understand a word of the dialogue they soon agreed that
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 49 
 
 it would be more pleasant to stroll about, or to sit down 
 in the open air before a cafe and sip iced drinks. 
 
 Accordingly, after walking about for awhile they sat 
 down before a cafe in the Grand Square, and as they 
 sipped iced lemonade looked on with much amusement at 
 the throng walking up and down. 
 
 "It is later than I thought," James Allen said, looking 
 at his watch. "It is nearly twelve o'clock, and high 
 time for us to be on board." 
 
 they started to make what they thought would prove a 
 short cut down to the landing place; but as usual the 
 short cut proved delusive, and they soon found them- 
 selves wandering in unknown streets. They asked 
 several persons they met the way down to the water, but 
 none of them understood English, and it was a consider- 
 able time before they emerged from the streets on to the 
 line of quays. 
 
 "We are erer so much too far to the right, " James 
 Allen said as they looked round. "I fancy that is the 
 ship's light not far from the shore half a mile away on 
 the left. I hope we shall find some boatmen to take us 
 off; it would be rather awkward finding ourselves here for 
 the night in a place where no one understands the lan- 
 guage." 
 
 "I think we should manage all right," Wilfrid said. 
 "We know the way from the place where we landed up 
 into the part where the hotels are, and are sure to find 
 people there who understand English. Still I hope it 
 will not come to that. They would be in a great fidget 
 on board if we were not to turn up to-night. ' ' 
 
 "I do not think they would be alarmed," James Allen 
 replied. "Every one is in bed and asleep long ago, and 
 we should be on board in the morning before the steward 
 went to our cabin and found that we were missing. I
 
 50 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 consider we are quite safe in that respect, but Atherton 
 might be doing something if he found we did not come 
 back." 
 
 "He might do something, perhaps," "Wilfrid said; 
 "but I am quite sure he would not alarm my father and 
 mother about it. He is the last sort of fellow to do that. "
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 51 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A EOW ON SHORE. 
 
 WHILE Wilfrid and the Aliens were talking they were 
 walking briskly in the direction of their landing-place. 
 They had arrived within a hundred yards of it when a 
 party of four men who were lying among a pile of timber 
 got up and came across toward them. They were rough- 
 looking fellows, and James Allen said, "I do not like the 
 look of these chaps. I think they mean mischief. Look 
 out!" As he spoke the men rushed at them. James 
 Allen gave a loud shout for help, and then struck a blow 
 at a man who rushed at him. The fellow staggered 
 backward, and with a fierce exclamation in Portuguese 
 drew a knife. A moment later Allen received a sharp stab 
 on the shoulder, and was knocked to the ground. The 
 other two after a short struggle had also been over- 
 powered and borne down,but in their case the robbers 
 had not used their knives. 
 
 They were feeling in their pockets when the step of a 
 man approaching at full speed was heard. One of the 
 robbers was about to run off, when another exclaimed : 
 "You coward! It is but one man, which means more 
 booty. Out with your knives and give him a taste of 
 them as he comes up!" A moment later the man ran up. 
 The leader stepped forward to meet him, knife in hand; 
 but as he struck his wrist was grasped, and a tremendous
 
 5? MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 blow was delivered in his face, hurling him stunned and 
 bleeding to. the ground. With a bound the newcomer 
 threw himself upon two of the other men. Grasping 
 them by their throats he shook them as if they had been 
 chldren, and then dashed their heads together with such 
 tremendous force that when he loosened his grasp both 
 fell insensible on the ground. The other robber took to 
 his heels at the top of his speed. All this had passed so 
 quickly that the struggle was over before Wilfrid and the 
 Aliens could get to their feet. 
 
 "Not hurt, I hope?" their rescuer asked anxiously. 
 
 "Why, Mr. Atherton, is it you?" Wilfrid exclaimed. 
 "You arrived at a lucky moment indeed. No, I am not 
 hurt that I know of, beyond a shake." 
 
 "Nor I," Bob Allen said. 
 
 "I have got a stab in my shoulder," James Allen an- 
 swered. "I don't know that it is very deep, but I think 
 it is bleeding a good deal, for I feel very shaky. That 
 fellow has got my watch, ' ' and he pointed to the man 
 who had been first knocked down. 
 
 "Look in his hand, Wilfrid. He won't have had time 
 to put it in his pocket. If you have lost anything else 
 look in the other fellows' hands or on the ground close 
 to them." 
 
 He lifted James Allen, who was now scarcely able to 
 stand, carried him to the wood pile, and seated him on a 
 log with his back against another. Then he took off his 
 coat and waistcoat and tore open his shirt. "It is nothing 
 serious, " he said. "It is a nasty gash and is bleeding 
 freely, but I dare say we can stop that ; I have bandaged 
 up plenty of worse wounds in my time." He drew the 
 edge of the wound together, and tied his handkerchief 
 and that of Wilfrid tightly round it. "That will do for 
 the present," he said. "Now I will carry you down to
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 53 
 
 the boat," and lifting the young fellow up as though he 
 were a feather he started with him. 
 
 "Shall we do anything with these fellows, Mr. Ather- 
 tou?" Wilfrid asked. 
 
 "No, leave them as they are; what they deserve is to 
 be thrown into the sea. I dare say their friend will 
 come back to look after them presently." 
 
 In a couple of minutes they arrived at the landing- 
 place, where two men were sitting in a boat. 
 
 "But how did you come to be here, Mr. Atherton?" 
 Wilfrid asked when they had taken their seats. 
 
 "I came to look after you boys, Wilfrid. I got on 
 board about eleven, and on going down to the cabin 
 found you had not returned, so I thought I would smoke 
 another cigar and wait up for you. At twelve o'clock 
 the last party returned, and as I thought you might have 
 some difficulty in getting on board after that, I got into 
 the boat and rowed ashore, and engaged the men to wait 
 as long as I wanted them. I thought perhaps you had 
 missed your way, and did not feel uneasy about you, for 
 there being three of you together it was scarcely likely 
 you had got into any bad scrape. I was beginning at 
 last to think you had perhaps gone to an hotel for the 
 night, and that it was no use waiting any longer, when I 
 heard your voices coming along the quays. The night 
 is so quiet that I heard your laugh some distance away, 
 and recognized it. I then strolled along to meet you, 
 when I saw those four fellows come out into the moon- 
 light from a shadow in the wood. I guessed that they 
 were up to mischief, and started to run at once, and was 
 within fifty yards of you when I saw the scuffle and 
 caught the glint of the moon on the blade of a knife. 
 Another five or six seconds I was up, and then there wai 
 an end of it. Now we are close to the ship. Go up as
 
 54 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 quietly as you can, and do not make a noise as you go 
 into your cabins. It is no use alarming people. I will 
 carry Jim down." 
 
 "I can walk now, I think, Mr. Athertou." 
 "You might do so, but you won't, my lad; for if you 
 did you would probably start your wound bleeding 
 afresh. You two had best take your shoes off directly 
 you get on deck." 
 
 James Allen was carried down and laid on his berth. 
 Mr. Atherton went and roused the ship's doctor, and 
 then lighted the lamp in the cabin. 
 
 ''What is all this about?" the surgeon asked as he 
 came in. 
 
 "There has been a bit of a scrimmage on shore," Mr. 
 Atherton replied; "and, as you see, Allen has got a deep- 
 ish slash from the shoulder down to the elbow. It has 
 been bleeding very freely, and he is faint from loss of 
 blood; but I do not think it is serious at all." 
 
 "No, it is a deep flesh wound, " the doctor said, examin- 
 ing him; "but there is nothing to be in the slightest 
 degree uneasy about. I will get a bandage from my 
 cabin, and some lint, and set it all right in five minutes." 
 When the arm was bandaged Mr Atherton said: 
 "Now I must get you to do a little plastering for me, 
 doctor." 
 
 "What ! are you wounded, Mr. Atherton?" the others 
 exclaimed in surprise. 
 
 "Nothing to speak of, lads; but both those fellows 
 made a slash at me as I closed with them. I had but 
 just finished their leader, and could do no more than 
 strike wildly as I turned upon them." As he spoke he 
 was taking off his waistcoat and shirt. 
 
 "By Jove, you have had a narrow escape!" the doctor 
 said; "and how you take it so coolly I cannot make out.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 55 
 
 Except as to the bleeding, they are both far more serious 
 than Allen's." 
 
 One of the wounds was in the left side, about three 
 inches below the arm. The man had evidently struck at 
 the heart, but the quickness with which Mr. Atherton 
 had closed with him had disconcerted his aim ; the 
 knife had struck rather far back, and glancing behind 
 the ribs had cut a deep gash under the shoulder-blade. 
 The other wound had been given by a downright blow at 
 the right side, and had laid open the flesh from below the 
 breast down to the hip. 
 
 "It is only a case for plaster," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "It is useful to have a casing of fat sometimes. It is 
 the same thing with a whale you have got to drive a 
 harpoon in very deep to get at the vitals. You see this 
 wound in front has bled very little. ' ' 
 
 "You have lost a good deal of blood from the other 
 cut," the surgeon said. "I will draw the edges of the 
 wounds together with a needle and thread, and will then 
 put some bandages on. You will have to keep quiet for 
 some days. Your wounds are much too serious to think 
 of putting plaster on at present. ' ' 
 
 ' ( I have had a good deal more serious wounds than 
 these," Mr. Afcherton said cheerfully, "and have had to 
 ride seventy or eighty miles on the following day. How 
 ever, I will promise you not to go ashore to-morrow ; and 
 as the captain says he expects to be off the next morning, 
 I shall be able to submit myself to your orders without 
 any great privation. " 
 
 "Why did you not say that you were wounded, Mr. 
 Atherton?" Wilfrid said reproachfully as they went to 
 their own cabin and prepared to turn in. 
 
 "To tell you the truth, Wilfrid, I hardly thought the 
 wounds were as deep as they are. My blood was up, you
 
 56 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 see, and when that is the case you are scarcely conscious 
 of pain. I felt a sharp shooting sensation on both sides 
 as I grasped those fellows by the throat, and afterward I 
 knew I was bleeding a bit at the back, for I felt the 
 warmth of the blood down in my shoe ; but there was 
 nothing to prevent my carrying young Allen, and one 
 person can carry a wounded man with much more ease to 
 him than two can do, unless of course they have got a 
 stretcher. ' ' 
 
 The next morning there was quite a stir in the ship 
 when it was known that two of the passengers were 
 wounded, and Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw were greatly 
 alarmed when they heard of the risk Wilfrid had run. 
 Neither of the wounded men appeared at breakfast, as 
 the surgeon insisted that both should lie quiet for at 
 least one day. Mr. Eensahw had paid a visit to Mr. 
 Atherton directly he had heard from Wilfrid his story 
 of the fray, and thanked him most warmly for his inter- 
 vention on behalf of his son. "Wilfrid said he has very 
 little doubt that they all three would have been stabbed 
 if you had not come up." 
 
 "I do not say they might not," Mr. Atherton said, 
 "because their resistance had raised the men's anger; 
 and in this country when a man is angry he generally 
 uses his knife. Besides, dead men raise no alarm. Still 
 they might have contented themselves with robbing 
 them. However, I own that it was lucky I was on the 
 spot." 
 
 "But it was not a question of luck at all," Mr. Een- 
 shaw insisted. "You were there because you had 
 specially gone ashore to look after these foolish young 
 fellows, and your being there was the result of your own 
 though tfulness for them, and not in any way of chance." 
 
 "There is quite a crowd on the quay, Mr. Renshaw,"
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 57 
 
 the captain said when that gentleman went on deck. 
 "I suppose they have found stains of blood in the road, 
 and conclude that a crime has been committed. Oh, 
 here is our boat putting out from the landing-place. 
 The steward has been on shore to get fresh fruit for 
 breakfast; he will tell us what is going on." 
 
 The steward had gone ashore before the news of the 
 encounter had been spread by the surgeon. 
 
 "What is the excitement about on shore?" the captain 
 asked him as he stepped on deck. 
 
 "Well, sir, as far as I could learn from a chap who 
 spoke a little English, there have been bad doings on 
 shore in the night. Two men were found this morning 
 lying dead there. There is nothing uncommon about 
 that ; but they say there are no wounds on them except 
 that their skulls are stove in, as if they had both been 
 struck by a beam of wood at the back of the head. But 
 besides that there were two or three pools of blood in 
 the road. It seems one man walked back into the town, 
 for there are marks of his feet as if he stepped in the 
 blood before starting in that direction. Then there is a 
 line of blood spots down to the landing-place and down 
 the steps, as if somebody had got into a boat. Nobody 
 seems to make head or tail of the business." 
 
 "Well, we must keep this quiet if we can," the captain 
 said, turning to Mr. Kenshaw. "If it were known that 
 any of our people were concerned in this affair they 
 might keep us here for three weeks or a month while it 
 is being investigated, or insist upon Mr. Atherton and 
 your son and the Aliens remaining behind as witnesses. 
 Mr. Byan, " he called to the first mate, "just come here 
 a moment. This matter is more serious than we thought. 
 It seems that Mr. Atherton, who, as we have heard, 
 dashed the heads of two of these fellows together, killed 
 them on the spot. ' '
 
 58 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Sure and I thought as much when young Allen was 
 telling me about it," the mate said. "I have seen Mr. 
 Atherton at work before this, and I thought to myself 
 that unless those fellows' skulls were made of iron, and 
 thick at that, they must have gone in when he brought 
 them together." 
 
 "The worst of it is," the captain went on, "they have 
 traced marks of blood down to the landing-stage, and of 
 course have suspicion that some one concerned in the 
 affair took a boat, and either came off to one of the ships 
 or went away in one of the fishing craft. You know 
 what these fellows are ; if they find out that any one on 
 board is mixed up in the matter they will keep the ship 
 here for a month." 
 
 "That is true enough, sir. It is mighty lucky we 
 would be if we got away in a month." 
 
 "The first thing is to see about the boatmen," the 
 captain said. "Of course if they tell the authorities they 
 brought a wounded man on board here late last night 
 there is an end of it; but if they hold their tongues, and 
 we all keep our own counsel, the thing may not leak out 
 to-day, and we will have our anchor up and get out this 
 evening if we can. You had better tell all the crew that 
 not a word is to be said about the matter, and I will im- 
 press the same on the passengers. When they know that 
 a careless word may lead to a month's detention, you 
 may be sure there will be no talking. But before you 
 speak to them I will go down and see Mr. Athertou, and 
 hear what he says about the boatmen." He returned in 
 two or three minutes. "I hope it will be all right," he 
 said. "Atherton gave them a pound apiece, and told 
 them to hold their tongues. He thinks it is probable 
 they will do so, for they would know well enough that 
 they would, as likely as not, be clapped into prison and
 
 M : 1 ORI AND SETTLER. 59 
 
 kept there while the investigation was going on. So 
 there is a strong hope that it "may not leak out through 
 them. You must stop all leave ashore, Mr. Eyan. Tell 
 the men whose turn it is to go they shall have their 
 spree at Buenos Ayres. If they were to get drunk, it 
 would be as likely as not to slip out." 
 
 "I will see to it, sir." 
 
 Directly breakfast was over the captain took a boat 
 and went ashore. He had duly impressed upon all the 
 passengers the absolute necessity for silence, and several 
 of these went ashore with him. He returned half an 
 hour later, having been up to the British Consulate. 
 
 "The affair is making quite a stir in the town. Not on 
 account of two men being found dead, there is nothing 
 uncommon in thtit, especially as they have been recog- 
 nized as two notorious ruffians; but the whole circum- 
 stances of the affair puzzle them. 
 
 "The doctors who have examined the bodies have 
 arrived pretty well at the truth, and say that both men 
 have been gripped by the throat, for the marks of the 
 fingers .are plainly visible, and their heads dashed to- 
 gether. But although this is, as we know, perfectly 
 true, no one believes it; for the doctors themselves admit 
 that it does not appear to them possible that any man 
 would have had the strength requisite to completely batter 
 in the skulls of two others, as has been done in this case. 
 The police are searching the town for the man whose 
 footsteps led in that direction, and as they know all the 
 haunts of these ruffians and their associates it is likely 
 enough that they will find him, especially as his face is 
 sure to bear marks of Atherton's handiwork. Still, if 
 they do find him, and he tells all he knows of the busi- 
 ness, they Vv'ill not be much nearer to tracing the actors 
 in it to this ship. It is not probable that he recovered his
 
 60 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 senses until long after they were on board the boat, and 
 can only say that while engaged in attempting to rob 
 some passers-by he was suddenly knocked down. But 
 even this they are not likely to get out of him first, for 
 he will know that he used a knife, and is not likely to put 
 himself in the way of punishment if he can help it. I 
 came off at once, because I heard at the consulate that 
 the police are going to search every ship in the harbor to 
 see if they can find some wounded man, or get some clew 
 to the mystery, so I must ask the doctor if his two 
 patients are fit to be dressed and go up on deck. ' ' 
 
 The doctor on being consulted said that he should 
 certainly have preferred that they should have remained 
 quiet all day, but he did not know that it would do them 
 any harm to get on deck for a bit. And accordingly in 
 half an hour Mr. Atherton and James Allen came up. The 
 doctor, who had assisted them to dress, accompanied 
 them. 
 
 "Now, Mr. Atherton, you had better seat yourself in 
 that great deck chair of yours with the leg rest. If you 
 sit there quietly reading when they come on board they 
 are not likely to suspect you of being a desperate char- 
 acter, or to appreciate your inches and width of shoul- 
 der. Allen had better sit quiet till they get alongside, 
 and then slip that sling into his pocket and walk up and 
 down talking to one of the ladies, with his thumb in his 
 waistcoat so as to support his arm. He looks pale and 
 shaky ; but they are not accustomed to much color here, 
 and he will pass well enough." 
 
 As soon as Mr. Atherton had taken his seat Mrs. Een- 
 shaw and Marion came up to him. "How can we thank 
 you enough, Mr. Atherton, for the risks you have run to 
 succor Wilfrid, and for your kind consideration in going 
 on shore to wait .for him?"
 
 MAORI ASD SETTLKR. (51 
 
 "It was nothing, Mrs. Renshaw. I own to enjoying a 
 scrimmage when I can go into one with the feeling of 
 being in the riglit. You know that I ana a very lazy 
 man, but it is just your lazy men who do enjoy exerting 
 themselves occasionally." 
 
 "It was grand!" Marion broke in; "and you ought not 
 to talk as if it was nothing, Mr. Atherton. Wilfrid said 
 that he thought it was all over with him till he saw a big 
 man flying down the road." 
 
 "A perfect colossus of Rhodes!" Mr. Atherton laughed. 
 
 "It is not a thing to joke about, " Marion went on 
 earnestly. "It may seem very little to you, Mr. Ather- 
 ton, but it is everything to us." 
 
 "Don't you know that one always jokes when one is 
 serious, Miss Reushaw ? You know that in church any 
 little thing that you would scarcely notice at any other 
 time makes you inclined to laugh. Some day in the far 
 distance, when you become a woman, you will know the 
 truth of the saying, that smiles and tears are very close 
 to each other. " 
 
 "I am getting to be a woman now," Marion said with 
 some dignity ; for Mr. Atherton always persisted in 
 treating her as if she were' a child, which, as she was 
 nearly seventeen, was a standing grievance to hr. 
 
 "Age does not make a woman, Miss Renshaw. I saw 
 you skipping three days ago with little Kate Mitford 
 and your brother and young Allen, and you enjoyed it as 
 much as any of them." 
 
 "We were trying which could keep up the longest," 
 Marion said; "Wilfred and I against the other two. 
 You were looking on, and I believe you would have liked 
 to have skipped too." 
 
 "I think I should," Mr. Atherton agreed. "You 
 young people do not skip half as well as we used to when
 
 62 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 I was a boy ; and I should have given you a lesson if I 
 had not been afraid of shaking the ship's timbers to 
 pieces." 
 
 "How absurd you are, Mr. Atherton!" Marion said 
 pettishly. "Of course you are not thin, but you always 
 talk of yourself as if you were something monstrous." 
 
 Mr. Atherton laughed. His diversion had had the 
 desired effect, and had led them away from the subject 
 of the fight on shore. 
 
 "There is a galley putting off from shore with a lot of 
 officials on board," the captain said, coming up at this 
 moment. "They are rowing to the next ship, and I sup- 
 pose they will visit us next." 
 
 A quarter of an hour later the galley came alongside, 
 and three officials mounted the gangway. The captain 
 went forward to meet them. "Is there anything I can 
 do for you, gentlemen?" 
 
 "There has been a crime committed on shore," the 
 leader of the party said, "and it is suspected that some 
 of those concerned in the matter are on board one of the 
 ships in the harbor. I have authority to make a strict 
 search on board each." 
 
 "You are perfectly welcome to do so, sir," the captain 
 said. "One of our officers will show you over the ship." 
 
 "I must trouble you to show me your list of passengers 
 and crew, and to muster the men on deck. But first I 
 must ask you, Did any of your boats return on board 
 late?" 
 
 "No," the captain replied. "Our last boat was hauled 
 up to the davits at half-past nine. There was a heavy 
 day 's work before the men to-day, and I therefore refused 
 leave on shore. " 
 
 The men were ordered to be mustered, and while they 
 Were collecting the second mate went round the ship
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 63 
 
 with the officials, and they saw that no one was below in 
 his berth. The men's names were called over from the 
 list, and the officials satisfied that all were present and in 
 good health. 
 
 "Now for the passengers," he said. 
 "I cannot ask them to muster," the captain observed, 
 "but I will walk round with you and point out those on 
 the list. There are some eight or ten on shore. Ihey 
 will doubtless be off to lunch ; and if you leave an officer 
 on board he will see that they are by no means the sort 
 of people to take part in such an affair as that which has 
 happened on shore." 
 
 The officials went round the deck, but saw nothing 
 whatever to excite their suspicion. Marion Kenshaw was 
 laughing and talking with Mr. Atherton, Miss Mitford 
 walking up and down the poop in conversation with 
 James Allen. After they had finished their investiga- 
 tions, the officials left one of their party to inspect the 
 remaining passengers as they came on board, and to 
 check them off the list. They then again took their seats 
 in the galley and were rowed to the next ship. 
 
 By dint of great exertions the cargo was got out by 
 sunset, the sails were at once loosened and the anchor 
 weighed, and before the short twilight had faded away 
 the Flying Scud was making her way with a gentle 
 breeze toward the mouth of the harbor. 
 
 "We are well out of that, "Mr. Atherton said as he 
 looked back at the lights of the city. 
 
 "I think you are very well out of it indeed, in more 
 senses than one," said the surgeon, who was standing 
 next to him; "but you have had a wonderfully close 
 ahave of it, Mr. Atherton. Another inch and either of 
 those blows might have been fatal. Besides, had you 
 been detained for a month or six weeks, it is as likely as
 
 64 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 not that, what with the heat and what with the annoy- 
 ance, your wound would have taken a bad turn. Now, 
 you must let me exercise my authority and order you to 
 your berth immediately. You ought not to have been 
 out of it. Of the two evils, getting up and detention, I 
 chose the least; but I should be glad now if you would 
 go off at once. If you do not, I can assure you I may 
 have you on my hands all the rest of the voyage." 
 
 "I will obey orders, doctor. The more willingly 
 because for the last hour or two my back has been smart- 
 ing unmercifully. I do not feel the other wound much. " 
 "That is because you have been sitting still. You 
 will find it hurt you wken you come to walk. Please go 
 down carefully ; a sudden movement might start your 
 wounds again." 
 
 It was two or three days before Mr. Atherton again 
 appeared on deck. His left arnc was bandaged tightly to 
 his body so as to prevent any movement of the shoulder- 
 blade, and he walked stiffly to the deck-chair, which had 
 been piled with cushions in readiness. 
 
 "I am glad to be out again, Mrs. Eenshaw, " Mr. Ather- 
 ton said as she arranged the cushions to suit him. 
 "Your husband, with Wilfrid and the two Aliens, have 
 kept me company, one or other of them, all the time, so 
 I cannot say I have been dull. But it was much hotter 
 below than it is here. However, I know the doctor was 
 right in keeping me below, for the slightest movement 
 gave me a great deal of pain. However, the wounds are 
 going on nicely, and I hope by the time we get to Buenos 
 Ayres I shall be fit for a trip on shore again." 
 
 "I hardly think so, Mr. Atherton; for if the weather 
 continues as it is now it is a nice steady breeze, and we 
 have been running ever since we left Rio I think we 
 shall be there long before you are fit to go ashore."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 65 
 
 "I do not particularly care about it, "Mr. Atberton 
 said "Buenos Ayres is not like Rio, but it is for the 
 most part quite a modern town, and even in situation has 
 little to recommend it. Besides, we shall be so far off 
 that there will be no running backward and forward be- 
 tween the ship and the shore as there was at Rio. Of 
 course, it depends a good deal on the amount of water 
 coming down the river, but vessels sometimes have to 
 anchor twelve miles above the town." 
 
 "I am sure I have no desire to go ashore," Mrs. Ren- 
 shaw said, "and after the narrow escape Wilfrid had at 
 Rio I should be glad if he did not set foot there again 
 until we arrive at the end of the voyage." 
 
 "He is not likely to get into a scrape again," Mr. 
 Atherton said. "Of course, it would have been wiser not 
 to have stopped so late as they did in a town of whose 
 ways they knew nothing; but you may be sure he will 
 be careful another time. Besides, I fancy from what I 
 have heard things are better managed there, and the 
 population are more peaceable and orderly than at Rio. 
 But, indeed, such an adventure as that which befell them 
 might very well have happened to any stranger wander- 
 ing late at night in the slums of any of our English 
 seaports. " 
 
 There was a general feeling of disappointment among 
 the passengers when the Flying Scud dropped anchor in 
 the turbid waters of the La Plata. The shore was some 
 five or six miles away, and was low and uninteresting. 
 The towers and spires of the churches of Buenos Ayres 
 were plainly visible, but of the town itself little could be 
 seen. As soon as the anchor was dropped the captain's 
 gig was lowered, and he started for shore to make ar- 
 rangements for landing the cargo. 
 
 The next morning a steam tug brought out several flats.
 
 66 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 and the work of unloading commenced. A few pas- 
 sengers went ashore in the tug, but none of the Ren- 
 ehaws left the ship. Two days sufficed for getting out the 
 goods for Buenos Ayres. The passengers who had been 
 staying at hotels on shore came off with the last tug to 
 the ship. Their stay ashore had been a pleasant one, and 
 they liked the town, which, in point of cleanliness and 
 order, they considered to be in advance of Eio.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 67 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A BOAT EXPEDITION. 
 
 "WELL, I am not sorry we are off again," Marion Ren- 
 shaw said, as the men ran round with the capstan bars 
 and the anchor came up from the shallow water. "What 
 a contrast between this and Rio!" 
 
 "It is, indeed," Mr. Atherton, who was standing 
 beside her, replied, "I own I should have liked to spend 
 six months in a snug little craft going up the La Plata 
 and Parana, especially the latter. The La Plata runa 
 through a comparatively flat and I will not say unfertile 
 country, because it is fertile enough, but a country 
 deficient in trees, and offering but small attraction to a 
 botanist; but the Parana flows north. Paraguay is a 
 .country but little visited by Europeans, and ought to be 
 well worth investigation; but, as you say, I am glad 
 enough to be out of this shallow water. In a short time 
 we shall be looking out our wraps again. W r e shall want 
 our warmest things for doubling Cape Horn, or rather 
 what is called doubling Cape Horn, because in point of 
 fact we do not double it at all." 
 
 "Do you mean we do not go round it?" Marion asked 
 in surprise. 
 
 "We may, and we may not, Miss Renshaw. It will 
 depend upon the weather, I suppose ; but most vessels 
 now go through the strait which separates Cape Horn 
 itself from Tierra del Fuego. "
 
 66 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "That is the Strait of Magellan, is it not?" 
 
 "Oh, no!" Mr. Atherton replied. "The Strait of 
 Magellan lies still further to the north, and separates Tierra 
 del Fuego from the mainland. I wish that we were going 
 through it, for I believe the scenery is magnificent." 
 
 "But if it lies further north that must surely be our 
 shortest Avay, so why should we not go through it?" 
 
 "If we were in a steamer we might do so, Miss Ren- 
 shaw; but the channel is so narrow and intricate, and 
 the tides and currents run with such violence that sailing 
 vessels hardly ever attempt the passage. The strait we 
 shall go through lies between Tierra del Fuego and the 
 group of islands of which the Horn is the most south- 
 erly." 
 
 "Is the country inhabited?" 
 
 "Yes, by races of the most debased savages, with 
 whom, I can assure you, I have no desire whatever to 
 make any personal acquaintance." 
 
 "Not even to collect botanical specimens, Mr. Ather- 
 ton?" the girl asked, smiling. 
 
 "Not even for that purpose, Miss Renshaw. I will do 
 a good deal in pursuance of my favorite hobby, but I 
 draw the line at the savages of Tierra del Fuego. Very 
 few white men have ever fallen into their hands and lived 
 to tell the tale, and certainly I should have no chance 
 whatever. ' ' 
 
 "Whj' would you have less chance than other people, 
 Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "My attractions would be irresistible," Mr. Atherton 
 replied gravely. "I should furnish meat for a whole 
 tribe." 
 
 "How horrible!" Marion exclaimed. "What! are 
 they cannibals?" 
 
 "Very much so indeed; and one can hardly blame
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 69 
 
 them, for it is the only chance they have of getting flesh. 
 Their existence is one long struggle with famine and cold. 
 They are not hunters, and are but pooi fishermen. I 
 firmly believe that if I were in their place I should be a 
 cannibal myself." 
 
 "How can you say such things?" Marion asked indig- 
 nantly. "I never know whether you are in earnest, Mr. 
 Atherton. I am sure you would never be a cannibal." 
 
 "There is no saying what one might be if one were 
 driven to it," he replied placidly. "Anyhow, I trust 
 that I shall never be driven to it. In my various journey- 
 ings and adventures I am happy to say that I have never 
 been forced to experience a prolonged fast, and it is one of 
 the things I have no inclination to try. This weather is 
 perfection, is it not?" he went on, changing the subject. 
 "The Flying Scud is making capital way. I only hope 
 it may last. It is sad to think that we shall soon ex- 
 change these balmy breezes for a biting wind. We are 
 just saying, "Wilfrid," he went on as the lad strolled up 
 to them, "that you will soon have to lay aside your white 
 flannels and put on a great coat and muffler." 
 
 "I shall not be sorry," "Wilfrid replied. "After a 
 month of hot weather one wants bracing up a bit, and I 
 always enjoy cold." 
 
 "Then you should have gone out and setted in Iceland 
 instead of New Zealand." 
 
 "I should not have minded that, Mr. Atherton. There 
 is splendid fishing, I believe, and sealing, and all that sort 
 of thing. But I do not suppose the others would have 
 liked it. I am sure father would not. He cannot bear 
 cold, and his study at home used aways to be kept up at 
 almost the temperature of an oven all the winter. I 
 should think New Zealand would exactly suit him." 
 
 Before the sun set they had the satisfaction of sailing
 
 70 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 out of the muddy water of the La Plata, and of being 
 once more in the bright blue sea. For the next week the 
 Flying Scud sailed merrily southward without adventure. 
 The air grew sensibly cooler each day, and the light gar- 
 ments of the tropics were already exchanged for warmer 
 covering. 
 
 "Do you always get this sort of weather down here, 
 captain?" Mrs. Renshaw asked. 
 
 "Not always, Mrs. Renshaw. The weather is gen- 
 erally fine, I admit, but occasionally short but very 
 violent gales sweep down from off the land. They are 
 known as pamperos; because, I suppose, they come from 
 the pampas. They are very dangerous from the extreme 
 suddenness with which they sweep down. If they are 
 seen coming, and the vessel can be stripped of her canvas 
 in time, there is little danger to be apprehended, for 
 they are as short as they are violent." 
 
 "We have been wonderfully fortunate altogether so 
 far," Mrs. Renshaw said. "We have not had a single 
 gale since we left England. I trust that our good luck 
 will continue to the end. ' ' 
 
 "I hope so too," the captain said. "I grant that a 
 epell of such weather as we have been favored with is apt 
 to become a little monotonous, and I generally find my 
 passengers have a tendency after a time to became snap- 
 pish and quarrelsome from sheer want of anything to 
 occupy their minds. Still I would very much rather put 
 up with that than with the chances of a storm." 
 
 "People must be very foolish to get out of temper be- 
 cause everything is going on well," Mrs. Eenshaw said. 
 "I am sure I find it perfectly delightful sailing on as we 
 do." 
 
 "Then you see, madam, you are an indefatigable 
 worker. I never see your hands idle ; but to people who
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 71 
 
 do not work, a long voyage of unbroken weather must, 
 I can very well understand, be monotonous. Of course 
 with us who have duties to perform it is different. I 
 have often heard passengers wish for what they call a 
 good gale, but I have never heard a sailor who has once 
 experienced one express such a wish. However stanch 
 the ship, a great gale is a most anxious time for all con- 
 cerned in the navigation of a vessel. It is, too, a time of 
 unremitting hardship. There is but little sleep to be 
 had; all hands are constantly on deck, and are contin- 
 ually wet to the skin. Great seas sweep over a ship, and 
 each man has literally his life in his hand, for he may at 
 any moment be torn from his hold and washed over- 
 board, or have his limbs broken by some spar or hen-coop 
 or other object swept along by the sea. It always makes 
 me angry when I hear a passenger express a wish for a 
 gale, in thoughtless ignorance of what he is desiring. 
 If a storm comes we must face it like men; and in a good 
 ship like the Flying Scud, well trimmed and not over- 
 laden, and with plenty of sea-room, we may feel pretty 
 confident /as to the result; but that is a very different 
 thing from wishing to have one." 
 
 By the time they were a fortnight out from Buenos 
 Ayres, Mr. Atherton and James Allen were both off the 
 sick list; indeed the latter had been but a week in the 
 doctor's hands. The adventure had bound the little 
 party more closely together than before. The Aliens had 
 quite settled that when their friends once established 
 themselves on a holding, they would, if possible, take 
 one up in the neighborhood ; and they and the young 
 Benshaws often regretted that Mr. Atherton was only a 
 bird of passage, and had no intention of fixing himself 
 permanently in the colony. The air had grown very much 
 colder of late, and the light clothes they had worn in the
 
 72 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 tropics had already been discarded, and in the evening 
 all -were glad to put on -warm wraps when they came on 
 deck. 
 
 "I think, " the captain said as Mr. Renshaw came up 
 for his customary walk before breakfast, "we are going 
 to have a change. The glass has fallen a good deal, and 
 I did not like the look of the sun when it rose this morn- 
 ing. " 
 
 "It looks to me very much as usual," Mr. Renshaw 
 replied, shading his eyes and looking at the sun, "except 
 perhaps that it is not quite so bright." 
 
 "Not so bright by a good deal," the captain said. 
 "There is a change in the color of the sky it is not so 
 blue. The wind has fallen too, and I fancy by twelve 
 o'clock there will be a calm. Of course we cannot be 
 surprised if we do have a change. We have had a splen- 
 did spell of weather, and we are getting into stormy 
 latitudes now." 
 
 "When the passengers went up after breakfast they 
 found that the Flying Scud was scarcely moving through 
 the water. The sails hung idly against the masts, and 
 the yards creaked as the vessel rose and fell slightly on 
 an almost invisible swell. 
 
 "This would be a good opportunity," the captain said 
 cheerfully, "to get down our light spars; the snugger we 
 are the better for rounding the Horn. Mr. Ryan, send 
 all hands aloft, and send down all spars over the top- 
 mast. ' ' 
 
 The crew swarmed up the rigging, and in two hours 
 the Flying Scud was stripped of the upper yards and 
 lofty spars. 
 
 "She looks very ugly," Marion Renshaw said. "Do 
 you not think so, Mary?" 
 
 "Hideous," Mary Mitford agreed.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 73 
 
 "She is in fighting trim now, " Mr. Atherton said. 
 
 "Yes, but who are we going to fight." ' Marion 
 asked. 
 
 ''We are going to have a skirmish with the weather, I 
 fancy, Miss Renshaw. I don't say we are going to have 
 a storm," he went on as the girls looked anxiously up at 
 the sky, "but you can see for yourselves that there is a 
 change since yesterday. The wind has dropped and the 
 sky is dull and hazy, the sea looks sullen, the bright 
 little waves we were accustomed to are all gone, and as 
 you see by the motion of the vessel there is an under- 
 ground swell, though we can scarcely notice it on the 
 water. ' ' 
 
 "Which way do you think the wind will come from, 
 Mr. Atherton?" Mary Mitford asked. 
 
 "I fancy it will come from the west, or perhaps north- 
 west. Look at those light streaks of cloud high up in 
 the air; they are traveling to the southeast." 
 
 "Look how fast they are going," Mary Mitford said 
 as she looked up, "and we have not a breath of wind 
 here. '.' 
 
 "We shall have it soon," Mr. Atherton said. "You 
 see that dark line on the water coming up from the west. 
 I am glad to see it. It is very much better to have the 
 wind freshen up gradually to a gale than to lie becalmed 
 until it strikes you suddenly." 
 
 The girls stood at the poop-rail watching the sailors 
 engaged in putting lashings on to every movable object 
 on deck. In ten minutes the dark line came up to them, 
 and the Flying Scud began to move through the water. 
 The courses were brailed up and stowed. The wind 
 rapidly increased in strength, and the captain presently 
 requested the passengers to go below, or at any rate to 
 give up their seats.
 
 74: MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "There is nothing like having the deck cleared," he 
 said. "If it comes on to blow a bit and there is any 
 movement, the chairs would be charging about from side 
 to side, and will not only break themselves up, but per- 
 haps break some one's leg." 
 
 Four sailors folded up the chairs, piled them together, 
 and passing cords over them lashed them to two ringbolts. 
 
 "Now, Mr. By an, we will get the topsails reefed at 
 once. There is a heavy bank there to windward, and we 
 had best get everything as snug as possible before that 
 comes up to us." 
 
 The dark bank of mist rose rapidly, and the sailors had 
 but just reached the deck after closely reefing the topsails 
 before it was close upon them. 
 
 "Now, ladies, please go below," the captain said 
 sharply. "There is rain as well as wind in the clouds; it 
 will come down in bucketfuls when it does come." 
 
 This had the desired effect of sending most of the male 
 passengers down as well as the ladies. A few remained 
 near the companion ready to make a dive below when 
 the squall struck them. Suddenly the wind ceased and 
 the topsails flapped against the masts. There was a con- 
 fused roaring sound astern, and a broad white line came 
 along at race-horse speed toward the vessel. 
 
 "Get below, lads," Mr. Athertonsaid as he led the way 
 "or you will be drenched in a moment." 
 
 They had but just reached the cabin when there was a 
 deafening roar overhead, and almost at the same moment 
 the vessel started as if struck by a heavy blow. 
 
 "Kain and wind together!" Mr. Atherton shouted in 
 reply to the chorus of questions from those below. 
 "Now, all you have got to do is to make yourselves com- 
 fortable, for there will be no going up again for some 
 time."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 75 
 
 For five minutes the tremendous downpour continued, 
 and then ceased as suddenly as it commenced. The wind 
 had dropped too ; and the silence after the uproar was 
 startling. It lasted but a few seconds ; then the wind 
 again struck the ship with even greater force than before, 
 although, as she had not lost her way, the blow was less 
 felt by those below. In five minutes the captain came 
 below with his oilskin coat and sou'wester streaming with 
 wet. 
 
 "I have just looked down to tell you," he said cheer- 
 fully, "that everything is going on well. The first burst 
 of these gales is always the critical point, and we can con- 
 gratulate ourselves that we have got through it without 
 losing a spar or sail thanks to our having had sufficient 
 warning to get all snug, and to the gale striking us 
 gradually. I am afraid you won't have a very comfort- 
 able time of it for the next day or two ; but there is 
 nothing to be at all uneasy about. The gale is off the 
 land, and we have sea-room enough for anything. Now 
 we have got rid of half our cargo the ship is in her very 
 best trim, and though we may get her decks washed a 
 bit by and by, she will be none the worse for that." 
 
 So saying he again went up on deck. For the next 
 three days the gale blew with fury. There were no reg- 
 ular meals taken below, for the vessel rolled so tremen- 
 dously that nothing would have remained on the plates 
 and dishes; and the passengers were forced to content 
 ^themselves with biscuit, with an occasional cup of coffee 
 or basin of soup that the cook managed to warm up for 
 them. The ladies for the most part kept their cabins, as 
 did many of the male passengers, and the absence of 
 regular meals was the less felt as the majority were suf- 
 ering from seasickness. Wilfrid was occasionally ill, but 
 managed to keep up, and from time to time went on
 
 76 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 deck for a few minutes, while Marion spent most of her 
 time on a seat at the top of the companion, looking out 
 on the sea. 
 
 It was a magnificent sight. Tremendous waves were 
 following the ship, each as it approached lifting her 
 stern high in the air and driving her along at a speed 
 that seemed terrific,' then passing on and leaving her to 
 sink down into the valley behind it. The air was thick 
 with flying spray torn from the crest of the waves. At 
 first it seemed as if each sea that came up behind the ves- 
 sel would break over her stern and drive her headforemost 
 down; but as wave after wave passed without damage 
 the sense of anxiety passed off, and Marion was able to 
 enjoy the grandeur of the sea. "Wilfrid, Mr. Atherton, 
 and the Aliens often came in to sit with her, and to take 
 shelter for a time from the fury of the wind. But talk- 
 ing was almost impossible; the roar of the wind in the 
 rigging, the noise of the waves as they struck the ship, 
 and the confused sound of the battle of the elements 
 being too great to allow a voice to be heard, except when 
 raised almost to shouting point. ' 
 
 But Marion had no inclination for talking. Snugly as 
 Mr. Atherton had wedged her in with pillows and cush- 
 ions, it was as much as she could do to retain her seat, 
 as the vessel rolled till the lower yards almost touched 
 the water, and she was too absorbed in the wild grandeur 
 of the scene to want companionship. 
 
 "The captain says the glass is beginning to rise," Mr. 
 Athertou said as he met her the fourth morning of the 
 gale; "and that he thinks the worst is over." 
 
 "I shall be glad for the sake of the others," Marion 
 replied, "for the sea to go down. Father and mother are 
 both quite worn out; for it is almost impossible for them 
 to sleep, as they might be thrown out of their berths if
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 77 
 
 they did not hold on. For myself, I am in no hurry for 
 the gale to be over, it is so magnificently grand. Don't 
 you think so, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "It is grand, lassie, no donbt, " Mr. Atherton said; 
 "but I have rather a weakness for dry clothes and com- 
 fortable meals to say nothing of being able to -walk or 
 Bit perpendicularly, and not being obliged constantly to 
 hold on for bare life. This morning I feel that under 
 happier circumstances I could enjoy a steak, an Irish 
 stew, and a couple of eggs, but a biscuit and a cup of 
 coffee are all I can hope for. ' ' 
 
 "I believe you enjoy it as much as I do, Mr. Atherton," 
 the girl said indignantly; "else why do you stay upon 
 deck all the time in spite of the wind and spray?" 
 
 "Well, you see, Miss Renshaw, you ladies have an 
 objection to my smoking my pipe below; and beside, 
 what with the groans and moans from the cabins, and 
 the clatter of the swinging trays, and the noise of the 
 waves, and one thing and another, there is little to tempt 
 me to stay below. But really I shall be very glad when 
 it is over. The ship has been doing splendidly; and as 
 the wind has blown from the same quarter the whole 
 time, .the sea though very high is regular, and every- 
 thing is going on well. Still a gale is a gale, and you 
 can never answer for the vagaries of the wind. If it 
 were to veer round to another quarter, for instance, you 
 would in a few hours get a broken sea here that would 
 astonish you, and would try all the qualities of the Fly- 
 ing Scud. Then again we have been running south with 
 tremendous speed for the last three days, and if it were 
 to go on for a few days longer we might find ourselves 
 down among the ice. Therefore, I say, the sooner the 
 gale is over the better I shall be pleased." 
 
 Toward evening there was a sensible abatement in the
 
 78 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 force of the wind, and the following morning the gale 
 had so far abated that the captain prepared to haul his 
 course for the west. 
 
 "We have been runningf south at the rate of fully three 
 hundred miles a day," he said, "and are now very far 
 down. The moment this warm wind drops and we get 
 it from the south you will find that you will need every 
 wrap you have to keep you warm. If the gale had lasted 
 I had made up my mind to try to get her head to it, and 
 to lie to. We are a great deal too close to the region of 
 ice to be pleasant." 
 
 The change in the course of the vessel was by no means 
 appreciated by the passengers, for the motion was very 
 much rougher and more unpleasant than that to which 
 they had now become accustomed. However, by the fol- 
 lowing morning the wind had died awaj r to a moderate 
 breeze, and the sea had very sensibly abated. The 
 topsails were shaken out of their reefs; and although the 
 motion was still violent most of the passengers emerged 
 from their cabins and came on deck to enjoy the sun, 
 which was now streaming brightly through the broken 
 clouds. The captain was in high glee; the ship had 
 weathered the gale without the slightest damage. Not a 
 rope had parted, not a sail been blown away, and the 
 result fully justified the confidence he felt in his ship and 
 her gear. 
 
 "It is a comfort," he remarked, "to sail under liberal 
 owners. Now, my people insist on having their ships as 
 well found as possible, and if I condemn spars, sails, ropes 
 or stays, they are replaced without a question. And it ia 
 the cheapest policy in the long run. There is nothing so 
 costly as stinginess on board a ship. The giving way of 
 a stay may mean the loss of the mast and all its gear, 
 and that may mean the loss of a ship. The blowing away
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER t9 
 
 of a sail at a critical moment may mean certain disaster ; 
 and yet there are many owners who grudge a fathom of 
 new rope or a bolt of canvas, and who will risk the safety 
 of their vessels for the petty economy of a few pounds." 
 The next day the wind had dropped entirely. The 
 topgallant masts were sent up with their yards and sails, 
 and by dinner-time the Flying Scud looked more like 
 herself. As soon as the wind lulled all on board were 
 conscious of a sudden fall of temperature. Bundles of 
 wraps were undone and greatcoats and cloaks got out, and 
 although the sun was still shining brightly the poop of 
 the Flying Scud soon presented a wintry appearance. 
 There was no sitting about now. Even the ladies had 
 abandoned their usual work, and by the sharp walking up 
 and down on deck it was evident that even the warm 
 wraps were insufficient in themselves, and that brisk exer- 
 cise was necessary to keep up the circulation. 
 
 "Well, what do you think of this, Mrs. Renshaw?" Mr. 
 Atherton asked. 
 
 "I like it," she said decidedly; "but it is certainly a 
 wonderfully sudden change from summer to winter. My 
 husband does not like it at all. We never agreed on the 
 subject of temperature. He liked what I call a close 
 study, while I enjoy a sharp walk well wrapped up on a 
 winter's day." 
 
 "I agree with you," Mr. Atherton said. "I can bear 
 any amount of cold, but heat completely knocks me up. 
 But then, you see, the cold never has a chance of pene- 
 trating to my bones." 
 
 "Which course shall we take now, do you suppose? 
 South of Cape Horn or through the Strait?" 
 
 "It will depend upon the winds we meet with, I imag- 
 ine," Mr. Atherton replied. "If the wind continues 
 from the south, I should say the captain would keep well
 
 80 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 south of the Horn ; but if it heads us from the west at 
 all, we may have to go through the Strait, which, per- 
 sonally, I own that I should prefer. It has gone round 
 nearly a point since I came on deck this morning. If it 
 goes round a bit more we certainly shall not be able to 
 lay our course round the Horn, for I do not think we are 
 far to the south of it now. " 
 
 By evening the wind had hauled further to the west, 
 and the ship's head pointed more to the north than it 
 had done in the morning. The passengers enjoyed the 
 change, for the temperature had risen rapidly, and many 
 of the warm wraps that had been got up were laid aside. 
 At twelve o'clock the captain had taken observations, and 
 found that the ship's position was nearly due south of 
 the Falkland Isles. 
 
 "We had a narrow squeak of it, Mr. Ryan," he said to 
 the first mate. "All the time we were running before 
 that gale I had that group of islands on my mind. " 
 
 "So had I, sir," the mate replied. "I was praying all 
 the time that the wind would keep a bit to the west of 
 north, for I knew that when it began our position was, 
 as near as may be, due north of them. I guessed what 
 you were thinking of when you told the man at the wheel 
 to edge away to the east as much as he dared, though 
 that was mighty little." 
 
 "By my reckoning," the captain said, "we could not 
 have passed more than thirty miles to the east of them. 
 We have made about eighty miles of westing since we 
 got on our course, and we are now just on the longitude 
 of the westernmost point of the islands. They are about 
 a hundred miles to the north of us." 
 
 The wind continued from the same quarter, and on 
 taking his observation on the following day the captain 
 announced that if there were no change he reckoned upon
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 81 
 
 just making the mouth of the Strait between Tierra del 
 Fuego and the islands. On going on deck two mornings 
 later land was seen on the port bow. 
 
 "There is Cape Horn," the captain said; "that lofty 
 peak covered with snow. The island nearest to us is 
 Herschel Island. The large island not far from the Horn 
 is Wollaston Island. As you see, there are several others. 
 It is not the sort of place one would like to come down 
 upon in a gale, and if I had had my choice I would rather 
 have gone a hundred miles south of the Horn. But the 
 wind would not allow us to lie that course, and after the 
 gale we had the other day we have a right to reckon upon 
 finer weather, and in light winds it might have taken us 
 another two or three days beating round." 
 
 "The wind is very light now," Mr. Kenshaw remarked. 
 
 "Yes, and lam afraid it will be lighter still presently," 
 the captain said. 
 
 The vessel made but slow way, and in the afternoon 
 the wind dropped altogether. The Flying Scud was now 
 two or three miles from the coast of Tierra del Fuego, 
 and the passengers examined the inhospitable-looking 
 coast through their glasses. At one or two points light 
 wreaths of smoke were seen curling up, telling of en- 
 campments of the natives. 
 
 "I think, Mr. Eyan," the captain said, "I will take 
 her in and anchor in one of the bays. This breath of air 
 might be enough to move her through the water if she 
 were going free, but it is nearly dead ahead of us now. 
 I do n'ot like the idea of drifting all night along this 
 coast. Beside, we may be able to get some fish from the 
 natives, which will be a change for the passengers." 
 
 The vessel's head was turned toward the shore, and 
 now that the light air was well on the beam it sufficed to 
 enable the vessel to steal through the water at the rate
 
 82 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 of about a knot an hour. At about four o'clock the 
 anchor was dropped in a bay at a distance of half a mile 
 from land, the sails were furled, and the passengers 
 watched the shores in hopes that some native craft might 
 make its appearance; but there was no sign of life. 
 
 "Either the. natives have no fish to sell, or rather ex- 
 change," the captain said, "for, of course, money is of 
 no use to them, or they are afraid of us. Maybe they 
 have been massacring some shipwrecked crew, and 
 believe we are a ship-of-war come down to punish them. 
 At any rate they seem determined not to show." 
 
 The next morning the sea was as smooth as glass, and 
 there was not a breath of air. 
 
 "Would you let us have a boat, captain?" Mr. Ather- 
 ton asked. "It will make a pleasant change, and per- 
 haps some of the natives might come off and sell us fish, 
 as they would not be afraid of us as they might be of the 
 ship." 
 
 "Yes, if you like to make up a party, Mr. Atherton, 
 you can have a boat; but you must not land. The 
 natives are very treacherous, and it would not be safe to 
 set foot on shore. Mr. Ryan, will you get the cutter 
 into the water after breakfast? You had better take 
 with you two or three muskets. I do not think there is any 
 fear of an attack, and besides you could out-row the 
 native craft, still it is always as well to be prepared." 
 
 Mr. Atherton soon made up his party. Wilfrid and 
 the two Aliens were delighted at the offer, and Marion 
 and the Miss Mitfords also petitioned to be allowed to 
 go, although Mr. Atherton had not intended to take 
 ladies with him. Two other young men named Hardy 
 and Wilson were also invited to join, and this made up 
 the complement that the cutter could carry in comfort. 
 The crew consisted of six sailors at the oars, and Mr. 
 Ryan himself took the helm.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 83 
 
 "You had better wrap up well," Mr. Atherton said to 
 the girls, "for you will find it cold sitting in a boat. 
 The thermometer must be down near freezing point." 
 
 Mr. Atherton was the last to take his seat, and he 
 brought with him his rifle. 
 
 "Why, what are you going to shoot, Mr. Atherton?" 
 Marion asked. 
 
 "I do not know that I am going to shoot anything," 
 he replied; "but it is always well to be prepared. You 
 see I have made preparations in other ways," he added, 
 as the steward handed him down a large basket, which 
 he placed in the stern sheets. 
 
 "But we are only going for an hour or two, Mr. 
 Atherton," Wilfrid remarked. "We cannot want any- 
 thing to eat when we have only just finished breakfast." 
 
 "I do not think it at all likely we shall want to open 
 the hamper, Wilfrid ; but you see it is always best to be 
 prepared. The weather looks perfectly settled, but, like 
 the natives of these parts, it is treacherous. As I pro- 
 posed this expedition I feel a sort ..of responsibility, and 
 have therefore, you see, taken precautions against every 
 contingency." 
 
 "I do not think there is any chance of a change," Mr. 
 Ryan said. "It looks as if the calm might last for a 
 week. Still, one can never be wrong in preparing for the 
 worst. Beside, this cold weather gives one a wonderful 
 appetite, and a drop of the cratur never comes amiss." 
 
 By this time the boat was fairly away from the ship, 
 and the sailors, who like the passengers regarded the 
 expedition as a pleasant change, stretched out to their 
 oars. The mate steered for the headland to the west, and 
 after passing it kept the boat at a distance of a few hun- 
 dred y ards from the shore. 
 
 "Is there any current here, Mr. Ryan?" Wilfrid asked 
 as he watched the rocks and low stunted trees.
 
 84 JAORl AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Very little, " the mate replied. "Sometimes it iuns 
 very strongly here, but at present it is not much to 
 speak of. I do not think it was running more than a 
 quarter of a mile an hour past the ship, but no doubt 
 there is a good deal more further out. ' ' 
 
 To the disappointment of those on board there were 
 no signs of natives. 
 
 "It will be very tiresome if they do not come out," 
 Marion said. "I want to see a real cannibal." 
 
 "I do not so much care about the cannibals, Miss 
 Renshaw, but I want to see their fish. I have not tasted 
 a really decent fish since I left England ; but in these 
 cold waters they ought to be as good as they are at home. 
 I believe the natives catch them by spearing them by 
 torchlight, and in that case they ought to be good-sized 
 fellows. ' ' The men after the first start had dropped into 
 a long, steady stroke, and as the boat glided along past 
 bay and headland no one paid any attention to time, 
 until the mate, looking at his watch, said : 
 
 "Faith, we have been gone an hour and a half; I clean 
 forgot all about time. I think we had better be turning. 
 It will be dinner-time before we reach the ship as it is." 
 The boat's head was turned. "I think," the mate went 
 on, "we may as well steer from headland to headland, 
 instead of keeping round the bays. It will save a good 
 bit of distance, and the natives evidently do not mean 
 to show themselves." 
 
 "They are very provoking," Miss Mitford said. "I 
 can see smoke among the trees over there, and I have no 
 doubt that they are watching us, although we cannot see 
 them." 
 
 "You ought to have waved your handkerchief as we 
 came along, Miss Mitford," James Allen remarked; "or 
 to have stood up and showed yourselves. They would no
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 85 
 
 doubt have come off then and offered presents in token 
 of admiration." 
 
 The girls laughed. "I do not suppose they would 
 appreciate our charms," Miss Mitford said. "They are 
 not in their line, you see." 
 
 "That they certainly are not, Miss Mitford/' the mate 
 laughed. "I saw some of them the last time I came 
 through here, and hideous-looking creatures they are, 
 and wear no clothes to speak of." 
 
 So laughing and chatting with their eyea fixed on the 
 shore the party never looked seaward, until a sudden 
 exclamation from the mate called their attention to that 
 direction. 
 
 "Be Jabers!" he exclaimed, "here is a sea-fog rolling 
 down on us from the south ! ' ' 
 
 They looked and saw what seemed like a wall of white 
 smoke rolling along the water toward them. At this 
 moment the boat was about halfway between two head- 
 lands, which were a mile and a half apart, and the shore 
 abreast of it was three-quarters of a mile distant. The 
 sun was shining brightly upon the rolling mist, and the 
 girls uttered an exclamation of admiration. 
 
 "How fast it comes!" Marion said. "Why, it will be 
 here directly!" 
 
 The mate put the tiller a-starboard. "Row, men!" he 
 said in a sharp voice ; for they had for a moment ceased 
 to pull. 
 
 "Have you a compass?" Mr. Atherton asked. 
 
 The mate shook his head. "I am no better than an 
 idiot to have come without one," he said. "But who 
 could have dreamed we should want it!" 
 
 A minute later a light wreath of mist crossed the boat, 
 and almost immediately the great fog bank rolled over it. 
 An exclamation broke from several of those on board.
 
 <j- MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 So sudden was the change of temperature that it seemed 
 as if an icy hand had been laid upon them. 
 
 "It is fortunate that we are not far from shore," Mr. 
 Atherton said to the mate. "There is nothing for it but 
 to coast along close in." 
 
 "That is the only thing to do," Mr. Eyan replied. 
 "But it will be an awkward business; for, as we noticed 
 when we came along, the shore is in many places studded 
 with rocks. However, we must risk that, and by going 
 on slowly and carefully we may get off with slight damage 
 even if we hit one. It is not as if the water was rough." 
 
 The fog was so thick that they could scarcely see the 
 ends of the oar-blades. 
 
 "How are we to find the ship?" Marion asked. 
 
 "There will be no difficulty about that, Miss Benshaw. 
 They will be sure to be firing guns as signals for us. 
 There!" he broke off as the boom of a cannon came 
 across the water. "Beside, with the land on our right 
 hand and this icy breeze from the south, we cannot go 
 far out of our way.'* 
 
 "Row easy, men, "the mate commanded. "We cannot 
 be far from shore now, and we must begin to look out 
 sharp for rocks. Row light and aisy, and do not make 
 more noise with your oars than you can help. The 
 natives may be listening for us; and we do not want a 
 shower of spears in the boat. Mr. Allen, will you go 
 forward into the bows, and keep a sharp lookout for 
 rocks?" 
 
 James Allen went forward, and two or three minutes 
 later cried, "Easy all! Hold her up!" Quickly as the 
 order was obeyed the boat's stem grated on the shore 
 before her way was lost. 
 
 "Back her off, lads!" the mate cried. As the boat 
 glided off into deep waiter again there was a yell from the
 
 Maori JEN SPEARS STRUCK THE WATER ROUND HER. Pages?
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 87 
 
 shore, and a dozen spears struck the water round her. 
 Fortunately none of them struck her, for she was invisi- 
 ble to the natives, who had been guided to the spot by 
 the sound of the oars. 
 
 "Not an encouraging reception," Mr. Atherton re- 
 marked quietly. "Well, ladies, you have not seen the 
 cannibals as yet, but you have heard them. I think the 
 best plan, Mr. Eyan, will be to tear up one of these rugs 
 and muffle the oars." 
 
 "I think we may as well do so, " the mate replied. 
 "However, their sharp ears are sure to hear us if we are 
 close in shore, and we dare not go far out or we might 
 lose our bearings altogether." 
 
 "I do not think we can do that. In the first place, 
 you see, there is the breeze that brought down the fog 
 to guide us, and in the second the guns of the ship. We 
 cannot go far wrong with them ; and I should say that 
 when we once get out as far as we believe the headland 
 to lie, the best thing will be to steer direct for the ship. 
 The danger in that way would certainly be far less than 
 it is from rocks and savages if we keep near the shore." 
 
 "I think you are right. We will row straight out 
 against the wind for a quarter of an hour, that will take 
 us clear of the headland, and we will then shape our 
 course direct for the guns. ' '
 
 gg MAORI AMD SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PUTTING IN THE REFIT. 
 
 THE boat rowed steadily in the course that was believed 
 would i:ake them straight out to sea, the mate listening 
 attentively for the sound of the distant guns. The re- 
 ports came up every two or three minutes, their sound 
 muffled by the fog. "Sure it's mighty difficult to tell 
 where the sound comes from, but I think it is well over 
 there on our beam. Do you not think so?" the mate 
 asked Mr. Atherton. 
 
 "I think so; yes, I feel sure that we are rowing nearly 
 due south. Even without the sound of the guns J should 
 feel sure that we cannot at present be far out of that 
 course. I noticed that as we came along you hardly had 
 to use any helm, and that the strength on both sides was 
 very evenly balanced. So that starting out as we did 
 from the shore, we must be traveling pretty straight. 
 Of course in the long run we should be sure to sweep 
 round one way or the other and lose our bearings alto- 
 gether were it not for the guns. Wilfrid, we will appoint 
 you timekeeper." 
 
 "What am I to keep time of, Mr. Atherton?" 
 "You are to keep time of the guns. I think they are fir- 
 ing about every three minutes, but you had better time the 
 first two or three. If you find them three minutes apart, 
 it will be your duty a quarter of a minute before the gun 
 is due to say in a loud voice 'Stop,' then all conversation
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 89 
 
 is to cease till we hear the report. Unless we -are all 
 silent and listening, it is very difficult to judge the 
 exact direction from which the sound comes, and it is 
 important to keep as straight a line as we can. There is 
 the gun now, begin to count." 
 
 "I think we can turn our head in that direction now," 
 the mate said. "It is just twenty minutes since we left 
 the shore, and we ought to be fully a mile out beyond 
 the headland." 
 
 "I quite agree with you. We have certainly a clear 
 course now to the ship if we do not make any blunder in 
 keeping it." 
 
 The mate put the tiller a-starboard. 
 
 "I wonder how long I am to keep it over?" he said. 
 "It is a queer sensation steering without having an idea 
 which way you are going. " 
 
 "The next gun will tell us whether we have gone too 
 far round or not far enough," Mr. Atherton observed. 
 
 "Well, we will try that," the mate said after a short 
 pause. "I should think we ought to have made half a 
 turn now." 
 
 "Stop!" Wilfrid exclaimed a minute later. "Easy 
 rowing, lads, and listen for the gun." 
 
 The mate ordered silence in the boat. Half a minute 
 later the report of the gun was again heard. There was 
 a general exclamation of surprise, for instead of coming, 
 as they expected, from a point somewhere ahead, it 
 seemed to them all that the sound was almost astern of 
 them. 
 
 "Now, who would have thought that?" the mate said. 
 "I had no idea she had gone round so far. Well, we 
 must try again, and go to work more gently this time. 
 Bow on, men!" 
 
 The tiller was put slightly a-port, and the boat con-
 
 90 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 tinued her way. The talk that had gone on among the 
 passengers was now hushed. Mr. Atherton had been 
 chatting gayly with the girls from the time the fog came 
 on, and except at the moment when they went ashore and 
 were attacked by the natives, no uneasiness had been 
 felt, for the sound of the guns had seemed to all an as- 
 surance that there could be no difficulty in rejoining the 
 ship. The discovery that for a moment they had been 
 actually going away from the ship had, for the first time 
 since they rowed away from the shore, caused a feeling 
 of real uneasiness, and when Wilfrid again gave notice 
 that the report would soon be heard, all listened intently, 
 and there was a general exclamation of satisfaction Avhen 
 the sound was heard -nearly ahead: 
 
 "We have got it now," the mate said. "Row on, 
 lads ; a long, steady stroke and we shall be in before 
 dinner is cold yet." 
 
 The conversation now recommenced. 
 
 "Is it any use my stopping here any longer?" Jim 
 Allen cried from the bow ; "because if not I will come aft 
 to you. It is a good deal warmer sitting together than 
 it is out here by myself." 
 
 "Yes, you may as well come aft, " the mate replied. 
 "As long as we keep the guns ahead we know that we 
 are clear of rocks. It certainly has come on bitterly 
 cold." 
 
 There was a general chorus of assent. 
 
 "I should think it would be a good thing, Kyan, to get 
 the sail aft and unlash it from the gaff and put it over 
 our legs; it will make a lot of difference in the warmth." 
 
 "I think that that is a very good idea," the mate as- 
 sented. "Lay in your oar for a minute, Johnson, and 
 get that sail aft." 
 
 The sail was passed aft, unlashed from the yard, and
 
 MA ORI AND SETTLER. 91 
 
 spread out, adding considerably to the comfort of all 
 those sitting astern; and now that' the ship's guns were 
 booming ahead, and they had become accustomed to the 
 thick curtain of cloud hanging round them, the feeling 
 of uneasiness that the girls had felt was entirely dissi- 
 pated, and Mr. Atherton had no longer any occasion to 
 use his best efforts to keep up their spirits. All laughed 
 and chatted over their adventure, which, as they said, 
 far exceeded in interest anything they had been promise*}, 
 when they started from the ship. The only drawback, as 
 they all agreed, was the cold, which was really severe. 
 
 ''We do not seem to come up to the guns as we ought 
 to," Mr. Atherton said to the mate after the boat had 
 been rowing for some. time. 
 
 "That is just what I was thinking," Mr. Ryan replied. 
 "I fancy we must have got a strong current out here 
 against us." 
 
 "I expect we have. By an, I tell you what. The men 
 have been rowing for some hours now since they left the 
 ship, I think it would be a good thing if our youngsters 
 were to relieve some of them for a spell. What do you 
 say, lads?" 
 
 Wilfrid, the Aliens, Hardy, and Wilson all exclaimed 
 that they should be delighted to take a turn, as it would 
 warm their blood. "We shall be able to give them all a 
 spell," Mr. Atherton said, "for there are just six of us." 
 
 "I am certainly not going to let you pull, and you 
 scarcely out of the doctor's hands, " the mate said bluntly. 
 "Why, you must be mad to think of such a thing! Here, 
 do you take the tiller and I will row the stroke-oar. Easy 
 all, lads; put on your jackets. Four of you come aft, and 
 the other two go into the bows." 
 
 "I wish we could row, " Marion said regretfully, as the 
 new crew bent to their oars. "I have done a lot of row-
 
 92 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 ing at home, Mr. Atherton, and they say I row very 
 fairly." 
 
 "lam afraid you would not be of much assistance here, 
 young lady, "Mr. Atherton said. "It's one thing to work 
 a light, well-balanced oar, such as you use in a gig up 
 the river, but it is a very different one to tug away at one 
 of these heavy oars in a sea-going boat like this with ten 
 sitters in her. We shall want all our strength to get 
 back, you may be sure. There must be a strong current 
 against us, and there is little chance of our being back, as 
 we hoped, by dinner-time." 
 
 After the men had had half an hour's rest Mr. Ryan 
 told them to take their seats and double bank the oars. 
 
 "We shall travel all the faster," he said to Mr. Ather- 
 ton, "and now that they have got their wind again it is 
 far better that they should be rowing than sitting still. 
 The guns are a good deal nearer now. I do not think 
 that the ship can be more than a mile or a mile and a 
 half away." 
 
 "I do not suppose she is," Mr. Atherton replied. "I 
 think I will fire off my rifle two or three times. They 
 ought to be able to hear it now, and it will relieve their 
 minds." 
 
 He discharged his rifle four or five times, and they 
 fancied that they heard shots in return. 
 
 "Hullo!" Mr. Atherton exclaimed suddenly. "Easy 
 all! Hold her up hard all!" Although the order was 
 entirely unexpected it was given so sharply that it was 
 instantly obeyed, and the boat was brought to a stand- 
 still before she had advanced another length. Then the 
 rowers looked round to see what had been the occasion 
 of the sudden order. In front of them, scarce ten feet 
 away, towered up a dark mass of rock. They could only 
 see it ahead of the boat, and how high it was or how far 
 it extended on either side they knew not.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 93 
 
 "Why, what is this?" the mate said in astonishment. 
 ; 'We did not notice any islands as we came along. It 
 has been a narrow escape, for at the rate at which we 
 were going through the water we should have stove in 
 our bow had we run on it." 
 
 "We have had a narrower escape than we deserve," 
 Mr. Atherton said. "I cannot think how we can have 
 been so foolish." 
 
 "What do you mean?" the mate asked. 
 "Why, we have been steering straight for the guns, 
 have we not?" 
 
 "Of course we have." 
 
 "Well, we ought not to have done so. If the ship had 
 been lying well out from the land it would have been all 
 right ; but she is lying in a deep bay, and of course a 
 straight course to her from the point we started from 
 would take us just where we are, that is ashore, on the 
 other side of the headland." 
 
 "Of course it would. We ought to have kept well to 
 seaward of the guns till they bore right on our beam, 
 and then headed in to her. Well, fortunately no harm 
 has been done, but we have had a mighty narrow escape. 
 If the fog had been as thick as it was when it first came 
 down upon us we should have gone right into it before 
 we saw it. ' ' 
 
 The boat was turned and rowed out to sea for some 
 distance, then they again headed her in the direction in 
 which they wished to go, but keeping, the guns well in- 
 shore of them until they judged by the sound that they 
 were nearly opposite to her, then they rowed straight 
 toward her. The sound of their oars was heard, and 
 a loud hail informed them of the exact position of the 
 ship, and two or three minutes later a dark image loomed 
 up in front of the boat.
 
 94 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "All well, Mr. Ryan?" the captain shouted. 
 
 "All well, sir." 
 
 "You have given us a great fright," the captain went 
 on. "We expected you back at least two hours ago, 
 thinking of course you would have returned when the 
 fog set in, even if you had not done so before." 
 
 "We had turned, sir, before the fog rolled in; but what 
 with losing our way, and the difficulty of keeping our 
 course in the fog, and the fact that there is, we think, a 
 strong current that was running against us further out, 
 we have been a long time coming back. So you see, we 
 have double banked all the oars." 
 
 By this time they were lying by the gangway. It was 
 found that the girls in spite of their wraps were so stiff 
 with the cold that they had to be assisted up the gang- 
 way to the deck. Exercise warmed the blood of the rest, 
 and they were soon on deck. Mr. Atherton, who alone 
 of the men had not been rowing, had some little difficulty 
 in getting up, although, as he said, he had no more right 
 to feel cold than a walrus, protected as he was by nature. 
 
 There had been much anxiety on board until the shots 
 fired by Mr. Atherton were heard. The captain had 
 ordered plenty of hot soup to be got ready, and the girls 
 soon felt in a comfortable glow. Mr. Atherton gave a 
 comical account of their adventures, but he did not 
 conceal the fact that at one time their position had been 
 really a perilous one, and that if they had not been 
 pretty vigilant they might have fallen into the hands of 
 the natives. 
 
 "Well, all is well that ends well," Mr. Renshaw said, 
 "but I think we will have no more boat excursions as 
 long as we are in the neighborhood of cannibals. Of 
 course no one could have foreseen the fog coming on so 
 suddenly, but you have evidently all had a narrow 
 escape."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 95 
 
 Those who had taken part in the adventure, however, 
 were highly pleased with their share in it, and agreed 
 that although perhaps at the time it was unpleasant it 
 was very exciting, and was an incident that they should 
 never forget all their lives. 
 
 The fog continued for three days, at the end of which 
 time an easterly wind set in and the air cleared, and the 
 Flying Scud weighed her anchor and proceeded on her 
 voyage. Ten days later a gale set in from the south. 
 The cold was intense, and the spray as it flew from her 
 bows cased her fore-rigging and deck with ice. The 
 wind increased hourly in fury, and the captain decided 
 to run before it. "We have plenty of sea-room," he 
 said, "and shall get out of this bitter cold as we get 
 further north. It will not last long, I dare say." 
 
 Day after day, however, the gale continued, seeming 
 to increase rather than diminish in force. On the morn- 
 ing of the sixth day after it had begun the passengers 
 heard a tremendous crash on deck. Wilfrid ran up the 
 companion and looked out, and reported that th* main- 
 mast and the fore-topmast had gone overboard. For- 
 tunately the gust that had done this damage proved to 
 be the climax of the gale ; by nightfall itj force had 
 sensibly abated, and two days later it feU tc a calm, and 
 all hands set to work to repair damages. 
 
 "I have no spar that will be of any use for a main- 
 mast, " the captain said. "We must content ourselves 
 with getting up a fore-topmast and then under what sail 
 we can set upon that and the mizzen make for one of the 
 islands and try to get a good-sized spar for the main- 
 mast. I reckon that we are not more than two hundred 
 and fifty miles from the Austral Group. We have been 
 blown nearly twenty degrees north." 
 
 Three days later land was seen ahead, and this the
 
 96 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 captain, after taking an observation, declared to be 
 Malayta, one of the largest islands of the group. 
 
 "I would rather have gone on under this reduced sail," 
 he said to Mr. Atherton, in whom he had great confi- 
 dence, "if we had been sure of fine weather; but that we 
 cannot reckon upon at this time of year, and I should 
 not like to be caught in another gale in this crippled state 
 so near the islands. So of the two evils I consider it the 
 least td go in and try and get a spar that will do for our 
 purpose. " 
 
 "What is the evil of going in?" Mr, Atherton asked. 
 
 "The natives," the captain replied shortly. "They 
 are a treacherous lot in all these islands; but the Australs 
 bear a particularly bad reputation, and we shall have to 
 be very careful in our dealings with them." 
 
 "Well, as we are forewarned they are not likely to 
 take us by surprise, captain ; and as, with the crew and 
 passengers, we can muster a pretty strong force, we 
 ought to be able to beat off any open attack." 
 
 "Yes, I think we could do that," the captain agreed. 
 "If I did not think so I would not put in, but would 
 take the chance of our making our way, crippled as we 
 are, to New Zealand. The thing we shall have to guard 
 against is a sudden and treacherous onslaught; the crews 
 of many ships have been massacred owing to carelessness 
 and overconfldence. However, we will not be caught 
 napping, and I therefore hope to get off unscathed." 
 
 As they neared the land the passengers were delighted 
 with the aspect of the shore. Groves of trees came down 
 to the very edge of the water; in the interior the land 
 was high, but was covered to the summit of the hills with 
 foliage. As they approached, and the captain gave 
 orders to prepare for anchoring, they could see a number 
 of natives gathered on the narrow strip of sand close to
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 97 
 
 the water. They were waving boughs of trees in token 
 of friendship, and were, as far as could be seen by the 
 aid of a telescope, unarmed. 
 
 "They look friendly, mother," Marion said, after 
 watching them through the glass. "Won't it be nice to 
 land and take a walk among those feathery -looking trees! 
 There will be no fear of fogs or cold here; the tempera- 
 ture is quite perfect " 
 
 "Yon will not land, I can assure you, young lady," 
 the captain, who was passing by and overheard her, said. 
 "Those fellows look friendly enough, I agree, but there 
 are no more treacherous rascals among the islanders of 
 the Pacific. I shall give them as wide a berth as I can, 
 and get them if possible to cut a spar and tow it out to 
 us, instead of sending a party on shore to fetch it. No 
 one will leave this ship with my permission, unless it be 
 a boat's party armed to the teeth to fetch water. These 
 fellows are as treacherous as the natives of Tierra del 
 Fuego, and vastly more warlike and dangerous." 
 
 "Are they cannibals, captain?" Mrs. Eenshaw asked. 
 
 "That I cannot tell you for certain, Mrs. Kenshaw. 
 They are thieves and murderers, but whether they eat 
 human flesh is more than I can tell. It does not concern 
 me greatly whether if they kill me they eat me afterward 
 or not; but I do not mean to give them the chance of 
 killing me or any of us, I can assure you." 
 
 "After the character you have given me of them I 
 haveno longer the slightest inclination to land, captain." 
 
 As soon as the vessel came to an anchor a number of 
 canoes put out, laden with yams, cocoanuts, and other 
 vegetables and fruits for exchange. Had the3 r been 
 allowed they would have come alongside and climbed up 
 to the deck, but the captain would not permit them to 
 come within thirty or forty yards. Although there was
 
 98 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 no one on board who could speak their language, his 
 emphatic gestures were understood by the natives, and 
 were sufficient to show them that he was not to be trifled 
 with. Two boats only were allowed to approach at a 
 time, and a guard of six sailors with muskets were placed 
 on deck, with orders to prevent any one coming up, and 
 to cover those who descended the gangway. The 
 younger passengers thought that the captain was unnec- 
 essarily timid; but, ready as he was to oblige them on 
 ordinary occasions, they saw that this time it would be 
 no use to try to change his determination that none 
 should go on shore. Going down the gangway they bar- 
 gained with the natives, giving little articles in exchange 
 for fruit. 
 
 Mr. Atherton was evidently of the captain's opinion as 
 to the necessity for prudence, and had stationed himself 
 with his rifle near the gangway. "They look quite 
 peaceful and cheerful," Marion Renshaw said to him. 
 ''Do you think there is really any use in all these pre- 
 cautions, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "I do indeed, Miss Renshaw. I do not think one can 
 be too careful when dealing with people who are notori- 
 ously so treacherous." 
 
 "Are you a good shot with a rifle, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "Yes; although I say it myself, I am an exceptionally 
 good shot. I have practiced a great deal with the rifle, 
 and have, I suppose, a natural aptitude for it ; for when 
 I fire I am morally certain of hitting my mark, though I 
 am hardly conscious of taking aim." 
 
 When the contents of a few boats had been taken on 
 board the captain made signs that he required no more, 
 and the natives, with looks of evident discontent, pad- 
 dled back to the shore. 
 
 "Wq shall have some chiefs off in the morning," the
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 9$ 
 
 captain said. "To-day they have kept in the back- 
 ground, but seeing that we are wary and on our guard 
 they will probably come off to-morrow to view matters 
 for themselves. I shall let them perceive that I am well 
 prepared, and it may be when they see this they will be 
 inclined to do a little honest trading, and to bring off a 
 strong spar with which we can at any rate make a shift 
 for our mainmast. We will keep watch and watch as if 
 we were at sea. It is as likely as not some of their canoes 
 may be coming out in the night to see if we are to be 
 caught napping." 
 
 "It is horrid," Kate Mitford said, as she with her 
 sister, Marion, and several of the younger passengers 
 stood together that evening on the poop looking toward 
 the shore. The young moon was sinking in the west, 
 the stars shone with great brilliancy, and the water was 
 as smooth as glass. The outline of the palms could be 
 made out against the sky, and in several places the light 
 of fires could be perceived, and the stillness of the even- 
 ing was broken by the hum of distant voices. "It is 
 really a shame that we cannot go ashore. I am sure the 
 savages looked civil and friendly, and it would be de- 
 lightful to wander about in such a wood as that." 
 . Two or three voices were raised in assent. 
 
 "Have you heard the little story of the spider and the 
 fly, Miss Kate?" Mr. Atherton said, moving across from 
 the other side of the deck, where he was smoking a cigar. 
 "In that case, you know, it was the prettiest little bower 
 that ever you did espy, and perhaps the fly admired it 
 just as much as you admire that grove ashore. The re- 
 sult of a visit would be identical in both cases. Those 
 on board other ships have been taken in by the peaceful 
 appearance of the natives, and the loveliness of the 
 islands, and the result was fatal to them. Personally, I
 
 100 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 should feel much more comfortable if I saw those savages 
 putting out in a body in their canoes to attack the ship 
 than I do now while they are keeping up this pretense of 
 friendliness. An open danger one can meet, but when 
 you know that treachery is intended, but no idea what 
 form it will take or \vhen the mask of friendship will be 
 thrown off, it is trying to the nerves. Fortunately we 
 know their character, and may hope to be ready when 
 the danger comes. Still the waiting is trying." 
 
 "And you really feel that, Mr. Atherton?" Marion 
 Eenshaw asked. 
 
 "I do indeed, Miss Renshaw. We may get away with- 
 out trouble; but if so it will be solely because the natives 
 see that we are prepared for them and are not be taken 
 by surprise. Seeing our crippled state, my own opinion 
 is, that the natives will not let us go off without making 
 at least one attempt to surprise us." 
 
 Mr. Atherton spoke strongly, for he thought that it 
 was possible that some of the youngsters might, unless 
 thoroughly roused to a sense of danger, do something 
 foolish and rash. His words had the effect desired. His 
 share in the affair at Rio had caused him to be regarded 
 with respect and admiration by the young men on board, 
 and they felt that if in his opinion the danger was grave 
 it was not for them to doubt its reality. A vigilant 
 watch was kept all night, and loaded muskets were served 
 out to the watch on deck. The guns had been loaded 
 before they anchored, and the spare muskets were placed 
 so as to be handy for the watch below should they be 
 suddenly called up. After the moon went down a light 
 mist rose on the surface of the sea. Several times dur- 
 ing the night faint sounds were heard near the ship, but 
 immediately the officer of the watch challenged, silence 
 reigned for a considerable time.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 101 
 
 "How has the night passed, Ryan?" Mr. Atherton 
 asked the first officer as soon as he came on deck, just as 
 daylight was breaking. 
 
 "There have been some of them near us all night," 
 Mr. Eyan replied. "I do not think they were in force, 
 but they wanted to see whether we kept a sharp watch; 
 and I think we have satisfied them as to that, for every 
 time the slightest noise was heard we hailed at once, 
 should like to have sent a musket-ball in the direction of 
 the sound, but as we must get a spar, if possible, and 
 shall be all the better for a score or two casks of fresh 
 water, it won't do to begin to quarrel with them. Once 
 we get what we want on board the beggars may attack us 
 as soon as they like. It would do them a world of good 
 to get handsomely thrashed, and to be taught that vessels 
 are not to be .plundered with impunity. " ,, 
 
 "As you say, it might do them good, but I hope there 
 will be no trouble. I have no doubt whatever that we 
 should beat them off, but we might lose some lives in 
 doing it; besides, we have ladies on board." 
 
 "I hope so too; and, prepared as we are, I should feel 
 quite safe if it was not for that mast being gone. They 
 know that we are comparative cripples, and no doubt 
 looked upon us as lawful booty when they saw us making 
 in; and I do not think they will let themselves be balked 
 of their prey without an effort." 
 
 "That is just my view of the matter, and I mean to 
 keep a sharp lookout while we are here. You will all 
 have your bands full, and I will get two or three of the 
 young fellows to join with me in keeping a sharp watch 
 over their doings." 
 
 "That is a good plan," the mate agreed. "There will, 
 as you say, be plenty for us to do, and it worries one to 
 have to attend to work and to keep one's eyes at the back
 
 102 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 of one's head at the same time. Of course we shall al- 
 Vfays have a watch set whatever we are doing, still I have 
 more faith in your lookout than in that of half a dozen 
 fo'castle hands." 
 
 "When the two Aliens and Wilfrid camfc on deck Mr. 
 Atherton drew them aside. "Look here, lads," he be- 
 gan. "You heard what I said last night. I meant it, 
 and I am sure I was not wrong, for there have been 
 canoes hovering about us all night. Now, in a short 
 time the officers and crew will be seeing about getting 
 water on board, and if the natives bring out a spar that 
 will do as a jury mainmast there will be the work of 
 trimming it, getting it into its place, and rigging it. 
 My own opinion is, that now the natives see we are sus- 
 picious and on the watch they will for sometime make a 
 show of being extremely friendly so as to throw us off 
 our guard, and as the officers and sailors will be busy 
 they may possibly relax their precautions a little. Now 
 I propose that you and I shall constitute an amateur 
 watch from sunrise to dark. After that the men's work 
 will be done, and there will be no fear of their being 
 taken by surprise. The real danger is, I think, in the 
 daytime. Wilfrid and I will take the second mate's 
 watch, and do you two take the first mate's that is, if 
 you agree to my proposal." 
 
 The three young fellows at once expressed their will- 
 ingness to do as he directed them. 
 
 "During our respective watches," Mr. Atherton went 
 on, "we must keep our attention directed solely to the 
 natives. There must be no watching what is going on 
 on board, no talking and laughing with the other passen- 
 gers ; we must consider ourselves as if on duty. One of 
 us must take his place on the fo'castle, the other in the 
 waist. The natives are sure to hang round the ship in.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 103 
 
 their canoes watching what we are doing, and offering 
 things for sale. It will be our duty to keep a vigilant 
 eye upon them, to watch every movement, to give instant 
 warning if their number is at anytime larger than usual, 
 and, in fact, to prevent the possibility of their closing 
 suddenly in upon us and taking us by surprise. Remem- 
 ber, it is a case of absolute duty ; I have volunteered to 
 the first officer to undertake it, and he will, relying upon 
 our vigilance, give his attention to h.is work." 
 
 "Shall we be armed, Mr. Atherton?" James Allen 
 asked. 
 
 "Yes, James, I think that it will be as well to have our 
 guns beside us while on duty. Of course there is no 
 occasion to have them on our shoulders like sentries, but 
 it will be well to have them always within reach of the 
 hand in case of sudden danger. The report of a musket 
 would give the alarm far quicker and more effectually 
 than a shout would do, especially if men are at work on 
 deck and making a noise. Well, as you agree, we will 
 begin after breakfast. ' ' 
 
 "How ) about meals, sir?" Tom Allen asked. "If they 
 mean to make an attack I should think they would be 
 likely to choose meal-tinie, when the passengers are all 
 below and the deck will be comparatively deserted." 
 
 "We must keep watch then also," Mr. Atherton said 
 decidedly. "I will speak to Mr. Ryan and ask him to 
 tell the steward that two of us will require something put 
 on the table for them after the others have done. I do 
 not think that he himself is likely to leave the deck when 
 the captain is below, and the two of us who happen to be 
 on duty can have our meals when he does. Of course when- 
 ever those on duty come down for this purpose the others 
 will take their places until they return. "We will change 
 about each day. This is supposed to be your watch,
 
 104 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Allen, from four to eight. Wilfrid and I will begin the 
 work at that hour. You will relieve us at twelve, and 
 we shall take the watch from four to eight. To-morrow 
 we will take the early watch, and so on." 
 
 "I will tell the Grimstones, " Wilfrid, who had always 
 gone for a daily chat with the men forward, said; "they 
 will be glad to join us in the watch, and I should think 
 the other men forward would do so too. I know they 
 all find it very hard work to get through the day." 
 
 The Grimstones at once agreed to keep watch, as did 
 the other three men who occupied the fore cabin with 
 them. Mr. Atherton got muskets and ammunition for 
 them from Mr. Ryan, and the two Grimstones were ap- 
 pointed to his watch, the other men to that of the Allen's. 
 
 At seven bells most of the passengers came on deck to 
 enjoy the fresh morning air for an hour before breakfast; 
 
 "You are not going to enjoy the pleasure of Wilfrid's 
 or my company at breakfast, Mrs. Renshaw, "' Mr. Ather- 
 ton said, smiling, to that lady as she stood with the three 
 girls round her on the poop. 
 
 "Why not, Mr. Atherton?" she asked in surprise. 
 
 "He and the Aliens and myself are going to do amateur 
 sentry work as long as we lie here, Mrs. Renshaw. The 
 crew will be all busy refitting the ship, and so I have 
 volunteered to undertake, with their assistance, the duty 
 of keeping a sharp eye on those tricky gentlemen 
 ashore." 
 
 "Are you in earnest, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "Quite in earnest that we are going to do so, Mrs. 
 Renshaw. There may be no absolute occasion for it, but 
 there is nothing like keeping on the safe side; and as we 
 cannot go ashore, and one cannot talk continuously for 
 fifteen or sixteen hours, we may just as well pass a por- 
 tion of our time in playing at sentinels."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 105 
 
 "But when will you get breakfast?" Marion asked. 
 "Shall I bring it up to you, Mr. Atherton?'/ 
 
 "No, thank you, Miss Renshaw. We have arranged 
 to have it with Mr. Ryan afterward. I am much obliged 
 to you for your offer just the same. It is a very kind one, 
 especially since you will, for once, particularly enjoy 
 your breakfast, as you will have room for your elbows." 
 
 "You are laughing at me again, Mr. Atherton. One 
 would really think that you take me to be about ten yeara 
 old." 
 
 "I think a little teasing does you good, Miss Renshaw. 
 It is one of the privileges of us old fellows to try to do 
 good to our young friends : and girls of your age lord it 
 BO over their brothers and their brother's friends that it 
 is good for them to be teased a little by their elders." 
 
 "Would not you think, mother," Marion appealed, 
 "that Mr. Atherton by his talk was somewhere about 
 eighty and that I was quite a child?' 
 
 "I agree with him that it is rather a good thing for 
 girls of your age, Marion, to be snubbed a little occa- 
 sionally ; especially on a voyage like this, when there are 
 several young fellows on board who have nothing better 
 to do than to wait upon you and humor your whims." 
 
 There was a general laugh. Before a fresh subject was 
 started the breakfast-bell rang and the passengers went 
 below. Mr, Atherton fetched his rifle from his cabin, 
 and Wilfrid was going to unpack his double-barreled 
 gun when his friend said: "I should not brother about 
 that now, Wilfrd; take one of the ship's muskets. It 
 will make just as much noise if you have to fire it, and 
 you will not be alarming the passengers by bringing 
 your gun backward and forward from your cabin. I am 
 going to hang up my rifle when I come off guard in 
 Byan's cabin on deck, where it will be handy. You take
 
 10 6 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the fo'oastle, your two men can be in the waist, one on 
 each side, and I will take the poop. Just at present our 
 duty will be a nominal one, as the canoes have not put 
 out, but I expect they will be here before long." 
 
 Before breakfast was over, indeed, a large canoe was 
 brought down from the woods and placed in the water, 
 and a number of natives appeared on the shore. The 
 first officer at once summoned the captain on deck. 
 
 "Tell all the men to have their arms handy, Mr. 
 By an," the captain said as he looked at the gathering 
 on shore. "I do not suppose they mean to attack us in, 
 this open way, still we may as well be upon our guard. 
 Order the men not to show their arms, but to go about 
 their work as usual. We do not wish to appear afraid 
 of them, or to take up a position of hostility. I hopa 
 the chiefs are coming off for a friendly palaver." 
 
 In a few minutes the canoes put off from the shore. 
 First came the great canoe, which was paddled by thirty 
 men. In the bow and stern were hideous images. Four 
 natives, evidently of superior rank were seated near the 
 stern, and in the bow stood a man beating his hands iu 
 time to the stroke of the paddles and singing a song, 
 which was responded to by a deep exclamation from the 
 rowers at every stroke. Another man stood by the side 
 of the singer waving a green bough. Behind this great 
 canoe followed a score of smaller ones. 
 
 "We will receive them in state, Mr. Ryan. Evidently 
 they intend to keep up an appearance of friendliness at 
 present. We will meet them in the same spirit. Fasten 
 the signal flags on to the halyards and run them up to 
 the masthead, let half a dozen men with cutlasses take 
 their place at thb gangway as a sort of guard of honor, 
 let the rest go on with their work but keep their arms 
 handy for action."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 107 
 
 When the great canoe approached the vessel the men 
 (stopped paddling, and one of the chiefs standing up 
 made an address to the captain, who was standing at the 
 top of the gangway. Not a word that he said was under- 
 stood, but the address seemed to be of a friendly nature, 
 and the chief held up some cocoanuts and yams as if to 
 show his desire to trade. When he had finished the cap- 
 tain took off his hat and also spoke, and by gestures 
 invited the chiefs to come on board. By this time all 
 the passengers had come on deck, and were watching the 
 proceedings with great interest. 
 
 "Do you think it safe to let them on board?" the first 
 officer asked Mr. Atherton, who was intently watching 
 the natives in the smaller canoes. 
 
 "Quite safe," he replied. "So long as only a few of 
 their followers come with them there is no fear of their 
 -attempting anything. While the chiefs are in our hands 
 they act, as it were, as hostages for the good conduct of 
 their people. So far their intentions are clearly peace- 
 ful. Whether that will last will depend upon whether 
 they think there is a chance of success or not. At pres- 
 ent all we have to do is to take advantage of it, and to 
 get what we want on board." 
 
 By this time the canoe was approaching the side of the 
 ship. The four chiefs ascended the ladder, followed by 
 four or five of lower rank who had been seated near them. 
 As they reached the deck the principal chief turned 
 round and shouted an order in a loud voice. Its effect 
 was immediate. The canoe in which they had arrived 
 at once paddled away to a short distance, while the 
 smaller craft, which had before been drifting slowly 
 toward the vessel, also retired and lay huddled behind 
 the large canoe.
 
 108 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER TO. 
 
 A SAVAGE SUKPRISE. 
 
 THE captain led the way on to the poop, the chiefs and 
 the natives with them following, while the first officer 
 with the six sailors with sabers kept in their rear. Once 
 on the quarter-deck Mr. Ryan ranged three of the men by 
 the bulwark on either side, telling them to sheath their 
 cutlasses, but to be prepared for instant action in case of 
 treachery. The chiefs preserved a stolid demeanor, 
 scarce glancing at the passengers, who were gathered on 
 the poop. At the captain's orders the steward brought 
 up a number of cushions and placed them on the deck in 
 a circle. The captain seated himself on one and motioned 
 to the chiefs to follow his example, which they did with- 
 out hesitation. Mr. Ryan now brought up a number of 
 . things as presents for the chiefs, and each was presented 
 with a hand mirror, a roll of scarlet cloth, and some 
 trinkets, as a small supply of these had been brought on 
 board for trade with the natives in case of the necessity 
 arising. 
 
 The head chief was in addition presented with an ax, 
 and rolls of colored cotton strings of glass beads, and 
 some brass rings were given to the inferior chiefs. The 
 natives appeared pleased with their presents. The cap- 
 tain then addressed them, and endeavored to explain 
 that he wanted a supply of water. An empty barrel was 
 brought up and soine water poured into this, and the 
 captain then pointed to the shore, and by gestures inti-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 109 
 
 mated that he wished the barrels to be taken ashore and 
 filled. The chiefs evidently understood the explanation, 
 and nodded their assent. ' The captain then led them to 
 the stump of the mainmast, pointed to the shore, and 
 taking an ax imitated the action of chopping, and 
 showed that he wanted them to fell a tree and bring it 
 off to the vessel. The chief pointed to the boats hang- 
 ing on the davits, placed the ax in the hands of one of 
 the men, and clearly signified that the crew could go 
 ashore and cut down a tree if they chose. The captain 
 shook his head and placed the ax in the hands of one of 
 the chiefs. Their leader, however, went up to the fore- 
 mast, and by spreading out his arms signified that it was 
 a great size, and then held out the small ax the captain 
 had presented to him with an action of disdain. 
 
 "The beggar means that with one ax they would never 
 cut down a tree of that size," the first officer said. 
 
 "That is all humbug, Kyan; they can bring down the 
 biggest trees for the construction of their canoes. I be- 
 lieve they bring them down by fire. However, it is as 
 well to humor them. Tell the carpenter to bring half a 
 dozen axes. ' ' 
 
 This was done and the axes laid down on the deck, 
 There was now a consultation between the natives. After 
 awhile they nodded, and then made signs that some one 
 must go ashore with them to choose the tree. 
 
 "What do you say, Eyan?" the captain asked. "It is 
 of importance that we should get a stick that will suit us. 
 The question is whe.ther it will be safe to trust a man on 
 shore with these scoundrels?" 
 
 "I will go ashore if you like, captain," Mr. Eyan 
 replied. 
 
 "I do not like it, Eyan," the captain said. "You see, 
 they would make mincemeat of an armed crew in no 
 time."
 
 HO MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I should not propose to take a crew, sir; they could 
 afford no protection against a number of natives. I do not 
 think the beggars would assault a single man. You see, 
 there would be nothing to gain by it; and if they did it 
 would put the ship on its guard, and their game at pres- 
 ent is evidently to be friendly. I do not think there is 
 any danger in the affair. If I did not go they might 
 send off some stick that would be no use at all to us, and 
 as we came in on purpose to get a mast it is worth while 
 risking something." 
 
 "Well, Eyan," the captain said after a moment's de- 
 liberation, "I think perhaps you are right, and that one 
 man would be safe with them. It is certainly of great 
 importance for us to get the sort of stick we want, so as 
 you are ready to volunteer I do not think myself justified 
 in refusing your offer." The captain then put his hand 
 on the chief officer's shoulder and intimated to the natives 
 that he would accompany them on shore. The party 
 then returned to the poop, and the steward brought up 
 some tumblers and two or three bottles of rum. The 
 chief's eyes glistened as the liquor was poured out, and 
 each swallowed a half tumbler of the spirit with an air of 
 the deepest satisfaction. 
 
 "That is the present they like best," the captain said; 
 "and I suppose I had better give them some for con- 
 sumption on shore. At any rate it will keep them in a 
 good temper until Eyan is back again." Accordingly 
 two bottles of rum were presented to the leading chief, a 
 bottle to the next three in rank, and two or three bottles 
 among the others. The great canoe was hailed, the 
 natives again took their places in it, accompanied by the 
 first officer, and the boat then started for the shore. 
 Some of the smaller craft now came alongside, and the 
 process of barter was again commenced. Yams, bread-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. Ill 
 
 fruit, and other products of the island were obtained for 
 the use of the ship in exchange for beads, empty bottles, 
 and small mirrors, while the passengers succeeded in 
 obtaining many curiously carved weapons, calabashes, 
 woven cloths, and other mementos of their visit Only 
 two or three of the canoes were allowed alongside at a 
 time, and a vigilant lookout was maintained to see that 
 others did not approach the ship. The captain walked 
 restlessly up and down the poop, constantly turning his 
 glass upon the shore. 
 
 An hour after the great canoe had reached it he ex- 
 claimed in a tone of intense satisfaction, "There is By an 
 coming down to the beach. Thank heaven he is safe!" 
 The first mate was seen to take his place in a small 
 canoe, which at once rowed off to the ship. The captain 
 shook him heartily by the hand as he stepped on deck. 
 "Thank heaven you have got back safely, Ryan! it has 
 been a hazardous business, and I shall take care to let 
 the owners know how you have risked your life by going 
 ashore in their service. Well, how have you succeeded?" 
 
 "I found a grand pine growing within thirty or forty 
 yards of the water, about a quarter of a mile beyond that 
 point to the left. As I expected, the natives had no idea 
 of using the axes for such a purpose. When I left them 
 a party were piling wood round the foot of the tree, and 
 I have no doubt they will soon get it down in their own 
 way. I suppose they will waste ten or twelve feet at the 
 base, but that is of no consequence, for the tree is long 
 enough and to spare to make us a fair-sized mainmast." 
 
 "That is right; and as it is so close to the water we 
 can send a boat to see how they are getting on.' How 
 about water?" 
 
 "They showed me a spring about fifty yards from the 
 beach, nearly facing us. There is plenty of water there,
 
 112 MA OKI AND SETTLER, 
 
 and it is perfectly fresh and 'sweet, for I tasted it. H 
 they make any bother about bringing it off, a couple of 
 boats with well-armed parties could fetch it without diffi- 
 culty as the distance is so short." 
 
 ''That is capital, Kyan. I hope our difficulties are 
 pretty well over, and that we shall get off without any 
 trouble with these fellows." 
 
 "I hope so, sir. They certainly seemed friendly 
 enough with me on shore." 
 
 In the evening Mr. Kyan, with a crew of six men, went 
 in the captain's gig to see how the natives were getting 
 on with the tree. The men had their muskets and cut- 
 lasses laid under the thwarts in readiness for action. 
 The natives, however, appeared perfectly friendly. The 
 crews of several of the canoes near which ^they passed 
 shouted some sort of greeting, but paid no other atten- 
 tion to them. On rounding the point the first officer 
 steered straight for the tree he had chosen. A light 
 smoke, was ascending from its footj and half a dozen 
 natives were gathered there. When close to the spot he 
 ordered the men to turn the boat round and back her 
 ashore. 
 
 "lam going to land, lads, " he said, "and see how 
 they are getting on. I do not think that there is the 
 least danger, but you had best keep in readiness to row 
 off the instant I jump on board." 
 
 Mr. Ryan then proceeded to the tree. He found that 
 a circle of small fires had been built against it. These 
 were fed with dry wood, and were slowly but steadily 
 eating their way into the tree, and he saw that only two 
 or three feet of the base would be injured by their action. 
 He no ded approvingly to the natives, but muttered to 
 himself: "It's a mighty slow way of bringing down a 
 tree. It is not much above three and a half feet in
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 113 
 
 diameter, even at the base, and a couple of men with axes 
 would bring it down in an hour, while there is no saying 
 how long they will be with these fires of theirs. How- 
 ever, I should say that they will get through it to-night 
 or some time to-morrow. It is a fine stick, and runs up 
 as straight as an arrow, and is thick enough for fifty feet 
 for our purpose." 
 
 He walked quietly back to the boat, took his seat, and 
 was rowed back to the ship, where he reported that the 
 natives were carrying out their promise, and that by 
 the next day the tree would be down. On visiting' the 
 spot again on the following morning it was found that 
 the tree had fallen. 
 
 "The fellows know their business," Mr. Kyan said to 
 the man who rowed the stroke-oar. "Ypu see that they 
 managed so that it should fall toward the water. Now, 
 lads, you can take to the axes we have brought with us 
 and chop it through at the point where we want it cut; 
 it will save the trouble of getting off the upper branches, 
 and render it much more handy for getting afloat." 
 
 Leaving two of the men in the boat, Mr. Ryan and the 
 other four leaped ashore, and were not long in cutting 
 through the tree. Another half-hour sufficed to lop off 
 all the branches below this point, and the trunk was then 
 ready for launching. The natives stood round watching 
 the work with exclamations of surprise at the speed with 
 which the keen axes did their work. Mr. Ryan had 
 brought with him from the ship a number of presents, 
 and these he distributed among the party who had been 
 engaged in felling the tree. 
 
 "I do not know," he said to the captain when he re- 
 turned, "whether they mean to get the stick in the water 
 and bring it here, or whether they expect we shall do 
 that part of the business ourselves. ' '
 
 114 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I think we will wait until to-morrow morning, Mr. 
 Eyan. If we hear nothing of them by then you had bet- 
 ter take two boats one with men to do the work, the 
 other to lie just off and protect them while they do it." 
 
 There was, however, no occasion for this, for early the 
 next morning seven or eight canoes were seen coming 
 round the point with much beating of tomtoms and 
 sounding of conch horns. 
 
 "Here comes the spar!" the captain exclaimed; "the 
 worst of our difficulties is over, thank goodness!" 
 
 "I Avould keep an eye open, Byan, if I were you," Mr. 
 Atherton said as the mate passed him to give orders for 
 preparing to get the spar on deck. "There are a good 
 maii3 r other canoes coming off from the shore, and they 
 might take the opportunity for making a sudden attack." 
 
 "Right you are," the mate said. "Let the starboard 
 watch," he shouted, "keep their arms handy! Four 
 men with muskets take their place at the top of the gang- 
 way, but do not show the arms unless you get orders to 
 do so!" 
 
 The trunk was towed alongside the shi?. Mr. Ather- 
 ton and the party who had placed, themselves under his 
 orders kept a vigilant watch on the canoes to see if the 
 occupants were armed. There was a deal of talking and 
 gesticulating going on among them, but no arms could 
 be seen, and Mr. Atherton soon concluded that if treach- 
 ery was intended the present was not the time at which 
 it would be shown. The crew were all on deck, and the 
 natives must have known their arms were close at hand, 
 for each day a few of those who came to trade had been 
 permitted to come on deck, partly to show confidence on 
 the part of those on board, partly that the visitors might 
 see the arms lying in readiness for use, and be able to 
 report on shore that the ship was not to be taken -by 
 surprise.
 
 MAORI AND SETTL KR. 1 1 5 
 
 No sooner was the spar alongside than a couple of 
 sailors lowered themselves down and passed ropes round 
 it. These ropes were then passed through blocks and 
 taken to the capstan. The bars were fitted and seized by 
 a dozen men. The boatswain's whistle sounded, and 
 starting their anchor song the men tramped round and 
 round, the ropes tightened, and the heavy spar was par- 
 buckled up on to the deck. No sooner was it got on 
 board than the four chiefs who had before visited the 
 ship came alongside. There was another talk, and they 
 were presented with a considerable number of presents 
 for themselves and followers as a reward for their service 
 in sending off the spar. Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid did 
 not approach the group of passengers round the chiefs, 
 keeping their attention vigilantly upon the- boats, from 
 which the danger, if it existed, would come. 
 
 The Aliens, however, in accordance with Mr. Ather- 
 ton's instructions, watched the natives closely, and 
 noticed as they came on deck they cast quick and scru- 
 tinizing glances round them as if to see what were the 
 chances of a surprise. Mr. Kyan however, had, when he 
 saw the great canoe approaching, placed ten men with 
 muskets on guard, and the chiefs doubtless perceived that 
 a surprise could not be effected. After a stay of about a 
 quarter of an hour the chiefs departed with their pres- 
 ents, of which, by the care they took of it, it was evident 
 that they considered a case of rum to be by far the most 
 precious. No sooner was the trunk of the pine fairly on 
 board than a gang of men provided with adzes began, 
 under the direction of. the carpenter, to prepare it. 
 The bark was chipped off, the stumps of the branches 
 shaved close, and they then began to chip it down to the 
 required thickness from end to end. 
 
 "It will make a fine spar," the captain said in a tone
 
 116 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 of great satisfaction, after he had examined it. "I think 
 it will do for her permanent mast. If it will it will save 
 us a lot of trouble when we get into Wellington. " 
 
 "I think it will be a little light, sir," Mr. Kyan said, 
 "by the time we have got it perfectly smooth and even. 
 Still, I have seen lighter spars in a ship of this size, and 
 I certainly think we are most fortunate in getting such a 
 stick. When do you think you will get it ready, 
 Watson?" 
 
 "I should say we shall have it nearly ready for getting 
 into its place by to-morrow night, Mr. Kyan," the car- 
 penter replied, "though we may not quite finish it until 
 next day; for, you see, when it comes to getting it 
 smoothed, I and my mate must do it by ourselves." 
 
 "I should not be particular about smoothing it," the 
 captain said, "but of course you must make it so that it 
 will take the spare irons we have got for the topmast. 
 We shall have plenty of time to put the finishing touches 
 to it when we get to Wellington. I begin to think these 
 natives are not so black as they are painted, Mr. Ryan." 
 
 "Perhaps not, sir; but maybe if they had not seen 
 that we were so ready for them there would be a different 
 tale to tell." 
 
 "That is so," the captain agreed. "There is no doubt 
 that the best way of dealing with natives is never to give 
 them a chance." 
 
 The carpenter's gang continued steadily at their work, 
 while the first officer got up the sheer-legs and hoisted 
 the stump of the mainmast from its place. The butt of 
 the new mainmast was cut to match this, and on the 
 second day after it arrived alongside it was hoisted into 
 its position. The whole of the stays and rigging of the 
 mainmast had been cut away as soon as it went over- 
 board; but there was plenty of spare rope on board, and
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 117 
 
 before evening the new mast was firmly stayed in its 
 place, and all was in readiness for hoisting the spar that 
 was to serve as topmast. 
 
 The natives had watched the proceedings with great 
 interest. Quite a crowd of canoes gathered round the 
 ship, and were greatly surprised at seeing the heavy spar 
 raised by the sheers and dropped into its place ; and they 
 replied to the hearty cheers that rose from the crew and 
 passengers when this was accomplished by wild yells and 
 cries and the sounding of their horns. 
 
 "I begin to think," the captain said to Mr. Atherton, 
 "that the natives have got a worse name than they de- 
 serve. I do not mean of course, that they have not per- 
 petrated several atrocious massacres, but I expect these 
 must have been the result of extreme carelessness on the 
 part of those on ships, or perhaps of rough treatment, 
 for some captains treat the natives of islands like these 
 like dogs. As far as they could have told there was an 
 excellent chance of attacking the ship to-day, though we 
 know that we kept up a vigilant watch all the time, and 
 yet nothing could have been more friendly than they 
 were.". 
 
 "There is no doubt something in what you say, cap- 
 tain, " Mr. Atherton agreed. "Many of the captains of 
 the ships who trade among these islands are certainly 
 rough fellows, who would think nothing of knocking a 
 native down, and others again are so culpably careless as 
 to offer almost an inducement to the natives to grasp 
 what is to them untold wealth. Still I think it is as well 
 to be cautious." 
 
 "Of course we shall be cautious" the captain replied; 
 "but I really do not think that you and the others need 
 bother yourselves to be always standing on sentry." 
 
 "It is no trouble" Mr. Atherton said "and I think we 
 will keep it up until we are fairly under way. ' '
 
 118 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Mr. Atherton \vas not pleased at seeing that the cap- 
 tain the next day relaxed somewhat in the strictness of 
 the rules he laid down, and the crew were allowed to 
 trade freely with the natives. 
 
 "We must be more vigilant than ever/' he said to 
 Wilfrid and the Aliens. "The captain is so pleased at 
 having got his mast on board that he is disposed to view 
 the natives with friendly eyes, which, if they mean treach- 
 ery, is just what they want. Finding that we were too 
 much on the watch to be taken by surprise, they would 
 naturally try to lull us with a sense of false security." 
 
 In the afternoon the chief again came off and formally 
 invited the captain to a feast on shore. He accepted the 
 invitation, and went back with them, accompanied by 
 three or four of the passengers who had scoffed at the 
 idea of danger. After a stay of two or three hours they 
 returned on board. 
 
 "I think, Mr. Ryan," the captain said that evening, 
 "you had better take a couple of boats in the morning 
 and go ashore for water. We shall have everything 
 ready for getting up our anchor after dinner. Of course, 
 your crew will be well armed and take every precaution, 
 but I do not Lhink that there is the slightest danger." 
 
 "Verj r well, sir. You may be sure I will keep my 
 weather-eye open." 
 
 Mr. Atherton shook his head when in the morning he 
 Baw the boats being lowered and heard from the first 
 officer the orders he had received. 
 
 "From what you say there is water enough to last us 
 to Wellington if we are all put on somewhat shorter 
 allowance, and that would be infinitely better than run- 
 ning the risk of your going ashore." 
 
 "The water might last if all goes well," the mate said, 
 "but if we were to get becalmed for some time, which
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 119 
 
 is likely enough in these latitudes, we should be in an 
 awkward fix. I shall keep a sharp lookout on shore, 
 never fear. The distance to the spring is, as I told you, 
 not above fifty yards, and I will keep half the men filling 
 and the other half on guard. If they should mean mis- 
 chief we will give it them hot." 
 
 "How many men will you take?" 
 
 "Sixteen ten in the cutter and six in the gig." 
 
 "That would only leave us ten on board," Mr. Ather- 
 ton said. "If they attack you they will attack us too, 
 that is a moral certainty. At any rate, I will hint to 
 some of the passengers that they had better keep their 
 arms in readiness while you are away." 
 
 Mr. Atherton refused to go down to breakfast when 
 the Aliens came up to relieve him after finishing their 
 meal. 
 
 "We will have both watches on deck this morning," 
 he said. "We shall be very shorthanded while Eyan and 
 his party are away. Unfortunately the captain is con- 
 vinced there is not the slightest danger. He snubbed 
 me this morning quite smartly when I said casually that 
 I supposed that he would not let any of the natives on 
 board while Eyan was away. ' ' 
 
 As the rest of the passengers came from breakfast, Mr. 
 Atherton spoke to some of those with whom he had been 
 most intimate on the voyage, and told them that he 
 thought it would be just as well for them to bring their 
 arms on deck and keep them close at hand until the 
 watering party returned. 
 
 "It is no great trouble," he said, "and it is just as 
 well to be ready in case the natives mean mischief. I 
 know that some of the j'oungsters consider me to be an 
 alarmist, and I will give them free leave to laugh at me 
 when we are once safely out at sea, but the stake is too
 
 120 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 heavy to admit of carelessness; there are not only our 
 own lives but those of the ladies to be thought of." 
 
 Three or four of the passengers followed this advice 
 and brought their muskets or double-barreled guns on 
 deck. They were a good deal laughed at by the rest, 
 who asked them if they had joined Atherton's army, as 
 the little party who had kept watch were called. How- 
 ever, when the boats pushed off with the empty casks, 
 and the passengers saw how large was the complement 
 of the crew who had left them, three of the others 
 Btrolled down to the cabin and got their guns. In half 
 an hour the great canoe with the chiefs came off, and as 
 it approached the ship Mr. Atherton told Wilfrid to go 
 forward, and tell the five men there to come aft and be 
 in readiness to mount to the poop the moment they saw 
 any sign of trouble. "If there is a row," he said, "we 
 have to hold the poop. There are only the two ladders 
 to defend, and we can do that; but it would be useless 
 to try to hold the whole of the ship." 
 
 As the captain left the poop and went down into the 
 waist to receive the chiefs, Mr. Atherton went up to 
 where Mrs. Renshaw was sitting. 
 
 "Will you take my advice, Mrs. Renshaw?" 
 
 "Certainly, I will," she said, smiling; "for I am sure 
 it will be good, whatever it is." 
 
 "Then, Mrs. Renshaw, I advise you at once to go be- 
 low with your daughter and the Miss Mitfords. I do 
 not say that we are going to have trouble, but if we are 
 this is the time. Pray oblige me by doing as I ask." 
 
 Mrs. Renshaw at once rose, called Marion and the 
 other two girls, who were gayly chatting with a group 
 of the passengers, and asked them to go below with her. 
 Wilfrid and-the two Aliens were now on the poop, as Mr. 
 Atherton had told them that they had better remain there
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 121 
 
 instead of placing themselves at other points. The 
 Grimstones and the three other passengers forward were 
 gathered near the ladders. 
 
 As usual the chiefs accompanied the captain on to the 
 poop, followed by half a dozen of the minor chiefs; and 
 Mr. Atherton noticed that several of the others, instead 
 of sitting quietly in the canoe, slipped up after them on 
 to the deck. The flotilla of small -canoes, which had as 
 usual put out in the train of the large one, was edging 
 in toward the vessel. Mr. Atherton leaned over the poop 
 rail and spoke- to the second officer, who was engaged in 
 the waist with the men. 
 
 "Mr. Rawlins, I do not quite like the look of things. 
 I think that it would be as well if you were to gather as 
 many of the hands as you can at the foot of the ladder 
 here, without, of course, alarming the natives, as it may 
 be only my fancy." 
 
 The second mate nodded, and at once told the men 
 with him to knock off from their work. "Get hold of 
 your cutlasses quietly, " he said, "and gather near the 
 foot of the starboard port ladder." Then going to the 
 gangway he stopped a native who was just climbing up 
 from the canoe, and motioned to them that no more were 
 to come on board. 
 
 The talk with the chiefs was a short one. The stewards 
 brought up two cases of rum, and- when these were 
 handed over to them the natives rose as if to go. Sud- 
 denly the leader drew his ax from his girdle, and with a, 
 loud yell buried it deep in the captain's head. 
 
 The yell was echoed from some hundred throats, the 
 crew of the canoe leaped to their feet and began to clam- 
 ber up the side of the vessel, while those in the smaller 
 craft dashed their paddles into the water and urged their 
 boats toward it. At the same moment the natives on
 
 122 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 board all drew concealed weapons. So quick had been 
 the action of the chief that Mr. Atherton had not time t 
 prevent it, but before the body of the captain touched 
 the deck that of the chief was stretched beside it with a 
 bullet through the brain. 
 
 Wilfrid and the Aliens seeing the natives rise to go 
 had thought the danger over, and two passengers had 
 been struck down before they brought their rifles to their 
 shoulders. They were within a few feet of the chiefs, 
 and each of their shots told. For a minute or two there 
 was a scene of wild confusion. The natives in the waist 
 fell furiously upon the sailors, but these, fortunately put 
 upon their guard, received the attack with determina- 
 tion. The sound of the lads' rifles was followed almost 
 instantly by the sharp cracks of a revolver Mr. Atherton 
 produced from his pocket, and each shot told with fatal 
 effect. When the revolver was empty not a native re- 
 mained alive on the poop. 
 
 The other passengers had been taken so completely by 
 surprise that even those who had brought up their arms 
 did not join in the fray until the poop was cleared. 
 "Keep them back there!" Mr. Atherton shouted as the 
 natives came swarming up the ladder on -the port side. 
 Several shots were fired, but the passengers were too 
 startled for their aim to be true. 
 
 "Give me your musket, Kenshaw!" Mr. Atherton ex- 
 claimed, snatching the piece the latter had just dis- 
 charged from his hands, "my rifle is too good for this 
 work." He then clubbed the weapon, and whirling it 
 round his head as if it had been a straw, fell upon the 
 natives, who were just pouring up on to the poop, shout- 
 ing to the passengers, "Fire on the mass below! I will 
 keep these fellows at bay!" Every blow that fell 
 Stretched a man lifeless on deck, until those who had
 
 MAORI AND SETTLOR. 
 
 gaii^d tju<j poop, unable to retreat owing to the pressure 
 of those behind them, and terrified by the destruction 
 wrought by this giant, sprang over the bulwark into the 
 sea. Just as they did so the little party of sailors and 
 steerage passengers, finding themselves unable to resist 
 the pressure, made their way up to the poop by the star- 
 board ladder, hotly pressed by the natives. 
 
 By this time several of the male passengers who had 
 rushed below for their weapons ran up, and Wilfrid and 
 the Aliens having reloaded, such a discharge was poured 
 into the natives on the port ladder that the survivors 
 leaped down on to the deck below, and the attack for a 
 moment ceased. The whole of the forward portion of 
 the ship was by this time in the hands of the natives. 
 Three sailors who were at work there had been at once 
 murdered, only one of the party having time to make his 
 escape up the fore-rigging. Spears now began to fly fast 
 over the poop. 
 
 "We must fall back a bit, Mr. Rawlins, or we shall be 
 riddled," Mr. Atherton said. "Your men had better 
 run down and get muskets; we will keep these fellows at 
 bay. - I do not think they will make a rush again just at 
 present. Will you see that the door leading out on to 
 the waist is securely barricaded, and place two or three 
 men there? Mr. Renshaw, will you and some of the 
 other passengers carry down those ladies who have 
 fainted, and assure them all that the danger is really 
 over. ' ' 
 
 Mr. Atherton had so naturally taken the command that 
 the second mate at once obeyed his instructions. Most of 
 the ladies had rushed below directly the fray began, but 
 two or three had fainted, and these were soon carried 
 below. The male passengers, -eighteen in all, were now 
 on deck. Several of them looked very pale and scared,
 
 124 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 but even the most timid felt that his life depended on his 
 making a fight for it. A perfect shower of spears were 
 now flying over the poop from the natives in the canoes 
 alongside, and from the ship forward. 
 
 "We had best lie down,, gentlemen," Mr. Atherton 
 said. "If the natives make a rush up the ladders we 
 must be careful not to fire all at once or we should be at 
 their mercy. Let those by the bulwarks fire first, and 
 the others take it up gradually while the first reload. Of 
 course if they make a really determined rush there will 
 be nothing to do but to meet them and drive them back 
 again." 
 
 Unfortunately the four cannon of the Flying Scud 
 were all amidships, and were therefore not available for 
 the defense. 
 
 "If we could make a breastwork, Mr. Atherton, so that 
 we could stand up behind it and fire down into the waist 
 we might drive these fellows out," the second officer 
 suggested. 
 
 "A very good idea. Wilfrid, will you run down and 
 ask the ladies to get up to the top of the companion all 
 the mattresses, trunks, and other things that would do 
 to form a barricade? It will be a good thing for them to 
 have something to do. Mr. RawJins, will you send down 
 the stewards to help? they might get some cases and 
 barrels up. As fast as they bring them up we will push 
 them along the deck and form a breastwork."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. - 125 
 
 CHAPTEE 
 
 THE END OF THE VOYAGE. 
 
 WHEN Wilfrid went below to get materials for a barri- 
 cade he found the ladies kneeling or sitting calm and 
 quiet, although very pale and white, round the table, 
 while Mrs. Renshaw was praying aloud. She concluded 
 her prayer just as he came down. There was a general 
 chorus of questions. 
 
 "Everything is going on well," Wilfrid said cheer- 
 fully; "but we want to make a breastwork, for the spears 
 are flying about so one cannot stand up to fire at them. 
 I have come to ask you all to carry up mattresses and 
 pillows and cushions and portmanteaus, and everything 
 else that will make a barricade. The stewards will open 
 the lazaret and send up barrels and things. Please set 
 to work at once." 
 
 Not a moment was lost; the ladies carried the things 
 rapidly up the companion, two of the passengers passed 
 them outside, and others lying in a line pushed them 
 forward from one to another until they arrived at those 
 lying, rifle in hand, twenty feet aft of the poop rails. 
 There was soon a line of mattresses four deep laid across 
 the deck. 
 
 "That will do to begin with," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "Now, let us push these before us to the end of the poop, 
 and we can then commence operations. The sailors, 
 Wilfrid Renshaw, the Aliens, and myself will first open 
 fire. Will the rest of you please continue to pass things
 
 136 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 along to add to the height of our barricade? I wish we 
 knew how they are getting on onshore." For almost 
 immediately after the struggle had begun on board the 
 Bound of musketry had broken out from that quarter, 
 and they knew that the watering party had been attacked 
 directly the natives knew that their chiefs had com- 
 menced the massacre on board ship. 
 
 Several times, in spite of the danger from the flying 
 spears, Mr. Atherton had gone to the stern and looked 
 toward the shore. The boats lay there seemingly 
 deserted, and the fight was going on in the wood. A 
 number of canoes had placed themselves so as to cut off 
 the return of the boats should the sailors succeed in 
 making their way to them. 
 
 As soon as the line of mattresses was pushed forward 
 to the edge of the poop a steady fire was opened upon the 
 natives who had already taken off the hatches, and were 
 engaged in bringing their plunder up on deck, deferring 
 the dangerous operation of carrying the poop for the 
 present. 
 
 As soon, however, as the fire opened upon them they 
 seized their spears and tomahawks, and, led by one of 
 their chiefs, made a rush at the two poop ladders. Mr. 
 Atherton gave a shout, and the whole of 'the passengers 
 seizing their muskets, sprang to their feet and ran for- 
 ward to the barricade, and so heavy a fire was poured 
 into the natives as they tried to ascend the ladders that 
 they fell back again and -contented themselves with re- 
 plying to the fire with volleys of spears. The passen- 
 gers at once renewed their work of passing the materials 
 for the barricade forward, and this was continued until 
 it rose breast-high. They then took their places closely 
 together behind it, and joined its defenders in keeping 
 up a heavy fire upon the natives. So deadly was its
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 127 
 
 effect that the latter began to lose heart and to jump 
 over into the canoes alongside. 
 
 A cheer broke from the passengers as they saw the 
 movement of retreat. It was no longer necessary for any 
 to reserve their fire, and this was redoubled. The natives 
 were discouraged by the want of leaders ; their principal 
 chiefs had all been killed on the poop, and anj' other 
 who attempted to rallj" them and lead them again to an, 
 attack was instantly shot down by Mr. Atherton, who, 
 as Wilfrid, who was standing next to him observed, never 
 once failed to bring down the man he aimed at." 
 
 "I think we might get at them, sir, now," the second 
 officer said to Mr. Atherton; "the fight is all out erf 
 them." 
 
 "I think so too, Bawlins. Now, gentlemen, give them 
 one last volley and then pull down the barricade across 
 the ends of the ladders and charge them." The volley 
 wag given, and then with a ringing cheer the barricade 
 was thrust aside, and led on one side by Mr. Athertoii 
 and on the other by the second officer, the defenders of 
 the poop sprang down the ladders and rushed forward. 
 The natives did not stop to await them, but sprang over- 
 board with the greatest precipitation, and the Flying 
 Scud was once again in the hands of its lawful owners. 
 
 "Now, Rawlins, do you and the sailors work the guns; 
 vre will pepper them with our rifles," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "Mr. Eenshaw, will you go aft and tell the ladies that 
 all is over?" 
 
 But this they had already learned. Marion, after the 
 things had been passed up, had taken her place at the 
 top of the companion, occasionally peering out to see 
 what was going on, and running down with the news to 
 them below, and as the loud cheer which preceded the 
 charge had broken from those on deck, she had called
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 out to the ladies below that the natives were beaten. 
 The shower of spears from the boats had ceased as soon 
 as the natives saw their friends leaping overboard, and as 
 Mr. Eenshaw ascended the poop to deliver the message 
 the ladies were flocking out on deck, each anxious to 
 ascertain whether those most dear to them had suffered 
 in the fray. Marion ran forward and threw herself into 
 his arms. 
 
 "Not hurt, father?" 
 
 "No, my dear, thank God. Some of us have go* apear 
 wounds more or less awkward, but nobody has been 
 killed except those who were struck down at the begin- 
 ning. " As he spoke the four cannon boomed out one 
 after another, for they had been loaded some days be- 
 fore, and a hail of bullets and pieces of iron with which 
 they had been crammed tore through the canoes, while 
 terrible yells rose from the natives. Three of the canoes 
 were instantly sunk, and half the paddlers in the large 
 boat of the chief were killed or disabled. Almost the 
 same instant a dropping fire of musketry was opened, 
 the passengers firing as soon as they had reloaded their 
 pieces. 
 
 "Give another dose to that big fellow!" the second 
 officer shouted to the men at the two guns at that side of 
 the ship. "Shove a ball in, men, and a bagful of bullets 
 take steady aim, and remember the poor captain!" A 
 minute later the guns were fired. A terrible cry was 
 heard, and almost instantaneously the great canoe disap- 
 peared below the water. 
 
 "Get the other two guns over to this side," Mr. Eaw- 
 lins said ; "we must lend a hand now to the party ashore. 
 Load all the guns with grape, and aim at those canoes 
 between us and them." These, following the example of 
 those around the ship, were already moving toward the
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 129 
 
 shore, and the discharge of the four guns sank two of 
 them and sent the others off in headlong flight. 
 
 "What had we better do now, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "I should load with round shot now, Rawlins, and 
 open fire into the wood on both sides of the landing- 
 place. The sound of the shot crashing among the trees 
 will demoralize the scoundrels even if you do not hit 
 any one. ' ' 
 
 Three or four rounds were fired, and then those on 
 board gave a cheer as they saw the sailors issue out 
 from among the trees and take their places in the boats. 
 Half a minute later they were rowing toward the vessel, 
 unmolested by the natives. Mr. Ryan stood up in the 
 stern of his boat as soon as they were within hailing dis- 
 tance and shouted "How has it gone with you?" 
 
 "We have beaten them off, as you see, " the second 
 officer shouted back; "but the ship was pretty nearly in 
 their hands for a time. The captain is killed, I am 
 sorry to say ; four of our men, and two of the passengers. 
 How have you done?" 
 
 "We have lost three men," Mr. Ryan replied, "and 
 most of us are wounded." 
 
 The boats were soon alongside, and Mr. Ryan, after 
 hearing what had taken place on board, related his ex- 
 perience. "We had got about half the casks filled when 
 we heard a rifle shot on board the ship, followed directly 
 by the yells of the black divils. I ordered the men to 
 drop the casks and take to their guns, but I had scarcely 
 spoken when a volley of spears fell among us. Two men 
 were killed at once. I had intended to take to the boats 
 and come off to lend you a hand, but by the yelling and the 
 ghower of spears I saw that the spalpeens were so thick 
 round us that if we had tried we should pretty well all 
 be killed before we could get fairly out, so I told the
 
 130 
 
 XAORl AND SETTLER 
 
 men to take to the trees and keep up a steady fire when- 
 ever the natives tried to make a rush at us. I was, of 
 course, terribly anxious about you all at first, and I 
 knew that if the ship was taken they must have us all 
 sooner or later. After the first few shots there was 
 silence for a time, and I feared the worst." 
 
 "The spears were flying so thick we could not stand 
 up to fire," the second officer put in. 
 
 "Ah! that was it. Well, I was afraid you had all 
 been massacred, and you may imagine how relieved I 
 was when I heard a dropping fire of musketry begin ; I 
 knew then that they had failed to take you by surprise. 
 The fire at last got so heavy I was sure that most of you 
 had escaped the first attack, and we then felt pretty 
 hopeful, though I did not see how we were to get down 
 to the boats and get off to you. When we heard the first 
 cannon shot we gave a cheer that must have astonished 
 the natives, for we knew you must have cleared the deck 
 of the scoundrels. I had set a man at the edge of the 
 trees by the water to let us know how you were going 
 on, and he soon shouted that the canoes were drawing 
 off. Then we heard the big canoe was sunk, and that 
 you had driven off the craft that were lying between us 
 and the ship. A minute later the round shot came 
 crashing among the trees, and almost immediately the 
 yelling round us ceased, and we felt sure they must be 
 drawing off. We waited until you had fired a couple 
 more rounds, and then as all seemed quiet we fell back 
 to the boats, and, as you saw, got off without a single 
 spear being thrown at us. I am awfully sorry for the 
 poor captain. If he had but taken your advice, Mr. 
 Athertou, all this would not have happened ; but at last 
 he got to trust these treacherous scoundrels, and this is 
 the result. ' '
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 131 
 
 "Well, Mr. Eyan, you are in command now," Mr. 
 Atherton said, "and we are all ready to carry out any 
 orders that you will give us." 
 
 "First of all then, Mr. Atherton, I must in the name 
 of the owners of this ship, of myself, the officers and 
 crew, thank you for having saved it and us from the 
 hands of these savages. From what Mr. Eawlins tells 
 me, and from what I know myself, I am convinced that 
 had it not been for your vigilance, and for the part you 
 have taken in the defense of the ship, the natives would 
 have succeeded in their treacherous design of massacring 
 all on board almost without resistance." 
 
 A cheer broke from the passengers and crew, and Mr. 
 Renshaw said, when it had subsided: "I, on the part of 
 the passengers, indorse all that Mr. Eyan has said; we 
 owe it to you, Athertou, that by God's mercy we and 
 those dear to us have escaped from death at the hands 
 of these savages. It was you who put some of us on our 
 guard ; it was your marvelous shooting with the revolver 
 that first cleared the poop; and your extraordinary 
 strength that enabled you single-handed to check the 
 onslaught of the natives and give us time to rally from 
 our first surprise, and saved the ship and us." 
 
 "Do not let us say anything more about it," Mr. 
 Atherton said; "we have all done our duty to the best 
 of our power, and have reason to be heartily thankful to 
 God that we have got out of this scrape without heavier 
 loss than has befallen us. Now, Mr. Eyan, please give 
 your orders." 
 
 "The first thing, undoubtedly, is to clear the deck of 
 these bodies," Mr. Eyan said. 
 
 "What about the wounded?" Mr. Eenshaw asked, "no 
 doubt some of the poor wretches are still alive." 
 
 "They do not deserve any better fate than to be tossed
 
 132 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 overboard with the others ; still as that would go against 
 the grain, we will see what we can do." He looked over 
 the side. "There is a good-sized canoe floating there 
 fifty yards away. I suppose the fellows thought it would 
 be safer to jump overboard and swim ashore. Four of 
 you men get out the gig and tow the canoe alongside. 
 We will put any wounded we find into it and send it 
 adrift ; they will come out and pick it up after we are 
 fairly off." 
 
 The bodies of sixty natives who had been killed out- 
 right were thrown overboard, and eighteen who were 
 found to be still alive were lowered into the canoe. "I do 
 not think we are really doing them much kindness, 
 though of course we are doing the best we can for them," 
 Mr. Atherton said to Mr. Renshaw. "I doubt if one of 
 them will live. You see, all who were able to drag them- 
 selves to the side jumped overboard, and were either 
 drowned or hauled into the canoes." 
 
 As soon as the operation was over the casks of water 
 were got on board and the boats hoisted to the 
 davits. The anchor was then hove up and some of the 
 sails shaken out, and with a gentle breeze the vessel be- 
 gan to draw off the land. As soon as this was done all 
 hands set to work washing down the deckjp; and in two 
 or three hours, except for the bullet marks on the deck 
 and bulwarks, there were no signs left of the desperate 
 conflict that had raged on board the Flying- Scud. At 
 sunset all hands gathered on the poop, and the bodies of 
 the captain and two passengers, and of the sailors who 
 had fallen, were reverently delivered to the deep, Mr. 
 Ryan reading the funeral service. 
 
 The ladies had retired below after the boats had come 
 alongside, and did not come up until all was ready for 
 the funeral. Mrs. Renshaw and three or four of the
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 133 
 
 ethers had been employed in dressing the wounds of 
 those who had been injured. Four out of the six sailors 
 who had survived the massacre on board had been more 
 or less severely wounded before they won their way on 
 the quarter-deck, and six of the watering party were also 
 wounded. Eight of the passengers had been struck with 
 the flying spears; but only two of these had received 
 wounds likely to cause anxiety. After the funeral was 
 over more sail was hoisted, the breeze freshened, and the 
 Flying Scud proceeded briskly on her way. 
 
 The rest of the voyage was uneventful. Thankful as 
 all were for their escape, a gloom hung over the ship. 
 The death of the captain was much felt by all. He had 
 been uniformly kind and obliging to the passengers, and 
 had done everything in his power to make the voyage a 
 pleasant one. One of the passengers who was killed was 
 a young man with none on board to mourn him, but the 
 other had left a widow and two children, whose presence 
 in their midst was a constant reminder of their narrow 
 escape from destruction. 
 
 The voyage had produced a very marked change in Mr. 
 Kenshaw. It had brought him in far closer connection 
 with his children than he had ever been before, with 
 results advantageous to each. Hitherto they had 
 scarcely ever seen him except at meals, and even at these 
 times his thoughts were so wholly taken up with the 
 writings on which he was engaged that he had taken but 
 little part in the general conversation beyond giving a 
 willing assent to any request they made, and evincing no 
 interest whatever in their plans and amusements. 
 
 Now, although for four or five hours a day he worked 
 diligently at. his study of the Maori language, he was at 
 other times ready to join in what was going on. He 
 often walked the deck by the hour with Wilfrid and
 
 134 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Marion, and in that time learned far more 'of their past 
 life, of their acquaintances and amusements at their old 
 home, than he had ever known before. He was genial 
 and chatty with all the other passengers, and the aston- 
 ishment of his children was unbounded when he began 
 to take a lively part in the various amusements by which 
 the passengers whiled away the long hours, and played 
 at deck quoits and bull. The latter game consists of a 
 board divided into twelve squares, numbered one to ten, 
 with two having bulls' heads upon them; leaden disks 
 covered with canvas are thrown on to this board, count- 
 ing according to the number on which they fall, ten 
 being lost for each quoit lodged on a square marked by a 
 bull's head. 
 
 On the evening of the day before the shores of New 
 Zealand came in sight Mr. Eenshaw was sitting by his 
 wife. "The voyage is just finished, Helen," he said. 
 "It has been a pleasant time. I am sorry it is over." 
 
 "A very pleasant time, Alfred," she replied, "one of 
 the most pleasant I have ever spent." 
 
 "I see now," he went on, "that I have made a mistake 
 of my life, and instead of making an amusement of my 
 hobby for archaeology have thrown away everything for 
 it. I have been worse than selfish. I have utterly 
 neglected you and the children. "Why, I seem only to 
 have made an acquaintance with them since we came 
 on board ship. I see now, dear, that I have broken my 
 marriage vows to you. I have always loved you and al- 
 ways honored you, but I have altogether failed to cherish 
 you." 
 
 "You have always been good and kind, Alfred," she 
 said softly. 
 
 "A man may be good and kind to a dog, Helen; but 
 that is not all that a wife has a right to expect. I see
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 135 
 
 now that I have blundered miserably. I cannot change 
 my nature altogether, dear ; that is too late. I cannot 
 develop a fund of energy by merely wishing for it; but 
 I can make the happiness of my wife and children my 
 first thought and object, and my own pursuits the second. 
 I thought the loss of our money was a terrible misfor- 
 tune. I do not think so now. I feel that I have got my 
 wife again and have gained two children, and whatever 
 coires of our venture here I shall feel that the failure of 
 the bank has brought undeserved happiness to me." 
 
 "And to me also," Mrs. Renshaw said softly as she 
 pressed her husband's hand. "I feel sure that we shall 
 all be happier than we have ever been before. Not that 
 we have been unhappy, dear, very far from it; still, you 
 have not been our life and center, and it has been so 
 different since the voyage began." 
 
 "He is not half a bad fellow, after all," Mr. Atherton 
 said, as leaning against the bulwark smoking his cigar 
 he had glanced across at the husband and wife seated 
 next to each other talking in low tones, and evidently 
 seeing nothing of what was passing around them. "He 
 has brightened up wonderfully since we started. Of 
 course, he will never be a strong man, and is no more fit 
 for a settler's life than he is for a habitation in the moon. 
 Still, he is getting more like other people. His thoughts 
 are no longer two or three thousand years back. He has 
 become a sociable and pleasant fellow, and I am sure he 
 is very fond of his wife and children. It is a pity he 
 has not more backbone. Still, I think the general out- 
 look is better than I expected. Taking it altogether, it 
 has been as pleasant a voyage as I have ever made. 
 There is the satisfaction too that one may see something 
 of one's fellow-passengers after we land. This northern 
 island is not, after all, such a very big place. That is
 
 136 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the worst of homeward voyages. People who get to 
 know and like each other when they arrive in port scat- 
 ter like a bombshell in every direction, and the chances 
 are against your ever running up against any of them 
 afterward." 
 
 Somewhat similar ideas occupied the minds of most of 
 the passengers that evening. The voyage had been a 
 pleasant one, and they were almost sorry that it was 
 over; but there was a pleasurable excitement at the 
 thought that they should next day see the land that was 
 to be their home, and the knowledge that they should all 
 be staying for a few days at Wellington seemed to post- 
 pone the break-up of their party for some little time. 
 
 No sooner was the anchor dropped than a number of 
 shore boats came off to the ship. Those who had friends 
 on shore and were expecting to be met watched anxiously 
 for a familiar face, and a cry of delight broke from the 
 two Mitfords as they saw their father and mother in one 
 of these boats. After the first joyful greeting was over 
 the happj- little party retired to the cabin, where they 
 could chat together undisturbed, as all the passengers 
 were on deck. Half an hour later they returned to the 
 deck, and the girls led their father and mother up to 
 Mrs. Renshaw. 
 
 "I have to thank you most heartily, Mrs. Eenshaw, 
 for your great kindness to my girls. They tell me that 
 you have throughout the voyage looked after them as if 
 they had been your own daughters." 
 
 "There was no looking after required, I can assure 
 you, "Mrs. Eenshaw said. "I was very pleased, indeed, 
 to have them in what I may call our little party, and it 
 was a great advantage and pleasure to my own girl. " 
 
 "We are going ashore at once," Mr. Mitford said. 
 "My girls tell me that you have no acquaintances here.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 137 
 
 My own place is hundreds of miles away, and we are 
 staying with some friends while waiting the arrival of 
 the ship, and therefore cannot, I am sorry to say, put 
 you up ; but in any other way in which we can be of 
 assistance we shall be delighted to give any aid in our 
 power. The girls say you are thinking of making this 
 your headquarters until you decide upon the district in 
 which you mean to settle. In that case it will, of course, 
 be much better for you to take a house, or part of a 
 house, than to stop at an hotel ; and if so it will be best 
 to settle upon one at once, so as to go straight to it and 
 avoid all the expenses of moving twice. It is probable 
 that our friends, the Jacksons, may know of some suita- 
 ble place, but if not I shall be glad to act as your guide 
 in house-hunting." 
 
 Mr. Renshaw here came up and was introduced to Mr. 
 Mitford, who repeated his offer. 
 
 "We shall be extremely glad," Mr. Renshaw replied; 
 "though I really think that it is most unfair to take you 
 even for a moment from your girls after an absence of 
 five years." 
 
 "Oh, never mind that," Mr. Mitford said; "we shall 
 land at once, and shall have all the morning to talk with 
 them. If you and Mrs. Renshaw will come ashore at 
 four o'clock in the afternoon my wife and I will meet you 
 at the landing-place. Or if, as I suppose you would 
 prefer to do, you like to land this morning and have a 
 look at Wellington for yourselves, this is our address, 
 and if you will call at two o'clock, or any time later, we 
 shall be at your service. I would suggest, though, that 
 if you do land early, you should first come round to us, 
 because Jackson may know some plaee to suit you ; and 
 if not, I am sure that he will be glad to accompany you 
 and act as your guide."
 
 138 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I should not like to trouble " Mr. Kenshaw began. 
 "My dear sir, you do not know the country. Every 
 one is glad to help a new chum that is the name for 
 fresh arrivals to the utmost of his power if he knows 
 anything whatever about him, and no one thinks any- 
 thing of trouble." 
 
 "In that case," Mr. Kenshaw said, smiling, "we will 
 gladly avail ourselves of the offer. We should all have 
 been contented if the voyage had lasted a month longer; 
 but being here, we all, I suppose, want to get ashore as 
 soon as possible. Therefore we shall probably call at 
 your address in the course of an hour or so after you get 
 there." 
 
 Wilfrid and Marion were indeed in such a hurry to 
 get ashore that a very few minutes after the Mitfords left 
 the side of the ship the Eenshaws took a boat and started 
 for the shore. Most of the other passengers also landed. 
 "We shall go in alongside the quays in an hour's 
 time," the captain said, as they left; "so you must look 
 for us there when you have done sightseeing. We shall 
 begin to get the baggage up at once for the benefit of 
 those who are in a hurry to get away to the hotels; but 
 I shall be glad for you all to make the ship your home 
 until to-morrow." 
 
 For an hour after landing the Renshaws wandered 
 about Wellington, which they found to be a pretty and 
 well-built town with wide streets. 
 
 "Why, it is quite a large place!" Wilfrid exclaimed in 
 surprise. "Different, of course, from towns at home, 
 with more open spaces. I expected it would be much 
 rougher than it is." 
 
 "It is the second town of the island, you see," Mr. 
 Renshaw said; "and is an important place. Well, lam 
 glad we did not cumber ourselves by bringing everything
 
 MAORI AFD SETTLER. 139 
 
 out from England, for there will be no difficulty in pro- 
 viding ourselves with everything we require here." 
 
 After wandering about for an hour they proceeded to 
 the address Mr. Mitford had given them. It was a house 
 of considerable size, standing in a pretty garden, a 
 quarter of a mile from the business part of the town. 
 They were warmly received by the Mitfords, and intro- 
 duced to Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. 
 
 "Mr. Mitford has been telling me that you want to get 
 a house or part of a house, for a few weeks till you look 
 about you and decide where you will settle down," Mr. 
 Jackson said. "I am a land and estate agent, beside 
 doing a little in other ways. "We most of us turn our 
 hands to anything that presents itself here. I have taken 
 a holiday for this morning and left my clerk in charge, 
 so I am quite at your service. You will find it difficult 
 and expensive if you take a whole house, so I should 
 advise you strongly to take lodgings. If you vrere a 
 large party it would be different, but you only want a 
 sitting room and. three bedrooms." 
 
 ""We could do with a sitting-room, a good-sized bed- 
 room for my wife and myself, and a small one for my 
 daughter," Mr. Renshaw said; "and take a bedroom out 
 for a few nights for Wilfrid, as he will be starting with 
 a friend to journey through the colony and look out for 
 a piece of land to suit us. " 
 
 "Then there will be no difficulty at all. You will find 
 lodgings rather more expensive than in England. I do 
 not mean more expensive than a fashionable watering- 
 place, but certainly more expensive than in a town of the 
 same kind at home. House rent is high here; but then, 
 on the other hand, your living will cost you less than at 
 home." 
 
 After an hour's search lodgings were found in a house
 
 140 MAORI AND STZTTLER. 
 
 at no great distance from that of Mr. Jackson. It wag 
 a email bouse, kept by the widow of the owner and cap- 
 tain of a small trading ship that had been lost a year 
 previously. The ship had fortunately been insured, and 
 the widow was able to keep on the house in which she 
 lived, adding to her income by letting a portion of it to 
 new arrivals, who, like the Kenshaws, intended to make 
 a stay of some little time in "Wellington before taking 
 any steps to establish themselves as settlers. 
 
 "I think," Mr. Jackson said when this was settled, 
 "you are doing wisely by letting your son here take a run 
 through the colony. There is no greater mistake than 
 for newcomers to be in a hurry. Settle in haste and 
 repent at leisure is the rule. Mr. Mitford was saying 
 that he hoped that you might settle down somewhere in 
 his locality ; but at any rate it will be best to look round 
 first. There is plenty of land at present to be obtained 
 anywhere, and there are many things to be considered in 
 choosing a location. Carriage is of course a vital con- 
 sideration, and a settler on a river has a great advantage 
 over one who has to send his produce a long distance to 
 market by wagon. Then, again, some people prefer tak- 
 ing up virgin land, and clearing it for themselves, while) 
 others are ready to pay a higher sum to take possession 
 of a holding where much of the hard work has already 
 been done, and a house stands ready for occupation. 
 
 "At present no one, of course, .with a wife and 
 daughter would think of settling in the disturbed dis- 
 trict, although farms can be bought there for next to 
 nothing. The war is, I hope, nearly at an end, now that 
 we have ten British regiments in the island. They have 
 taken most of the enemy's pahs, though they have been 
 a prodigious time about it, and we colonists are very 
 discontented with the dilatory way in which the war has
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 141 
 
 been carried on, and think that if things had been left to 
 ourselves we could have stamped the rebellion out in half 
 the time. The redcoats were much too slow, too heavily 
 weighted, and too cautious for this sort of work. The 
 Maoris defend their pahs well, inflict a heavy loss upon 
 their assailants, and when the latter at last make their 
 attack and carry the works the Maoris manage to slip 
 away, and the next heard of them is they have erected a 
 fresh pah, and the whole thing has to be gone through 
 again. However, we need not discuss that now. I take 
 it that anyhow you would not think of settling down 
 anywhere in the locality of the tribes that have been in 
 revolt." 
 
 "Certainly not," Mr. Renshaw said. "lam apeaceful 
 man, and if I could get a house and land for nothing and 
 an income thrown into the bargain, I should refuse it if 
 I could not go to bed without the fear that the place 
 might be in flames before the morning." 
 
 "I am bound tcr say that the natives have as a whole 
 behaved very well to the settlers; it would have been 
 easy in a great number of cases for them to have cut 
 them off had they chosen to do so. But they have fought 
 fairly and well according to the rules of what we may 
 call honorable warfare. The tribesmen are for the most 
 part Christians, and have carried out Christian precepts. 
 
 "In one case, hearing that the troops assembling to 
 attack one of their pahs were short of provisions, they 
 sent down boatloads of potatoes and other vegetables to 
 them, saying that the Bible said, 'If thine enemy hunger 
 feed him. ' Still, in spite of instances of tins kind> I 
 should certainly say do not go near the disturbed' dis- 
 tricts, for one cannot assert that if hostilities continue 
 they will always be carried on in that spirit. However, 
 things are at present perfectly peaceable throughout the
 
 14 2 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 provinces of "Wellington and Hawke Bay, and it may be 
 hoped it may continue so. I have maps and plans of all 
 the various districts, and before your son starts will give 
 him all the information I possess as to the advantages 
 and disadvantages of each locality, the nature of the soil, 
 the price at which land can be purchased, and the repu- 
 tation of the natives in the neighborhood." 
 
 The next day the Eenshaws landed after breakfast and 
 took up tbeir abode in the new lodgings. These were 
 plainly but comfortably furnished, and after one of the 
 trunks containing knickknacks of all descriptians had 
 been opened, and some of the contents distributed, the 
 room assumed a comfortable homelike appearance. A 
 lodging had been obtained close by for the two Grim- 
 stones. The young fellows were heartily glad to be on, 
 shore again, for life among the steerage passengers dur- 
 ing a long voyage is dull and monotonous. Mr. Kenshaw 
 had looked after them during the voyage, and had sup- 
 plied them from his own stores with many little comforts 
 in the way of food, and with books to assist them to pass 
 their time; still they were very glad the voyage was over. 
 
 When he now told them it was probable that a month 
 or even more might pass after their arrival in the colony 
 before he could settle on a piece of land, and that during 
 that time they would remain at Wellington, they at once 
 asked him to get them work of some kind if he could. 
 "We should be learning something about the place, sir; 
 and should probably get our food for our work, and 
 should be costing you nothing, and we would much 
 rather do that than loiter about town doing nothing." 
 
 Mr. Eenshaw approved of their plan, and mentioned it 
 to Mr. Jackson, who, on the very day after their land- 
 ing, spoke to a settler who had come in from a farm some 
 twenty miles in the interior.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 143 
 
 "They are active and willing young fellows and don't 
 vrant pay, only to be put up and fed until the man who 
 has brought them out here with him gets hold of a farm." 
 
 "I shall be extremely glad to have them," the settler 
 said. "This is a very busy time with us, and a couple of 
 extra hands will be very useful. They will learn a good 
 deal as to our ways here in the course of a month, and, 
 as you say, it would be far better for them to be at work 
 than to be loafing about the place doing nothing." 
 
 Accordingly, the next morning the two Grimstonea 
 went up country and set to work.
 
 144 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE NEW ZEALAND WAE. 
 
 FOB a few days the greater part of the passengers who 
 had arrived by the Flying Scud remained in Wellington. 
 Mr. Atherton and the two Aliens had put up at the same 
 hotel. The latter intended to go out as shepherds or in 
 any other capacity on a farm, for a few months at any 
 rate, before investing in land. They had two or three 
 letters of introduction to residents in Wellington, and 
 ten days after the arrival of the ship they called at the 
 Eenshaws to say good-by, as they had arranged to go for 
 some months with a settler up the country. They prom- 
 ised to write regularly to Wilfrid and tell him all about 
 the part to which they were going. 
 
 "Mr. Atherton has promised to write to us, "they said, 
 "and tell us about the districts he visits with you, and 
 if you and he discover anything particularly inviting we 
 shall at any rate come and see you, if you will give us an 
 invitation when you are settled, and look round there 
 before buying land anywhere else. It would be very 
 pleasant to be somewhere near you and him." 
 
 "W T e shall be very glad, indeed, to see you," Mrs. Ben- 
 shaw said; "still more glad if you take up a piece of 
 ground near us. Having friends near is a very great 
 point in such a life as this, and it would be most agreea- 
 ble having a sort of little colony of our own." 
 
 "We should have liked very much," James Allen said, 
 "to say good-by to the Miss Mitfords, but as we do not
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 145 
 
 know their father and mother it might seem strange for 
 us to call there." 
 
 "I do not think they are at all people to stand on cere- 
 mony, Mrs. Renshaw said; "but I will put on my bonnet 
 and go round with you at once if you like." 
 
 This was accordingly done. Mr. Mitford had heard 
 of the young men as forming part of the little group of 
 passengers on board the Flying Scud, and gave them a 
 hearty invitation to pay him a visit if they happened to 
 be in his neighborhood, and the next day they started 
 for the farm on which they had engaged themselves. 
 Two days later there was a general break-up of the party, 
 for Mr. and Mrs. Mitford started with their daughters in 
 a steamer bound to Hawke Bay. 
 
 "Will you tell me, Mr. Jackson, what all the trouble 
 in the north has been about, ' ' "Wilfrid asked that even- 
 ing, "for I have not been able to find out from the 
 papers?" 
 
 "It is a complicated question, Wilfrid. When New 
 Zealand was first colonized the natives were very friendly. 
 The early settlers confidently pushed forward into the 
 heart of the native districts, bought tracts of land from 
 the chiefs, and settled there. Government purchased 
 large blocks of land, cut off by intervening native terri- 
 tory from the main settlements, and sold this land to 
 settlers without a suspicion that they were thereby doom- 
 ing them to ruin. The settlers were mostly small far- 
 mers, living in rough wooden houses scattered about the 
 country, and surrounded BV a few fields; the adjoining 
 land is usually fern or forest held by the natives. They 
 fenced their fields, and turned their cattle, horses, and 
 sheep at large in the open country outside these fences, 
 paying rent to the natives for the privilege of doing so. 
 
 "This led to innumerable quarrels. The native plan-
 
 146 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 tations of wheat, potatoes, or maize are seldom fenced in, 
 and the cattle of the settlers sometimes committed much 
 devastation among them ; for the Maori fields were often 
 situated at long distances from their villages, and the 
 cattle might, therefore, be days in their patches before 
 they were found out. On the other hand, the gaunt, 
 long-legged Maori pigs, which wander over the country 
 picking up their own living, were constantly getting 
 through the settlers' fences, rooting up their potatoes, 
 and doing all sorts of damage. 
 
 "In these cases the settlers always had the worst of 
 the quarrel. They either had no weapons, or, being 
 isolated in the midst of the natives, dared not use them; 
 while the Maoris, well armed and numerous, would come 
 down waving their tomahawks and pointing their guns, 
 and the settlers, however much in the right, were forced 
 to give way. The natural result was that the colonists 
 were continually smarting under a sense of wrong, 
 while the Maoris grew insolent and contemptuous and 
 were filled with an overweening confidence in their own 
 powers, the result of the patience and enforced submis- 
 sion of the settlers. The authority of the queen over the 
 natives had always been a purely nominal one. There 
 was indeed a treaty signed acknowledging her govern- 
 ment, but as none of the chiefs put their name to this, 
 and the men who signed were persons of inferior rank 
 with no authority whatever to speak for the rest, the 
 treaty was not worth the paper on which it was written. 
 
 "The Maoris from the first exhibited a great desire for 
 education. They established numerous schools in their 
 own districts and villages; in most cases accepted nomi- 
 nally if not really the Christian religion, and studied 
 history with a good deal of intelligence. Some of them 
 read that the Romans conquered England by making
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. U? 
 
 roads everywhere through the island, and the natives 
 therefore determined that no roads should be constructed 
 through their lands, and every attempt on the part of 
 government to carry roads beyond the lands it had 
 bought from them was resisted so firmly and angrily that 
 the attempt had to be abandoned. The natives were 
 well enough aware that behind the despised settlers was 
 the power of England, and that if necessary a numerous 
 army could be sent over, but they relied absolutely upon 
 their almost impassable swamps, . their rivers, forests, 
 and mountains. 
 
 "Here they thought they could maintain themselves 
 against any force that might be sent against them, and 
 relying upon this they became more and more insolent 
 and overbearing, and for some time before the outbreak 
 in 1860 everyone saw that sooner or later the storm 
 would burst, and the matter have to be fought out until 
 either we were driven from the island or the natives be- 
 came thoroughly convinced of their inability to oppose 
 us. 
 
 "At first the natives had sold their land willingly, but 
 as the number of the European settlers increased they 
 became jealous of them, and every obstacle was thrown 
 in the way of land sales by the chiefs. Disputes were 
 constantly arising owing to the fact that the absolute 
 ownership of land was verj- ill defined, and perhaps a 
 dozen or more persons professed to have claims of some 
 sort or other on each piece of land, and had to be in- 
 dividually settled with before the sale could be effected. 
 When as it seemed all was satisfactorily concluded, fresh 
 claimants would arise, and disputes were therefore of 
 constant occurrence, for there were no authorities out- 
 side the principal settlements to enforce obedience to the 
 law.
 
 148 MAORI AJffD SETTLER. 
 
 "Even in Auckland itself the state of things was al- 
 most unbearable. Drunken Maoris would indulge in 
 insolent and riotious behavior in the street; for no native 
 could be imprisoned without the risk of war, and with 
 the colonists scattered about all over the country the 
 risk was too great to be run. In addition to the want 
 of any rule or authority to regulate the dealings of the 
 natives with the English, there were constant troubles 
 between the native tribes. 
 
 "Then began what is called the king movement. One 
 of the tribes invited others to join in establishing a cen- 
 tral authority, who would at once put a stop to these 
 tribal feuds and enforce something like law and order, 
 and they thought that having a king of their own would 
 improve their condition would prevent land from being 
 sold to the whites, and be a protection to the people at 
 large, and enable them to hold their own against the set- 
 tlers. Several of the tribes joined in this movement. 
 Meetings were held in various parts in imitation of the 
 colonial assemblies. The fruit of much deliberation was 
 that a chief named Potatau, who was held in the highest 
 esteem not only by the tribes of Waikato, but throughout 
 the whole island, as one of the greatest of their warriors 
 and wisest of their chiefs, was chosen as king. 
 
 "The movement excited much apprehension in Auck- 
 land and the other settlements, for it was plain that if the 
 Maoris were governed by one man and laid aside their 
 mutual enmities they would become extremely formida- 
 ble. At the great meeting that was held, the bishop of 
 New Zealand, the head of the Wesleyan body, and several 
 other missionaries were present, and warned the Maoris 
 of the dangers that would arise from the course they 
 were taking. 
 
 "The warning was in vain, and Potatau was chosen
 
 MA ORI AND SETTLER. \ 49 
 
 king. Mr. Fenton, a government official, went on a tour 
 among the natives. He found that there was still what 
 was called a queen's party, but the king's party was very 
 much the strongest. For two years, however, things 
 went on somewhat as before, and it was not until 1860, 
 when a quarrel arose over some laud in the province of 
 Taranaki, that troubles fairly began. In this district 
 a chief named "Wirernu-Kingi had established a sort of 
 land league, and given notice to the governor that he 
 would not permit any more laud to be sold in the dis- 
 trict. A native named Teira, who owned some land at 
 Waiteira, offered it for sale to the government. After 
 examining his title, and finding that it was a valid one, 
 the land was purchased. 
 
 "In the spring of 1860 the governor tried to take pos- 
 session. Wiremu-Kingi forcibly resisted, the troops 
 were called out, and war began. Wiremu-Kingi had un- 
 questionably certain rights on Teira's land, for he and 
 his tribe were amicably settled upon it, had built houses, 
 and were making plantations; but of these facts the gov- 
 ernment were ignorant when they bought the land. 
 Wiremu-Kingi at once joined the king movement, from 
 which he had previously stood aloof. A meeting was 
 held at Waikato. Chief Wiremu-Kingi and Mr. McLean 
 the native secretaiT, both addressed the meeting, and 
 Potatau and many of the chiefs were of opinion that the 
 English had acted fairly in the case. Many of the 
 younger chiefs, however, took the part of the Taranaki 
 natives, and marched away and joined them. 
 
 "Unfortunately, in the first fight that took place, our 
 troops were driven back in an attack upon a pah, and 
 the news of this success so fired the minds of all the 
 fighting men of the Waikato and neighboring tribes that 
 they flocked down to Taranaki and joined in plundering
 
 15(T MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the deserted homes of the settlers, and in the attacks 
 upon the troops. Potatau and his council did all they 
 could to stop their men from going, but the desire to 
 distinguish themselves and to take part in the victories 
 over the Pakehas, which is what the natives call the 
 whites, were too strong for them. In the midst of all 
 this turmoil Potatau died, and his son Matu-Taera was 
 made king. 
 
 < In the fighting that went on in Taranaki discipline 
 and training soon began to make themselves felt. The 
 troops in the colony were largely reinforced, and pah 
 after pah were captured. The war went on. But 
 though English regiments with a strong force of artillery 
 were engaged in it, it cannot be said that the natives 
 have been conquered, and General Cameron, who came 
 out and assumed the command, found the task before 
 him a very difficult one. 
 
 "There was for a time a pause in hostilities when Sir 
 George Grey came out as governor in thei)lace of Gover- 
 nor Brown, but the natives recommenced hostilities by a 
 treacherous massacre near New Plymouth, and fighting 
 began again at once. 
 
 "The native pah-near the Katikara river was attacked 
 by a column of infantry with artillery, and shelled by 
 the guns of a ship of war, and the Maoris were driven 
 out of a position that they believed impregnable. The 
 Waikatos now rose and murdered and plundered many of 
 the settlers, and a force marched for the first time into 
 their country, carried a formidable pah, at Koheroa, and, 
 although unprovided with artillery, defeated the Maoris 
 in a fight in the thick bush. The very formidable posi- 
 tion at Merimeri, which lay surrounded by swamps near 
 the Waikato river, was next captured, although held by 
 eleven hundred Maoris, led by their great chief "Wiremu- 
 Tamehana, called by the missionaries William Thompson.
 
 MAOEI AND SETTLER, 151 
 
 "The next attack was upon a strongly fortified posi- 
 tion at Rangiriri, lying between the Waikato river and 
 "Waikare lake. This was successful, and the natives were 
 .next thrashed at Rangiawhia, at Kaitake, on the 25th of 
 last March. Thus, you see, in almost all of these fights 
 we succeeded in capturing the enemy's pah or in defeat- 
 ing them if they fought in the open. Unfortunately, 
 although these engagements showed the natives that in 
 fair fighting they were no match for our troops, they 
 have done little more. When their pahs were captured 
 they almost invariably managed to make their way 
 though the dense bush, and it can scarcely be said that 
 we do more than hold the ground occupied by our 
 soldiers. And so matters still go on. The fighting has 
 been confined to the Taranaki and Auckland provinces, 
 and we may hope that it will go no further." 
 
 "Well, it is quite evident," Mr. Renshaw said, "that 
 neither the Waikato country nor Taranaki are fit places 
 for. quiet people to settle at the present time, and I sup- 
 pose the northern part of Wellington is not much 
 better?" 
 
 "No, I cannot say it is," Mr. Jackson said. "The 
 Wanganui tribe, on the river of that name, are in alliance 
 with the Taranaki people, and have joined them in fight- 
 ing against us, and I believe that General Cameron will 
 shortly undertake a campaign against them. I shall 
 strongly advise you to turn your attention to the eastern 
 side of this province, or to the province of Hawke Bay, 
 higher up, where they have had no trouble whatever, 
 and where, as you know, our friends the Mitfords are 
 settled. " 
 
 "What is this that I have heard about a new religion 
 that has been started among the Maoris?" 
 
 "There is but little known about it, and if it were not
 
 15 2 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 that should this religion spread it will add to our diffi- 
 culties, no one would think anything about it one way or 
 the other. There was a fellow named Te TTa, who had 
 always been looked upon as a harmless lunatic. No doubt 
 he is a lunatic still, though whether he will be harmless 
 remains to be seen. However, he some little time ago 
 gave out that the archangel Michael, the angel Gabriel, 
 and hosts of minor spirits visited him and gave him per- 
 mission to preach a new religion, and bestowed on him 
 great power. 
 
 "The religion was to be called Pai Marire, which in- 
 terpreted literally means good and peaceful ; and it is also 
 called Hau-Hau, the meaning of which is obscure, but it 
 is a special word of power that Te Ua professes to have 
 specially received from the angel Gabriel. As far as we 
 have been able to learn the Hau-Haus have no special 
 belief or creed, except that their leader has a divine mis- 
 sion, and that all he says is to be implicitly obeyed. 
 Certainly the religion has spread quickly among the 
 tribes, and has latterly taken the form of hostility to us. 
 Still, we may hope that it will soon die out. It is said 
 that Te TJa has told his followers that they are invulnera- 
 ble, but if they try conclusions with us they will very 
 speedily find that he has deceived them, and are not 
 likely to continue their belief in him." 
 
 "Then the colonists themselves, Mr. Jackson, have 
 taken but little share in the fighting so far?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, they have. There have been several corps 
 of rangers which have done capital service. The corps 
 led by Majors Atkinson, "Von Tempsky, and McDonnell 
 have done great service, and are far more dreaded by the 
 natives than are the slow-moving regular troops. They 
 fight the natives in their own manner make raids into 
 their country and attack their positions at ni&ht, and so
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. Io3 
 
 much are they dreaded that the natives in Tillages in 
 their vicinity are in the habit of leaving their huts at 
 night and sleeping in the bush lest they should be sur- 
 prised by their active enemy. The general opinion 
 among us colonists is that ten companies like Von Temp- 
 sky's would do a great deal more than ten British regi- 
 ments toward bringing the matter to a conclusion. 
 
 "In the first place, the officers and troops of the regu- 
 lar array cannot bring themselves to regard the natives 
 with the respect they deserve as foes. Their movements 
 are hampered by the necessity of a complicated system 
 of transport. Their operations, accompanied as they are 
 by artillery and a wagon train, are slow in the extreme, 
 and do what they will the natives always slip through 
 their hands. The irregular corps, on the other hand, 
 thoroughly appreciate the activity and bravery of the 
 Maoris. They have lived among them, and know their 
 customs and ways. They have suffered from the arro- 
 gance and insolence of the natives before the outbreak of 
 the war, and most of them have been ruined by the 
 destruction of their farms and the loss of years of patient 
 labor. Thus they fight with a personal feeling of enmity 
 against their foes, and neither fatigue nor danger is con- 
 sidered by them if there is a chance of inflicting a blow 
 upon their enemy. I am convinced that at last the im- 
 perial government will be so disgusted at the failure of 
 the troops to bring the war to a conclusion, and at the 
 great expense and loss of life entailed by the operations, 
 that they will recall the regulars and leave the colonists 
 to manage the affair themselves, in which case I have no 
 fear whatever as to their bringing it to a prompt conclu- 
 sion. Looking at the matter from a business point of 
 view, there is no doubt, Mr. Eenshaw, that those who, 
 like yourself, come out at the present time will benefit
 
 154 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 considerably. You will get land at a quarter the price 
 you would have had to pay for it had it not been for 
 these troubles, and as soon as the war is over the tide 
 of emigration will set in again more strongly than before, 
 and land will go to prices far exceeding those that ruled 
 before the outbreak began." 
 
 Upon the following morning Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid 
 embarked in the schooner. They had been furnished by 
 Mr. Jackson with a number of letters of introduction to 
 settlers in every district they were to visit. "These will 
 really only be of use to you in the small towns," he said, 
 "for in the country districts every house is open, and 
 you have generally only to ride up to a door, put up your 
 horses, and walk in, and you are almost sure to meet with a 
 hearty welcome. Still, as you are newcomers, and have 
 not rubbed off your old country ideas, it will be more 
 pleasant for you to take letters. At the ports, such as 
 they are, you may really find them useful, for you will 
 not find any inns. You can strike out anywhere into the 
 back country without the least fear of being inconven- 
 ienced by natives." 
 
 The two friends spent a pleasant fortnight touching at 
 the settlements, situated for the most part at the mouths 
 of the rivers, and spending the time the vessel remained 
 there in short excursions into the interior. They were 
 most pleased with the Wairarapa Valley, running up 
 from Palliser Bay; but this being near Wellington the 
 land was all taken up, and there were many flourishing 
 villages and small towns. 
 
 "This is very nice," Wilfrid said, "but the price of 
 land is far too high for us, and we might almost as well 
 have taken to farming in England." 
 
 The eastern coast of the province was dotted by little 
 settlements, lying for the most part at the mouths of
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 155 
 
 email rivers, and several of these offered favorable facili- 
 ties for settlement. Passing on, they found that the 
 coast was bolder along the province of Hawke Bay. They 
 stopped at Clive, at the mouth of the bay, for a day or 
 two, and went up th.e Tukataki river in a canoe to the 
 town of Waipawa. But here they found the farms thick 
 and land comparatively expensive. They left the 
 schooner at Napier, the chief town of the province, and 
 after making several excursions here went up in a coast- 
 ing craft to the mouth of the river Mohaka, which runs 
 into the sea a short distance to the south of the boundary 
 line between Hawke Bay and the province of Auckland. 
 A few miles up this river was the farm of Mr. Mitford. 
 Hiring a boat they proceeded up the river, and landed 
 in front of the comfortable-looking farmhouse of the 
 settler. 
 
 Mr. Mitford, seeing strangers approaching, at once 
 came down to meet them, and received them with the 
 greatest cordiality as soon as he saw who they were. 
 
 "I am heartily glad to see you!" he exclaimed, "and 
 the girls will be delighted. They have been wondering 
 ever. since we got here when you would arrive. You have 
 not, I hope, fixed upon any land yet, for they have set 
 their heart upon your settling down as our neighbors. 
 This is as pretty a valley as there is in the island, and 
 you will have no difficulty in getting land at the lowest 
 government price. There being no settlement of any 
 size at the mouth of the river has deterred emigrants 
 from coming here to search for land. But we can talk 
 about that afterward. Come straight up to the house. 
 I will send down one of my native boys to bring up your 
 
 They spent a very pleasant evening at the farmhouse. 
 Mr. Mitford owned a considerable extent of land, and
 
 156 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 was doing very well. He reared cattle and horses, which 
 he sent down for sale to "Wellington. The house was 
 large and comfortable, and bore signs of the prosperity 
 of its owner. The girls were delighted at the place. 
 They had been left in care of relatives at home when, 
 their father and mother came out six years before to 
 settle in New Zealand, and everything was as new to 
 them as to Wilfrid. They had taken to riding as soon as 
 they arrived, and had already made excursions far up 
 the valley with their father. 
 
 "We were at a place yesterday, Wilfrid," the eldest 
 girl said, "that we agreed would suit your father admira- 
 bly. It is about ten miles up the river. It was taken 
 up onlj' last year, father says, by a young Englishman, 
 who is going to make a home for some one he was en- 
 gaged to in England. A few days since he was killed by 
 a tree he was cutting down falling upon him. He lived 
 twenty-four hours after the accident, and father rode out 
 to him when he heard it. He directed him to sell the 
 land for whatever it would fetch, and to send the money 
 over to England. There are two hundred acres on the 
 river and a comfortable log hut, which could of course 
 be enlarged. He had about fifteen acres cleared and 
 cultivated. The scenery is beautiful, much prettier than 
 it is here, with lots of lovely tree-ferns; and there are 
 many open patches, so that more land can be cleared for 
 cultivation easily. Mabel and I agreed when we rode 
 over there two days ago that it would be just the place 
 for you." 
 
 "It sounds first-rate," Wilfrid said; "just the sort of 
 place that will suit us." 
 
 "But how about me, Miss Mitford?" Mr. Atherton 
 asked. "Have you had my interest at heart as well as 
 those of Wilfrid and his people?"
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 157 
 
 can take up the next bit of laud above it," Mr. 
 Mitford said. "Langston's was the last settlement on 
 the river, so you can take up any piece of land beyond it 
 at the government upset price, and do as much fishing 
 and shooting as you like, for I heard from my daughters 
 that you are not thinking of permanently settling here, 
 but are only a bird of passage. Anyhow, it would not be 
 a bad investment for you to buy a considerable acreage, 
 for as soon as the troubles are over there is sure to be a 
 rush of emigration ; and there are very few places now 
 where land is to be had on a navigable river, so that 
 when you are tired of the life you will be able to sell out 
 at considerable profit." 
 
 "It sounds tempting, Mr. Mitford, and I will certainly 
 have a l.ook at the ground. How much would this piece 
 of land be of Mr. Langston's?" 
 
 "The poor fellow told me to take anything that I could 
 get. He said he knew that at present it was very diffi- 
 cult to sell land, as no new settlers were coming out, and 
 that he should be very glad if I got what he gave for it, 
 which was ten shillings an acre, and to throw in the im- 
 provements he had made; so that a hundred pounds 
 would buy it all. I really don't think that Mr. Renshaw 
 could do better if he looked all through the island. 
 With a cow or two, a pen of pigs, and a score or two of 
 fowls, he would practically be able to live on his land 
 from the hour he settled there." 
 
 Wilfrid was greatly pleased at the idea. He knew that 
 his father and mother had still eight hundred pounds 
 untouched ; two hundred pounds, together with the pro- 
 ceeds of his mother's trinkets and jewels, and the sale of 
 the ponies and pony carriage, which had been her own 
 property, having sufficed to pay for the passage of them- 
 selves and their two laborers, and for all expenses up to
 
 158 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the time of their arrival at Wellington. "If we could 
 get another piece of two hundred acres adjoining it at 
 the same price I think my father would like to take it," 
 he said; "it would give more room for horses and cattle 
 to graze. Of course we should not want it at first ; but if 
 as we got on we wanted more land, and had neighbors all 
 round us and could not get it, it would be a nuisance." 
 
 "I agree with you," Mr. Mitford said. "Two hun- 
 dred acres is more than you want if you are going to put 
 it under the plow; it is not enough if you are going to 
 raise cattle and horses. I should certainly recommend 
 you to take up another two hundred. The next land on 
 this side is still vacant. Poor Langston chose the spot 
 because it happened to be particularly pretty, with an 
 open glade down to the river, but the land for fully two 
 miles on this side is unoccupied. You can get it at ten 
 shillings an acre at present. I will see about it for you 
 if you make up your mind, after seeing Langston 'sjplace, 
 to take it." 
 
 "Of course I cannot settle it by myself, sir, not abso- 
 lutely. I can only recommend it to my father as the 
 best place that I have seen. If it is as you describe it 
 they will be delighted." 
 
 "Well, we will ride over to-morrow and have a look at 
 it. The only possible objection I have is loneliness; 
 but that will improve in time ; the natives here are per- 
 fectly peaceful, and we have never had the slightest trouble 
 with them." 
 
 "We are a good large party to begin with, you see," 
 Wilfrid said. "Having the two men with us will take 
 away the feeling of loneliness, especially if Mr. Atherton 
 decides upon taking the piece of land next to us. Then 
 there are the two Aliens who came out with us. I prom- 
 ised to write and tell them if I found any nice place;
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 159 
 
 and they said particularly that they wanted ground on a 
 river if they could get it, as they are fond of boating and 
 fishing, and fancied that if there were other farms around 
 that they could, until their own place paid, help to keep 
 themselves by taking their neighbors' crops down to 
 market." 
 
 "Yes, it might pay if they got a large flatboat capable 
 of carrying cargo ; but as far as light goods, letters, and 
 groceries from town are concerned, the Indians could do 
 it cheaper in their canoes. However, at present there is 
 no market for them to come down to. I keep what I call 
 a grocery store for the benefit of the two or three score 
 of settlers there are on the river. I do not make any 
 profit out of the matter, but each season get a hogshead 
 <or two of sugar, a couple tons of flour, some barrels of 
 molasses, a few chests of tea, and an assortment of odds 
 and ends, such as pickles, etc., with a certain amount of 
 rum and whisky, and sell them at the price they stand 
 me in at. I do not know what they would do without 
 it here. I only open the store on the first Monday of 
 each month, and they then lay in what stores they re- 
 quire, so it gives me very little trouble. I generally 
 take produce in return. My bills run on until they gefc 
 tip to the value of something a customer wants to sell a 
 norse, or two or three dozen sheep. That suits me just 
 as well as money, as I send a cargo off to Wellington 
 every two or three months. 
 
 "In time, no doubt, a settlement will spring up some- 
 where near the mouth of the river, and we shall have a 
 trader or two establishing themselves there; but at pres- 
 ent I am the purveyor of the district, and manage mosfc 
 of the business of the settlers in the way of buying and 
 Belling at Wellington. So you see, if you establish your- 
 self here you will have no choice but to appoint me your
 
 160 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Wilfrid laughed. "It will be a great advantage to us 
 to be able to get our things so close at hand. I was 
 wondering how people did in the back settlements." 
 
 "They generalb' send their drays every two or three 
 months down to the nearest store, which may, of course, 
 be fifty miles off, or even more. Here, fortunately, you 
 will not be obliged at first to have a dray, but can send 
 any produce you have to sell down by water, which is a 
 far cheaper and more convenient mode of carriage. You 
 will not have much to send for some time, so that will 
 not trouble you at present. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, no. We shall be quite content if we can live on 
 the produce of our farm for the next year or two," Wil- 
 frid laughed. 
 
 "It is," Mr. Mitford said, "an immense advantage to 
 settlers when they have sufficient funds to carry them on 
 for the first two or three years, because in that case they 
 gain the natural increase of their animals instead of hav- 
 ing to sell them off to pay their way. It is wonderful 
 how a flock of sheep or a herd of cattle will increase if 
 there is no selling. You may take it that under favora- 
 ble circumstances a herd of cattle will nearly double 
 itself every two years, allowing, of course, a large propor- 
 tion of the bull calves to be sold off as soon as they arrive 
 at maturity. Sheep will increase even faster. If you 
 can do without selling, you will be surprised, if you 
 start with say fifty sheep or ten cows, in how short a 
 time you will have as many animals as your land will 
 carry." 
 
 "But what are we to do then, sir?" 
 
 "Well, you will then, providing the country has not 
 in the meantime become too thickly settled, pay some 
 small sum to the natives for the right of grazing your 
 cattle on their unoccupied ground. They cultivate a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 161 
 
 inere fraction of the land. In this way you can keep 
 vastly larger herds than your own ground could carry. 
 However, it is time to be turning in for the night. To- 
 morrow we will start the first thing after breakfast to 
 inspect Langston's lund."
 
 162 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE GLADE. 
 
 WHEN the party assembled at breakfast the next morn- 
 ing, Mr. Atherton's first question was: 
 
 "Is there such a thing as a boat or a good-sized canoe 
 to le had, Mr. Mitford? If you had an elephant here I 
 might manage, but as I suppose you do not keep such 
 an animal in j r our stud I own that I should greatly pre- 
 fer going \>y water to running the risk of breaking a 
 horse's back and my own neck. If such a thing cannot 
 be obtained I will get you, if you will, to let me have a 
 native as guide, and I will walk, taking with me some 
 small stock of provisions. I can sleep at this hut of 
 Langston's, for I say frankly that I should not care about 
 doing the distance there and back in one day." 
 
 "I have a boat," Mr. Mitford said, smiling, "and you 
 shall have a couple of natives to paddle you up. I will 
 give orders for them to be ready directly after break- 
 fast. You will scarcely be there as soon as we are, but 
 you will be there long before we leave. Of course we 
 shall spend some time in going over the ground, and we 
 shall take a boy with us with a luncheon basket, so you 
 will find refreshment awaiting you when you get there." 
 "That will suit me admirably," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "A boating excursion up an unknown river is just the 
 thing I like that is, when the boat is a reasonable size. 
 I was once fool enough on the Amazon to allow myself to 
 be persuaded that a canoe at most two feet wide would
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 163 
 
 carry me, and the tortures I suffered during that expedi- 
 tion, wedged in the bottom of that canoe, and holding 
 on to the sides, I shall never forget. The rascally 
 Indians made matters worse by occasionally giving sly 
 lurches to the boat, and being within an ace of capsizing 
 her. I had two days of that work before I got to a vil- 
 lage where I could obtain a craft of reasonable size, and 
 I should think I must have lost two stone in weight dur- 
 ing the time. You think that was rather an advantage I 
 can see, Miss Mitford, " he broke off, seeing a smile upon 
 the girl's face. "Well, yes, I could spare that and more, 
 but I should prefer that it was abstracted by other meana 
 than that of agon}' of mind ; beside, these improvements 
 are not permanent." 
 
 After a hearty breakfast the party prepared for their 
 start. Mrs. Mitford had already said that she should 
 not accompany them, the distance being longer than she 
 cared to ride ; and four horses were therefore brought 
 round. Mr. Atherton was first seen fairly on his way in 
 a good-sized boat, paddled by two powerful Maoris. 
 Mr. Mitford, his daughters, and "Wilfrid then mounted; 
 the lad had already been asked if he was accustomed to 
 riding. 
 
 "Not lately," he replied, "but I used to have a pony 
 and rode a good deal when I was a small boy, and I dare 
 say I can stick on." 
 
 Wilfrid was delighted with his ride through the forest. 
 In his other trips ashore their way had led through 
 an open country with low scrub bush, and this was his 
 first experience of a New Zealand forest. Ferns were 
 growing everywhere. The tree-ferns, coated with scales, 
 rose from thirty to forty feet in the air. Hymenophylla and 
 polypodia, in extraordinary variety, covered the trunks 
 of the forest trees with luxuriant growth. Smaller ferns
 
 164. MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 grew between the branches and twigs, and a thick growth 
 of ferns of many species extended everywhere over the 
 ground. 
 
 The trees were for the most part pines of different 
 varieties, but differing so widely in appearance from 
 those Wilfrid had seen in England that had not Mr. 
 Mitford assured him that they were really pines he would 
 never have guessed they belonged to that family. Mr. 
 Mitford gave him the native names of many of them. 
 The totara matai were among the largest and most beau- 
 tiful. The rinu was distinguished by its hanging leaves 
 and branches, the tanekaha by its parsley-shaped leaves. 
 Among them towered up the poplar-shaped rewarewa 
 and the hinau, whose fruit Mr. Mitford said was the fav- 
 orite food of the parrots. 
 
 Among the great forest trees were several belonging to 
 the families of the myrtles and laurels, especially the 
 rata, whose trunk often measured forty feet in circum- 
 ference, and on whose crown were branches of scarlet 
 blossoms. But it was to the ferns, the orchids, and the 
 innumerable creepers, which covered the ground with a 
 natural netting, coiled round every stem, and entwined 
 themselves among the topmost branches, that the forest 
 owed its peculiar features. Outside the narrow cleared 
 track along which they were riding it would have been 
 impossible for a man to make his way unless with the 
 assistance of knife and hatchet, especially as some of the 
 climbers were completely covered with thorns. 
 
 And yet, although so very beautiful, the appearance of 
 the forest was somber and melancholy. A great propor- 
 tion of the plants of New Zealand bear no flowers, and 
 except high tip among some of the treetops no gay 
 blossoms or color of any kind meet the eye to relieve the 
 monotony of the verdure. A deep silence reigned.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 165 
 
 Wilfrid did not see a butterfly during his ride, or hear 
 the song or even the chirp of a single bird. It was a 
 wilderness of tangled green, unrelieved by life or color. 
 Mr. Mitford could give him the names of only a few of 
 the principal trees; and seeing the infinite variety of the 
 foliage around him, Wilfrid no longer wondered Mr. 
 Atherton should have made so long a journey in order to 
 study the botany of the island, which is unique, for al- 
 though many of the trees and shrubs can be found else- 
 where, great numbers are entirely peculiar to the island. 
 
 "Are there any snakes?" Wilfrid asked. 
 
 "No; you can wander about without fear. There is 
 only one poisonous creature in New Zealand, and that is 
 found north of the port of Tauranga, forty or fifty miles 
 from here. They say it exists only there and round 
 Potaki, near Cook's Strait. It is a small black spider, 
 with a red stripe on its back. The natives all say that 
 its bite is poisonous. It will not, they say, cause death 
 to a healthy person, though it will make him very ill ; 
 but there are instances of sickly persons being killed by 
 it. Anyhow, the natives dread it vary much. However, 
 as the beast is confined to two small localities, you need 
 not trouble about it. The thorns are the only enemies 
 you have to dread as you make your way through the 
 forest." 
 
 "That is a comfort, anyhow," Wilfrid said; "it would 
 be a great nuisance to have to be always on the watch 
 against snakes." 
 
 The road they were traversing had been cleared of 
 trees from one settler's holding to another, and they 
 stopped for a few minutes at three or four of the farm- 
 houses. Some of these showed signs of comfort and 
 prosperity, while one or two were mere log cabins. 
 
 "I suppose the people here have lately arrived?" Wil-
 
 166 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 frid remarked as they rode by one of these without 
 stopping. 
 
 "They have been here upward of two years," Mr. Mit- 
 ford replied; "but the place is not likely to improve 
 were they to be here another ten. They are a thriftless, 
 lazy lot, content to raise just sufficient for their actual 
 wants and to pay for whisky. These are the sort of peo- 
 ple who bring discredit on the colony by writing home 
 declaring that there is no getting on here, and that a 
 settler's life is worse than a dog's. 
 
 "People who come out with an idea that a colony is an 
 easy place to get a living in are completely mistaken. 
 For a man to succeed he must work harder and live 
 harder here than he would do at home. He is up with 
 the sun, and works until it is too dark to work longer. 
 If he employs men he must himself set an example to 
 them. Men will work here for a master who works 'him- 
 self, but one who thinks that he has only to pay his 
 hands and can spend his time in riding about the coun- 
 try making visits, or in sitting quietly by his fire, will 
 find that his hands will soon be as lazy as he is himself. 
 Then the living here is rougher than it is at home for 
 one in the same condition of life. The fare is necessarily 
 monotonous. In hot weather meat will not keep more 
 than a day or two, and a settler cannot afford to kill a 
 sheep every day ; therefore he has to depend either upon 
 bacon or tinned meat, and I can tell yon that a continu- 
 ance of such fare palls upon the appetite, and one's meals 
 cease to be a pleasure. But the curse of the country, as 
 of all our colonies, is whisky. I do think the monotony 
 of the food has something to do with it, and that if men 
 could but get greater variety in their fare they would 
 not have the same craving for drink. It is the ruin of 
 thousands. A young fellow who lands here and deter-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 167 
 
 mines to work hard and to abstain from liquors I do 
 not mean totally abstain, though if he has any inclina- 
 tion at all toward drink the only safety is total abstinence 
 is sure to get on and" make his way, while the man 
 who gives way to drink is equally certain to remain at 
 the bottom of the tree. Now we are just passing the 
 boundary of the holding you have come to see. You see 
 that piece of bark slashed off the trunk of that tree? 
 That is what we call a blaze, and marks the line of the 
 boundary." 
 
 After riding a few minutes further the trees opened, 
 and they found themselves in a glade sloping down to the 
 river. A few acres of land ha<l been plowed up and put 
 under cultivation. Close by stood the hut, and beyond a 
 grassy sward, broken by a few large trees, stretched down 
 to the river. _ 
 
 "That's the place/' Mr. Mitford said, "and a very 
 pretty one it is. Poor young Langston chose his farm 
 specially for that bit of scenery." 
 
 "l is pretty," Wilfrid agreed; "I am sure my father 
 and mother will be delighted with it. As you said, it is 
 just like a piece of park land at home." 
 
 The hut was strongly built of logs. It was about 
 thirty feet long by twenty wide, and was divided into 
 two rooms; the one furnished as a kitchen and living- 
 room, the other opening from it as a bedroom. 
 
 "There is not much furniture in it," Mr. Mitford said; 
 "but what there is is strong and serviceable, and is a 
 good deal better than the generality of things you will 
 find in a new settler's hut. He was getting the things 
 in gradually as he could afford them, so as to have it 
 really comfortably furnished by the time she came out to 
 join him. Of course the place will not be large enough 
 for your party, but you can easily add to it ; and at any
 
 168 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 rate it is vastly better coming to a shanty like this than 
 arriving upon virgin ground and having everything to 
 do." 
 
 "I think it is capital," Wilfrid said. 
 
 "Now we will take a ride over the ground, and I will 
 show you what that. is like. Of course it will give you 
 more trouble clearing away the forest than it would do if 
 you settled upon land without trees upon it. But forest 
 land is generally the best when it is cleared ; and I think 
 that to people like your father and mother land like this 
 is much preferable, as in making the clearings clumps 
 and belts of trees can be left, giving a homelike appear- 
 ance to the place. Of course upon bare land you can 
 plant trees, but it is a long time before these grow to 
 sufficient size to give a character to a homestead. Be- 
 side, as I told you, there are already several other 
 natural clearings upon the ground, enough to afford grass 
 for quite as many animals as you will probably start 
 with." 
 
 After an hour's ride over the holding and the lands 
 adjoining it, which Mr. Mitford advised should be also 
 taken up, they returned to the hut. A shout greeted 
 them as they arrived, and they saw Mr. Atherton walk- 
 ing up from the river toward the hut. 
 
 "A charming site for a mansion," he said as they 
 rode up. "Mr. Mitford, I think I shall make you a 
 bid for this on my own account, and so cut out my young 
 friend Wilfrid." 
 
 "I am afraid you are too late," Mr. Mitford laughed. 
 "I have already agreed to give him the option of it, 
 keeping it open until we can receive a reply from hia 
 father. ' ' 
 
 "I call that too bad," Mr. Atherton grumbled. 
 "However, I suppose I must move on further. But
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. ] 60 
 
 really this seems a charming place, and I am sure Mrs. 
 Renshaw will be delighted with it. Why, there must be 
 thirty acres of natural clearing here?" 
 
 "About that," Mr. Mitford replied; "and there are 
 two or three other patches which amount to about as 
 much more. The other hundred and forty are bush and 
 forest. The next lot has also some patches of open land, 
 so that altogether out of the four hundred acres there 
 must be about a hundred clear of bush." 
 
 "And how about the next lot, Mr. Mitford?" 
 
 "I fancy that there is about the same proportion of 
 open laud. I have only once been up the river higher 
 than this, but if I remember right there is a sort of low 
 bluff rising forty or fifty feet above the river which 
 would form a capital site for a hui 
 
 "I will set about the work of exploration this after- 
 noon, " Mr. Atherton said, "and if the next lot is any- 
 thing like this I shall be very well contented to settle 
 down upon it for a bit. I have always had a fancy for a 
 sort of Robinson Crusoe life, and I think I can get it 
 here, tempered by the change of an occasional visit to 
 our friends when I get tired of my own company." 
 
 The men had by this time brought up the basket of 
 provisions, and the two girls were spreading a cloth on 
 the grass in the shade of a tree at a short distance from 
 the hut, for all agreed that they would rather take their 
 lunch there than in the abode so lately tenanted by young 
 Langston. After the meal was over the party mounted 
 their horses and rode back. One of the natives -who had, 
 come up from the boat remained with Mr. Atherton, the 
 others started back in the boat, as Mr. Atherton declared 
 himself to be perfectly capable of making the journey on 
 foot when he had finished his explorations. He returned 
 two days later, and said he was quite satisfied with the 
 proposed site for his hut and with the ground and forest.
 
 270 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I regard myself as only a temporary inhabitant," he 
 said, "and shall be "well content if, when I am ready for 
 another move, I can get as much for the ground as I gave 
 for it. In that way I shall have lived rent free and shall 
 have had my enjoyment for nothing, and, I have no 
 doubt, a pleasant time to look back upon." 
 
 "Do you never mean to settle down, Mr. Atherton?" 
 Mrs. Mitford asked. 
 
 "In the dim future I may do so," he replied. "I have 
 been wandering ever since I left college, some fifteen 
 years ago. I return to London periodically, spend a few 
 weeks and occasionally a few months there, enjoy the 
 comforts of good living and club life for a bit; then the 
 wandering fit seizes me and I am off again. Nature alto- 
 gether made a mistake in my case. I ought to have 
 been a thin, wiry sort of man, and in that case I have no 
 doubt I should have distinguished myself as an African 
 explorer or something of that sort. Unfortunately she 
 placed my restless spirit in an alinost immovable frame 
 of flesh, and the consequence is the circle of my wander* 
 ing is to a certain extent limited." 
 
 "You make yourself out to be much stouter than you 
 are, Mr. Atherton. Of course you are stout, but not 
 altogether out of proportion to your height and width of 
 shoulders. I think you put it on a good deal as an ex- 
 cuse for laziness." 
 
 Mr. Atherton laughed. "Perhaps you are right, Mrs. 
 Mitford, though my weight is really a great drawback to 
 my carrying out my views in regard to travel. You see, 
 I am practically debarred from traveling in countries 
 where the only means of locomotion is riding on horses. 
 I could not find animals in any foreign country that 
 would carry me for any distance. I might in England, 
 I grant, find a weight-carrying cob capable of conveying
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 171 
 
 twenty stone along a good road, but I might search all 
 Asia in vain for such a horse, while as for Africa it would 
 take a dozen natives to carry me in a hammock. No, I 
 suppose I shall go on wandering pretty nearly to the end 
 of the chapter, and shall then settle down in quiet lodg- 
 ings somewhere in the region of Pall Mall." 
 
 Upon the day after his return from the inspection of 
 the farm Wilfrid wrote home to his father describing the 
 location, and saying tha't he thought it was the very 
 thing to suit them. It would be a fortnight before an 
 answer could be received, and during that time he set to 
 work at Mr. Mitford's place to acquire as much knowl- 
 edge as possible of the methods of farming in the colony. 
 The answer arrived in due course, and with it came the 
 two Grimstones. Wilfrid had suggested in his letter 
 that if his father decided to take the farm the two men 
 should be sent up at once to assist in adding to the hut 
 and in preparing for their coming, and that they should 
 follow a fortnight later. Mrs. Mitford also wrote, offer- 
 ing them a warm invitation to stay for a time with her 
 until their own place should be ready for their occupa- 
 tion^ 
 
 Mr. Mitford had an inventory of the furniture of the 
 hut, and this was also sent, in order that such further 
 furniture as was needed might be purchased at Welling- 
 ton. As soon as the letter was received, inclosing, as it 
 did, a check for a hundred pounds, Wilfrid went over 
 with the two Grimstones and took possession. Mr." Mit- 
 ford, who was the magistrate and land commissioner for 
 the district, drew up the. papers of application for the 
 plot of two hundred acres adjoining the farm, and sent it 
 to Wellington for Mr. Eenshaw's signature, and said that 
 in the meantime Wilfrid could consider the land as be- 
 longing to them, as it would be theirs as soon as the
 
 173 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 necessary formalities were completed and the money 
 paid. 
 
 When Wilfrid started, two natives, whom Mr. Mitford 
 had hired for him, accompanied him, and he also lent 
 him the services of one of his own men, who was a handy 
 carpenter. The Grimstones were delighted with the 
 site of their new home. 
 
 "Why, it is like a bit of England, Master Wilfrid! 
 That might very well be the Thames therr, and this some 
 gentleman's place near Reading; only the trees are 
 different. When we get up a nice house here, with a 
 garden round it, it will be like home again." 
 
 During the voyage the Renshaws had amused them- 
 selves by drawing a plan of their proposed house, and 
 although this had to be somewhat modified by the exist- 
 ence of the hut, Wilfrid determined to adhere to it as 
 much as possible. The present kitchen should be the 
 kitchen of the new house, and the room leading from it 
 should be allotted to the Grimstones. Adjoining the 
 kitchen he marked out the plan of the house. It was to 
 consist of a sitting-room twenty feet square; beyond this 
 was Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw's bedroom; while behind it 
 were two rooms, each ten feet square, for himself and 
 Marion. The roof was to project four feet in front of the 
 sitting-r6om, so as to form a veranda there. 
 
 A boatload of supplies was sent up from Mr. Mitford's 
 stores. These consisted of flour, sugar, tea, molasses, 
 and bacon, together with half a sheep. It was arranged 
 that while the building was going on Wilfrid and the two 
 Grimstones should occupy the bedroom, and that the 
 natives should sleep in 'the kitchen. The Grimstones 
 had brought with them the bedding and blankets with 
 which they had provided themselves on board ship, while 
 Wilfrid took possession of the bed formerly occupied by
 
 WILFRID AND THE GRIMSTONES FIND IT HARD WORK. Page 173
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 173 
 
 the young settler. Mr. Mitford himself came over next 
 morning and gave general instructions as to the best way 
 of setting about the building of the house. He had 
 already advised that it should be of the class known as 
 log huts. 
 
 "They are much cooler," he said, "in the heat of sum- 
 mer than frame huts, and have the advantage that in the 
 very improbable event of troubles with the natives they 
 are much more defensible. If you like, afterward, you 
 can easily face them outside and in with match-board 
 and make them as snug as you like; but to begin with, I 
 should certainly say build with logs. My boy will tell 
 you which trees you had better cut down for the work. 
 It will take you a week to fell, lop, and roughly square 
 them, and this day week I will send over a team of bul- 
 locks with a native to drag them up to the spot." 
 
 The work was begun at once. Half a dozen axes, some 
 adzes, and other tools had been brought up with the 
 supplies from the stores, and the work of felling com- 
 menced. 
 
 Wilfrid would not have any trees touched near the hut. 
 
 "There are just enough trees about here," he said, 
 "and it would be an awful pity to cut them down merely 
 to save a little labor in hauling. It will not make any 
 great difference whether we have the team for a week or 
 a fortnight. " . 
 
 Wilfrid and the two young Englishmen found chop- 
 ping very hard work at first, and were perfectly as- 
 tounded at the rapidity with which the Maoris brought 
 the trees down, each of them felling some eight or ten 
 before the new hands had managed to bring one to the 
 ground. 
 
 "I would not have believed it if I had not seen it." 
 Bob, the elder of the two brothers, exclaimed as he stood
 
 17i MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 breathless with the perspiration streaming from his fore- 
 head, "that these black chaps could have beaten English- 
 men like that ! Half a dozen strokes and down topples 
 the tree, while I goes chop, chop, chop, and don't seem 
 to get any nearer to it. ' ' 
 
 "It will come in time," Wilfrid said. "I suppose 
 there is a knack in it, like everything else. It looks 
 easy enough, but it is not easy if you don't know how to 
 do it. It is like rowing ; it looks the easiest thing in 
 the world until you try, and then you find that it is not 
 easy at all. ' ' 
 
 When work was done for the day Wilfrid and the 
 Grimstones could scarcely walk back to the hut. Their 
 backs felt as if they were broken, their arms and shoul- 
 ders ached intolerably, their hands smarted as if on 
 fire; while the Maoris, who had each achieved ten times 
 the result, were as brisk and fresh as they were at start- 
 ing. One of them had left work an hour before the 
 others, and by the time they reached the hut the flat 
 cakes of flour and water known as dampers had been 
 cooked, and a large piece of mutton was frizzling over 
 the fire. Wilfrid and his companions were almost too 
 tired to eat, but they enjoyed the tea, although they 
 missed the milk to which they were accustomed. They 
 were astonished at the Maoris' appetite, the three natives 
 devouring an amount of meat which would have fasted 
 the others for a week. 
 
 "No wonder they work well when they can put away 
 Buch a lot of food as that," Bob Grimstone said, after 
 watching them for some time in silent astonishment. 
 "Bill and me was always considered as being pretty good 
 feeders, but one of these chaps would eat twice as much 
 as the two of us. I should say, Mr. Wilfrid, that in 
 future your best plan will be to let these chaps board
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 175 
 
 themselves. Why, it would be dear to have them with- 
 out pay if you had to feed them ! ' ' 
 
 "Mutton is cheap out here," Wilfrid said. "You can 
 get five or six pounds for the price which one would cost 
 you at home ; but still, I do not suppose they give them as 
 much meat as they can eat every day. I must ask Mr. 
 Mitford about it. ' ' 
 
 He afterward learned that the natives received rations 
 of flour and molasses and tobacco, and that only occa- 
 sionally salt pork or fresh meat were issued to them. 
 But Mr. Mitford advised that Wilfrid should, as long as 
 they were at this work, let them feed with the men. 
 
 "You will get a good deal more out of them if they 
 are well fed and in good humor. When your people 
 arrive the natives will of course have a shanty of their 
 own at some distance from your house, and then you will 
 put things on regular footing and serve out their rations 
 to them weekly. I will give you the scale, usually 
 adopted in the colony." 
 
 The second day Wilfrid and the Grimstones were so 
 stiff that they could at first scarcely raise their axes. 
 This gradually wore off, and at the end of three or four 
 da3 r s they found that they could get through a far greater 
 amount than at first with much less fatigue to themselves; 
 but even on the last day of the week they could do little 
 more than a third of the amount performed by the 
 natives. By this time an ample supply of trees had been 
 felled. The trunks had been cut into suitable lengths 
 and roughly squared. The bullocks arrived from Mr. 
 Mitford 's, and as soon as the first logs were brought up 
 to the house the work of building was commenced. The 
 Maori carpenter now took the lead, and under his in- 
 structions the walls of the house rose rapidly. The logs 
 were mortised into each other at the corners ; openings
 
 176 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 were left for the doors and windows. These were ob 
 tained from Mr. Mitford's store, as they were constantly 
 required by settlers. 
 
 At a distance of four feet in front of the house holes- 
 were dug and poles erected, and to these the framework of 
 the roof was extended. This point was reached ten days 
 after the commencement of the building, and the same 
 evening a native arrived from Mr. Mitford's with a mes- 
 sage that the party from Wellington had arrived there 
 and would come over the next day. He also brought a 
 letter to Wilfrid from the Aliens, in answer to one he 
 had written them soon after his arrival, saying that they 
 were so pleased with his description of the district they 
 should come down at once, and if it turned out as he 
 described it, take up a tract of land in his neighbor- 
 hood. 
 
 While Wilfrid had been at work he had seen Mr. 
 Atherton several times, as that gentleman had, upon the 
 very day after his first trip up the river, filled up the 
 necessary papers, hired half a dozen natives, and started 
 up the river in a boat freighted with stores to his new 
 location. Wilfrid had not had time to go over to see 
 him there, but he had several times sauntered over from 
 his place, which was half a mile distant, after the day's 
 work was over. He had got up his hut before Wilfrid 
 fairly got to work. 
 
 It was, he said, a very modest shanty with but one 
 room, which would serve for all purposes; his cooking 
 being done by a native, for whom he had erected a small 
 shelter twenty yards away from his own. 
 
 "I have not quite shaken down yet," he said, "and do 
 not press you to come over to see me until I have got 
 everything into order. I am sure you feel thankful to 
 me that I do not expect you to be tramping over to see
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 177 
 
 me after your long day's work here. By the time your 
 people arrive I shall have everything in order. I am ex- 
 pecting the things I have written for and my own heavy 
 baggage in a few days from Wellington." 
 
 Glad as he was to hear that his father and mother had 
 arrived, Wilfrid would have preferred that their coming 
 should have been delayed until the house was finished 
 and ready for them, and after his first greeting at the 
 waterside he said: "You must not be disappointed, 
 mother, at what you will see. Now everything is in 
 confusion, and the ground is covered with logs and 
 chips. It looked much prettier, I can assure you, when 
 I first saw it, and it will do so again when we have fin- 
 ished and cleared up." 
 
 "We will make all allowances, Wilfrid," his mother 
 replied as he helped her from the boat; "but I do not 
 see that any allowance is necessary. This is indeed a 
 sweetly pretty spot, and looks as you said like a park at 
 home. If the trees had been planted with a special view 
 to effect they could not have been better placed." 
 
 "You have done excellently, Wilfrid," his father said, 
 putting" his hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Mitford here 
 has been telling me how energetically you have been 
 working, and I see that the house has made wonderful 
 progress." 
 
 Marion had, after the first greeting, leaped lightly 
 from the boat and run up to the house, toward whi3h the 
 others proceeded at a more leisurely pace, stopping often 
 and looking round at the pleasant prospect. Marion was 
 full of questions to Wilfrid when they arrived. Why 
 were the walls made so thick? How were they going to 
 stop up the crevices between the logs? Where were the 
 windows and doors coming from? What was the roof 
 going to be made of? Was there going to be a floor, or
 
 178 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 was the ground inside going to be raised to' the level of 
 the door-sill? When did he expect to get it finished, 
 and when would they be ready to come in? Couldn't 
 they get some creepers to run up and hide these ugly 
 logs? "Was it to be painted or to remain as it was? 
 
 Wilfrid answered all these questions as well as he was 
 able. There was to be a floor over all the new portion of 
 the building; Mr. Mitford was getting up the requisite 
 number of planks from a sawmill at the next settlement. 
 The crevices were to be stopped with moss. It would be 
 for their father to decide whether the logs should be 
 covered with match-boarding inside or out, or whether 
 they should be left as they were at present. It would 
 probably take another fortnight to finish the roof, and at 
 least a week beyond that before the place would be fit for 
 them to move in. 
 
 "You see, Marion, I have built it very much on the 
 plan we decided upon on board the ship, only I was 
 obliged to make a change in the position of the kitchen 
 and men's room. The two Grimstones are going to set to 
 work to-morrow to dig up a portion of the plowed land 
 behind the house and sow vegetable seeds. Things 
 grow very fast here, and we shall soon get a kitchen- 
 garden. As to flowers, we shall leave that to be decided 
 when you come here. " 
 
 "I wish I could come over and live here at once and 
 help," Marion said. 
 
 "There is nothing you can help in at present, Marion, 
 and it will be much more useful for you to spend a month 
 in learning things at Mr. Mitford 's. You undertook to 
 do the cooking; and I am sure that will be quite neces- 
 sary, for father and mother could never eat the food our 
 Maori cook turns out. And then you have got to learn 
 to make butter and cheese and to cure bacon. That is a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 179 
 
 most important point, for we must certainly keep pigs 
 and cure our own as Mr. Mitford does, for the stuff they 
 have got at most of the places we touched at was almost 
 uneatable. So, you see, there is plenty to occupy your 
 time until you move in here, and our comfort will depend 
 a vast deal upon the pains you take to learn to do things 
 properly. ' ' 
 
 " What are you going to roof it with, Wilfrid?" Mr. 
 Renshaw asked. 
 
 "We are going to use these poles, father. They will 
 be split in two and nailed with the flat side down on the 
 rafters, and the shingles are going to be nailed on them. 
 That will give a good solid roof that will keep out a good 
 deal of heat. Afterward if we like we can put beams 
 across the room from wall to wall and plank them, and 
 turn the space above into a storeroom. Of course that 
 will make the house cooler and the rooms more comforta- 
 ble, but as it was not absolutely necessary I thought it 
 might be left for awhile." 
 
 "I think, "Wilfrid, I should like to have the rooms 
 done with boards inside at once. The outside and the 
 ceiling you speak of can very well wait, but it will be 
 impossible to get the rooms to look at all neat and tidy 
 with these rough logs for walls." 
 
 "It certainly will be more comfortable," Wilfrid 
 agreed. "Mr. Mitford will get the match-boards for 
 you. I will measure up the walls this evening and let 
 you know how much will be required. And now shall 
 we take a walk round the place?" 
 
 The whole party spent a couple of hours in going over 
 the property, with which Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw were 
 greatly pleased. Luncheon had been brought up in the 
 boat, and by the time they returned from their walk Mrs. 
 Mitford and her daughters, who had not accompanied
 
 130 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 them, had lunch ready and spread out on the grass. 
 The meal was a merry one. Mr. Eenshaw was in high 
 epirits at finding things so much more homelike and 
 comfortable than he had expected. His wife was not 
 only pleased for herself, but still more so at seeing that 
 her husband evinced a willingness to look at matters in 
 the best light, and to enter upon the life before him. 
 without regret over the past. 
 
 "What are you going to call the place, Mr. Renshaw?" 
 Mrs. Mitford asked. "That is always an important 
 point. ' ' 
 
 "I have not thought about it," Mr. Eenshaw replied. 
 "What do you think?" 
 
 "Oh, there are lots of suitable names," she replied, 
 looking round. "We might call it Riverside or The 
 Park or The Glade. " 
 
 "I think The Glade would be verj' pretty," Marion 
 said. "Riverside would suit many places." 
 
 "I like The Glade too," Mrs. Renshaw said. "Have 
 you thought of anything, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "No, mother, I have never given it a thought. I 
 think The Glade will do nicely." And so it was settled, 
 and success to The Glade was thereupon formally drunk 
 in cups of tea. 
 
 A month later the Renshaws took possession of their 
 new abode. It looked very neat with its veranda in front 
 of the central portion, and the creepers which Wilfrid 
 had planted against the walls on the day after their visit 
 promised speedib' to cover the logs of which the house 
 was built. Inside the flooring had been planed, stained 
 a deep brown and varnished, while the match-boarding 
 which covered the walls was stained a light color and 
 also varnished. The furniture, which had arrived ftie 
 day before from Hawke's Bay, was somewhat scanty, but
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. , 181 
 
 Wilfrid and Marion, who had come over for the purpose, 
 had made the most of it. A square of carpet and some 
 rugs gave a cozy appearance to the floor, white curtains 
 hung before the windows and a few favorite pictures 
 and engravings, which they had brought with them from 
 home, broke the baroness of the walls. Altogether it 
 was a very pretty and snug little abode of which Mr. and 
 Mra. Renshaw took possession.
 
 182 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THK HAU-HAUS. 
 
 THE next three months made a great change in the 
 appearance of The Glade. Three or four plots of gay 
 flowers cut in the grass between the house and the river 
 gave a brightness to its appearance. The house was now 
 covered as far as the roof with greenery, and might well 
 have been mistaken for a rustic bungalow standing in 
 pretty grounds on the banks of the Thames. Behind, a 
 large kitchen-garden was in full bearing. It was sur- 
 rounded by wire network to keep out the chickens, 
 ducks, and geese, which wandered about and picked up 
 a living as they chose, returning at night to the long, 
 low shed erected for them at some distance from the 
 house, receiving a plentiful meal on their arrival to pre- 
 vent them from lapsing into an altogether wild condition. 
 
 Forty acres of land had been replowed and sown, and 
 the crops had already made considerable progress. In 
 the more distant clearings a dozen horses, twenty oir 
 thirty cows, and a small flock of a hundred sheep grazed, 
 while some distance up the glade in which the house 
 stood was ^he pigsty, whose occupants were fed with 
 refuse from the garden, picking up, however, the larger 
 portion of their living by rooting in the woods. 
 
 Long before Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw moved into the 
 house, Wilfrid, whose labors were now less severe, had 
 paid his first visit to Mr. Atherton's hut. He was at 
 once astonished and delighted with it. It contained
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 183 
 
 indeed but one room, sixteen feet square, but that room 
 had been made one of the most comfortable dens possi- 
 ble. There was no flooring, but the ground had been 
 beaten until it was as hard as baked clay, and was almost 
 covered with rugs and sheepskins ; a sort of divan ran 
 round three sides of it, and this was also cushioned with 
 skins. The log walls were covered with cowhides cured 
 with the hair on, and from hooks and brackets hung 
 rifles, fishing rods, and other articles, while horns and 
 other trophies of the chase were fixed to the walls. 
 
 While the Renshaws had contented themselves with 
 Btoves, Mr. Atherton had gone to the expense and trouble 
 of having a great open fireplace, with a brick chimney 
 outside the wall. Here, even on the hottest day, two or 
 three logs burned upon old-fashioned iron dogs. On the 
 wall above was a sort of trophy of oriental weapons. 
 Two very large and comfortable easy-chairs stood by the 
 side of the hearth, and in the center of the room stood 
 an old oak table, richly carved and black with age. A 
 bookcase of similar age and make, with its shelves well 
 filled with standard works, stood against the one wall 
 unoccupied by the divan. 
 
 "Wilfrid stood still with astonishment as he looked in 
 at the door, which Mr. Atherton had himself opened in 
 response to his knock. 
 
 "Come in, "Wilfrid. As I told you yesterday evening 
 I have just got things a little straight and comfortable." 
 
 "I should think you had got them comfortable," "Wil- 
 frid said. "I should not have thought that a log cabin 
 could have been made as pretty as this. Why, where 
 did you get all the things? Surely you can never have 
 brought them all with you?" 
 
 "No, indeed," Mr. Atherton laughed; "the greatest 
 portion of them are products of the country. There was
 
 184 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 no difficulty in purchasing the skins, the arms, and those 
 Bets of horns and trophies. Books and a few other things 
 I brought \vith me. I have a theory that people very 
 often make themselves uncomfortable merely to effect the 
 saving of a pound or two. Now, I rather like making 
 myself snug, and the carriage of all those things did not 
 add above five pounds to my expenses." 
 
 "But surely that table and bookcase were never made 
 in New Zealand?" 
 
 "Certainly not, Wilfrid. At the time they were made 
 the natives of this country hunted the Moa in happy 
 ignorance of the existence of a white race. No, I regard 
 my getting possession of those things as a special stroke 
 of good luck. I was wandering in the streets of Well- 
 ington on the very day after my arrival, when I saw 
 them in a shop. No doubt they had been brought out 
 by some well-to-do emigrant, who clung to them in re- 
 membrance of his home in the old country. Probably 
 at his death his place came into the hands of some Goths, 
 who preferred a clean deal table to what he considered 
 old-fashioned things. Anyhow, there they were in the 
 shop, and I bought them at once; as also those arm- 
 chairs, which are as comfortable as anything of the kind 
 I have ever tried. By the way, are you a good shot with 
 the rifle, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "No, sir; I never fired a rifle in my life before I left 
 England, nor a shotgun either." 
 
 "Then I think you would do well to practice, lad; and 
 those two men of yours should practice too. You never 
 can say what may come of these native disturbances; 
 the rumors of the progress of this new religion among 
 them are not encouraging. It is quite true that the 
 natives on this side of the island have hitherto been per- 
 fectly peaceable, but if they get inoculated with this
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 185 
 
 new religious frenzy there is no saying what may hap- 
 pen. I will speak to your father about it. Not in a way 
 to alarm him ; but I will point out that it is of no use 
 your having brought out firearms if none of you know 
 how to use them, and suggest that it will be a good thing 
 if you and the men were to make a point of firing a dozen 
 shots every morning at a mark. I shall add that he him- 
 self might just as well do so, and that even the ladies 
 might find it an amusement, using, of course, a light 
 rifle, or firing from a rest with an ordinary rifle with 
 light charges, or that they might practice with revolvers. 
 Anyhow, it is certainly desirable that you and your 
 father and the men should learn to be good shots with 
 these weapons. I will gladly come over at first and act 
 as musketry instructor. ' ' 
 
 "Wilfrid embraced the idea eagerly, and Mr. Atherton 
 on the occasion of his first visit to The Glade in a casual 
 sort of way remarked to Mr. Renshaw that he thought 
 every white man and woman in the outlying colonies 
 ought to be able to use firearms, as, although they might 
 never be called upon to use them in earnest, the knowl- 
 edge that they could do so with effect would greatly add 
 to their feeling of security and comfort. Mr. Benshaw 
 at once took up the idea and accepted the other's offer 
 to act as instructor. Accordingly, as soon as the Ken- 
 shaws were established upon their farm, it became one of 
 the standing rules of the place that "Wilfrid and the two 
 men should fire twelve shots at a mark every morning 
 before starting for their regular work at the farm. 
 
 The target was a figure roughly cut out of wood, repre- 
 senting the size and to some extent the outline of a man's 
 figure. 
 
 "It is much better to accustom yourself to fire at a 
 mark of this kind than to practice always at a target,"
 
 186 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Mr. Atherton said. "A man may shoot wonderfully well 
 at a black mark in the center of a white square, and yet 
 make very poor practice at a human figure with its dull 
 shades of color and irregular outline." 
 
 "But we shall not be able to tell where our bullets 
 hit," Wilfrid said; "especially after the dummy has 
 been hit a good many times." 
 
 "It is not very material where you hit a man, Wilfrid, 
 so that you do hit him. If a nan gets a heavy bullet, 
 whether in an arm, a leg, or the body, there is no more 
 fight in him. You can tell by the sound of the bullet if 
 you hit the figure, and if you hit him you have done 
 what you want to. You do not need to practice at dis- 
 tances over three hundred yards ; that is quite the out- 
 side range at which you would ever want to do any 
 shooting, indeed from fifty to two hundred I consider 
 the useful distance to practice at. If you get to shoot so 
 well that you can with certainty hit a man between those 
 ranges, you may feel pretty comfortable in your mind 
 that you can beat off any attack that might be made on a 
 house you are defending. 
 
 "When you have learned to do this at the full-size 
 figure you can put it in a bush so that only the head and 
 shoulders are visible, as would be those of a native stand- 
 ing up to fire. All this white target-work is very well 
 for shooting for prizes, but if troops were trained to fire 
 at dummy figures at from fifty to two hundred yards dis- 
 tance, and allowed plenty of ammunition for practice and 
 kept steadily at it, you would see that a single company 
 would be more than a match for a whole regiment trained 
 as our soldiers are." 
 
 With steady practice every morning, Wilfrid and the 
 two young men made very rapid progress, and at the 
 end of three months it was very seldom that a bullet was
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 187 
 
 thrown away. Sometimes Mr. Eenshaw joined them in 
 their practice, but he more often fired a few shots some 
 time during the day with Marion, who became quite an 
 enthusiast in the exercise. Mrs. Eenshaw declined to 
 practice, and said that she was content to remain a non- 
 combatant, and would undertake the work of binding up 
 wounds and loading muskets. On Saturday afternoons, 
 when the men left off work somewhat earlier than usual, 
 there was always shooting for small prizes. Twelve shots 
 were fired by each at a figure placed in the bushes a 
 hundred yards away, with only the head and shoulders 
 visible. After each had fired, the shotholes were 
 counted and then filled up with mud, so that the next 
 marks made were easily distinguishable. 
 
 Mr. Renshaw was uniformly last. The Grimstones 
 and Marion generally ran each other very close, each 
 putting eight or nine of their bullets into the figure. 
 Wilfrid was always handicapped two shots, but as he gen- 
 erally put the whole of his ten bullets into the mark, he 
 was in the majority of cases the victor. The shooting 
 party was sometimes swelled by the presence of Mr. 
 Atherton and the two Aliens, who had arrived a fort- 
 night after the Keushaws, and had' taken up the section 
 of land next below them. Mr. Atherton was incompara- 
 bly the best shot of the party. Wilfrid, indeed, seldom 
 missed, but he took careful and steady aim at the object, 
 while Mr. Atherton fired apparently without waiting to 
 take aim at all. Sometimes he would not even lift his 
 gun to his shoulder, but would fire from his side, or 
 standing with his back to the mark would, turn round 
 and fire instantaneously. 
 
 "That sort of thing is only attained by long practice," 
 he would say in answer to Wilfrid's exclamations of 
 astonishment. "You see, I have been shooting in differ*
 
 188 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 ent parts of the world, and at different sorts of "game for 
 some fifteen years, and in many cases quick shooting is 
 of just as much importance as straight shooting." 
 
 But it was with the revolver that Mr. Atherton most 
 surprised his friends. He could put six bullets into half 
 a sheet of note-paper at a distance of fifty yards, firing 
 with such rapidity that the weapon was emptied in two 
 or three seconds. 
 
 "I learned that," he said, "among the cowboys in the 
 "West. Some of them are perfectly marvelous shots. It 
 is their sole amusement, and they spend no inconsidera- 
 ble portion of their pay on cartridges. It seems to be- 
 come an instinct with them ; however small the object at 
 which they fire they are almost certain to hit it. It is a 
 common thing with them for one man to throw an empty 
 meat-tin into the air and for another to put six bullets in 
 it before it touches the ground. So certain are they of 
 their own and each other's aim, that one will hold a half- 
 penny between his finger and thumb for another to fire 
 at from a distance of twenty yards, and it is a common 
 joke for one to knock another's pipe out of his mouth 
 when he is quietly smoking. 
 
 "As you see, though my shooting seems to you won- 
 derful, I should be considered quite a poor shot among 
 the cowboys. Of course, with incessant practice such 
 as they have I should shoot a good deal better than I do; 
 but I could never approach their perfection, for the sim- 
 ple reason that I have not the strength of wrist. They 
 pass their lives in riding half-broken horses, and inces- 
 sant exercise and hard work harden them until their 
 muscles are like steel, and they scarcely feel what to an 
 ordinary man is a sharp wrench from the recoil of a 
 heavily loaded Colt." 
 
 Life was in every way pleasant at The Glade. The
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 189 
 
 work of breaking up the land went on steadily, but the 
 labor, though hard, was not excessive. In the evening 
 the Aliens or Mr. Atherton frequently dropped in, and 
 occasionally Mr. Mitford and his daughters rode over, or 
 the party came up in the boat. The expense of living 
 was small. They had an ample supply of potatoes and 
 other vegetables from their garden, of eggs from their 
 poultry, and of milk, butter, and cheese from their cows. 
 While salt meat was the staple of their food, it was varied 
 occasionally by chickens, ducks, or a goose, while a 
 sheep now and then afforded a week's supply of fresh 
 meat. 
 
 Mr. Renshaw had not altogether abandoned his origi- 
 nal idea. He had already learned something of the 
 Maori language from his studies on the voyage, and he 
 rapidly acquired a facility of speaking it from his con- 
 versations with the two natives permanently employed on 
 the farm. One of these was a man of some forty years 
 old named Wetini, the other was a lad of sixteen, his son, 
 whose name was Whakapanakai, but as this name was 
 Toted altogether too long for conversational purposes 
 he was rechristened Jack. 
 
 Wetini spoke but a few words of English, but Jack, 
 who had been educated at one of the mission schools, 
 spoke it fluently. They with Wetini's wife, inhabited a 
 small hut situated at the edge of the wood, at a distance 
 of about two hundred yards from the house. It was 
 Mr. Renshaw 's custom to stroll over there of an evening, 
 and seating himself by the fire, which however hot the 
 weather the natives always kept burning, he would con- 
 verse with Wetini upon the manners and customs, the 
 religious beliefs and ceremonies, of his people. 
 
 In these conversations Jack at first acted as interpreter, 
 but it was not many weeks before Mr. Renshaw gained
 
 190 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 such proficiency in the tongue that such assistance was 
 no longer needed. 
 
 But the period of peace and tranquillity at The Glade 
 was but a short one. "Wilfrid learned from Jack, who 
 had attached himself specially to him,' that there were 
 reports among the natives that the prophet Te Ua waa 
 sending out missionaries all over the island. This state- 
 ment was true. Te Ua had sent out four sub-prophets 
 with orders to travel among the tribes and inform them 
 that Te Ua had been appointed by an angel as a prophet, 
 that he was to found a new religion to be called Pai 
 Marire, and that legions of angels waited the time when, 
 all the tribes having been converted, a general rising 
 would take place, and the Pakeha be annihilated by the 
 assistance of these angels, after which a knowledge of all 
 languages, and of all the arts and sciences, would be 
 bestowed upon the Pai Marire. 
 
 Had Te Ua's instructions been carried out, and hia 
 agents traveled quietly among the tribes, carefully ab- 
 staining from all open hostility to the whites until the 
 whole of the native population had been converted, the 
 rising when it came would have been a terrible one, and 
 might have ended in the whole of the white population 
 being either destroyed or forced for a time to abandon 
 the island. Fortunately the sub-prophets were men of 
 ferocious character. Too impatient to await the ap- 
 pointed time, they attacked the settlers as soon as they 
 collected sufficient converts to do so, and so they brought 
 about the destruction of their leader's plans. 
 
 These attacks put the colonists on their guard, enabled 
 the authorities to collect troops and stand on the dafen* 
 sive, and, what was still more important, caused many of 
 the tribes which had not been converted to the Pai 
 Marire faith to range themselves on the side of the Eng-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 191 
 
 lish. Not because they loved the whites, but because 
 from time immemorial the tribes had been divided 
 against each other, and their traditional hostility weighed 
 more with them than their jealousy with the white 
 settlers. 
 
 Still, although these rumors as to the spread of the 
 >Pai Marire or Hau-Hau faith reached the ears of the 
 /settlers, there were few in the western provinces who 
 believed that here was any real danger. The Maoris had 
 always been peaceful and friendly with them, and they 
 could not believe that those with whom they had dwelt 
 so long could suddenly and without any reason become 
 bloodthirsty enemies. 
 
 Wilfrid said nothing to his parents as to what he had 
 heard from Jack, but he talked it over with Mr. Atherton 
 and the Aliens. The latter were disposed to make light 
 of it, but Mr. Atherton took the matter seriously. 
 
 "There is never any saying how things will go with 
 the natives," he said. "All savages seem to be alike. 
 Up to a certain point they are intelligent and sensible ; 
 but they are like children; they are easily excited, super- 
 stitious in the extreme, and can be deceived without the 
 slightest difficulty by designing people. Of course to 
 us this story of Te Ua's sounds absolutely absurd, but 
 that is no reason why it should appear absurd to them. 
 These people have embraced a sort of Christianity, and 
 they have read of miracles of all sorts, and will have no 
 more difficulty in believing that the angels could' destroy 
 all the Europeans in their island than that the Assyrian 
 army was miraculously destroyed before Jerusalem. 
 
 "Without taking too much account of the business, 
 I think, Wilfrid, that it will be just as well if all of us in 
 these outlj'ing settlements take a certain amount of pre- 
 cautions. I shall write down at once to my agent ai
 
 192 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Hawke Bay asking him to buy me a couple of dogs and 
 send them up by the next ship. I shall tell him that it 
 does not matter what sort of dogs they are so that they 
 are good watchdogs, though, of course, I should prefer 
 that they should be decent dogs of their sort, dogs one 
 could make companions of. I should advise you to do 
 the same. 
 
 "I shall ask Mr. Mitford to get me up at once a heavy 
 door and shutters for the window, strong enough to stand 
 an assault. Here again I should advise you to do the 
 same. You can assign any reason you like to your 
 father. With a couple of dogs to give the alarm, with a 
 strong door and shutters, you need not be afraid of being 
 taken by surprise, and it is only a surprise that you 
 have in the first place to fear. Of course if there were 
 to be anything like a general rising we should all have to 
 gather at some central spot agreed upon, or else to quit 
 the settlement altogether until matters settle down. 
 Still, I trust that nothing of that sort will take place. 
 At any rate, all we have to fear and prepare against at 
 present is an attack by small parties of fanatics." 
 
 Wilfrid had no difficulty in persuading his father to 
 order a strong oak door and shutters for the windows, 
 and to get a couple of dogs. He began the subject by 
 saying: "Mr. Atherton is going to get some strong shut- 
 ters to his window, father. I think it would be a good 
 thing if we were to get the same for our windows. " 
 
 "What do we want shutters for, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "For just the same reason that we have been learning 
 to use our firearms, father. We do riot suppose that the 
 natives, who are all friendly with us, are going to turn 
 treacherous. Still, as there is a bare possibility of such 
 a thing, we have taken some pains in learning to shoot 
 straight. In the same way it would be just as well to
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 193 
 
 have strong shutters put up. We don't at all suppose 
 we are going to be attacked, but if we are the shutters 
 would be invaluable, and would effectually prevent any- 
 thing like a night surprise. The expense wouldn't be 
 great, and in the unlikely event of the natives being 
 troublesome in this part of the island we should all sleep 
 much more soundly and comfortably if we knew that 
 there was no fear of our being taken by surprise. Mr. 
 Atherton is sending for a couple of dogs too. I have 
 always thought that it would be jolly to have a dog or 
 two here, and if we do not want them as guards they 
 would be pleasant as companions when one is going 
 about the place. " 
 
 A few days after the arrival of two large watchdogs 
 and of the heavy shutters and door, Mr. Mitford rode ia 
 to The Glade. He chatted for a few minutes on ordinary 
 subjects, and then Mrs. Renshaw said: "Is anything the 
 matter, Mr. Mitford? you look more serious than usual." 
 
 "I can hardly say that anything is exactly the matter, 
 Mrs. Eenshaw; but I have a batch of newspapers and 
 letters from Wellington this morning, and they give 
 rather stirring news. The Hau-Haus have come into 
 collision with us again. You know that a fortnight 
 since we had news that they had attacked a party of 
 our men under Captain Lloyd and defeated them, and, 
 contrary to all native traditions, had cut off the heads of 
 the slain, among whom was Captain Lloyd himself. I 
 was afraid that after this we should soon hear more of 
 them, and my opinion has been complete^' justified. On 
 the 1st of May two hundred of the Ngataiwa tribe, and 
 three hundred other natives under Te Ua's prophet 
 Hepanaia and Parengi-Kingi of Taranaki, attacked a 
 strong fort on Sentry Hill, garrisoned by fifty men of the 
 Fifty-second Regiment under Major Short.
 
 194 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Tne Ngataiwa took no part in the action, but the 
 Hau-Haus charged with great bravery. The garrison 
 fortunately being warned by their yells of what was com- 
 ing, received them with such a heavy fire that their lead- 
 ing ranks were swept away, and they fell back in confu- 
 sion. They made a second charge, which was equally 
 unsuccessful, and then fell back with a loss of fifty-two 
 killed, among whom were both the Hau-Hau prophet and 
 Parengi-Kingi. 
 
 "The other affair has taken place in the Wellington 
 district. Matene, another of the Hau-Hau prophets, 
 came down to Pipiriki, a tribe of the Wanganui. These 
 people were bitterly hostile to us, as they had taken part 
 in some of the former fighting, and their chief and thirty 
 six of his men were killed. The tribe at once accepted 
 the new faith. Mr. Booth, the resident magistrate, who 
 was greatly respected among them, went up to try to 
 smooth matters down, but was seized, and would have 
 been put to death if it had not been for the interference 
 in his favor of a young chief named Hori Patene, who 
 managed to get him and his wife and children safely 
 down in a- canoe to the town of Wagnai. The Hau-Hau8 
 prepared to move down the river to attack the town, and 
 sent word to the Ngatihau branch of the tribe who lived 
 down the river to join them. They and two other of the 
 Wanganui tribes living on the lower part of the river re- 
 fused to do so, and also refused to let them pass down 
 the river, and sent a challenge for a regular battle to take 
 place on the island of Moutoa in the river. 
 
 "The challenge was accepted. At dawn on the follow- 
 ing morning our natives, three hundred and fifty strong, 
 proceeded to the appointed ground. A hundred picked 
 men crossed on to the island, and the rest remained on 
 the banks as spectators. Of the hundred, fifty divided
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 195 
 
 into three parties each under a chief, formed the advance 
 guard, "while the other fifty remained in reserve at the 
 end of the island two hundred yards away, and too far to 
 be of much use in the event of the advance guard being 
 defeated. The enemy's party were a hundred and thirty 
 strong,' and it is difficult to understand why a larger 
 body was not sent over to the island to oppose them, 
 especially as the belief in the invulnerability of the Hau- 
 Haus was generally believed in, even by the natives 
 opposed to them. 
 
 "It was a curious fight, quite in the manner of the 
 traditional warfare between the various tribes before our 
 arrival on the island. The lower tribesmen fought, not 
 for the defense of the town, for they were not very 
 friendly with the Europeans, having been strong sup- 
 porters of the king party, but simply for the prestige of 
 the tribe. No hostile war party had ever forced the 
 river, and none ever should do so. The Hau-Haus came 
 down the river in their canoes and landed without oppo- 
 sition. Then a party of the "Wanganui advance guard 
 fired. Although the Hau-Haus *vere but thirty yards 
 distant none of them fell, and their return volley killed 
 the chiefs of two out of the three sections of the advance 
 guard and many others. 
 
 "Disheartened by the loss of their chiefs, the two sec- 
 tions gave way, shouting that the Hau-Haus were invul- 
 nerable. The third section, well led by their chief, held 
 their ground, but were driven slowly back by the over- 
 whelming force of the enemy. The battle appeared to 
 be lost, when Tamehana, the sub-chief of one of the fly- 
 ing sections, after vainly trying to rally his men, arrived 
 on the ground, and, refusing to obey the order to take 
 cover from the Hau-Haus' fire, dashed at the enemy and 
 killed two of them with his double-barreled gun. The
 
 196 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 last of the three leaders was at this moment shot dead. 
 Nearly all his men were more or less severely wounded, 
 but as the Hau-Haus rushed forward they fired a volley 
 into them at close quarters, killing several. But they 
 still came on, when Tamehana again rushed at them. 
 Seizing the spear of a dead man he drove it into the 
 heart of a Hau-Hau. Catching up the gun and toma- 
 hawk of the fallen man, he drove the latter so deeply 
 into the head of another foe that in wrenching it out the 
 handle was broken. Finding that the gun was unloaded, 
 he dashed it in the face of his foes, and snatching up 
 another he was about to fire, when a bullet struck him in 
 the arm. Nevertheless he fired and killed his man, but 
 the next moment was brought to the ground by a bullet 
 that shattered his knee. 
 
 "At this moment Hainoina, who commanded the re- 
 serve, came up with them, with the fugitives whom he 
 had succeeded in rallying. They fired a volley, and 
 then charged down upon the Hau-Haus with their toma- 
 hawks. After a desperate fight the enemy were driven 
 in confusion to the upper end of the island, where they 
 rushed into the water and attempted to swim to the right 
 bank. The prophet was recognized among the swim- 
 mers. One of the Wangenui plunged in after him, over- 
 took him just as he reached the opposite bank, and in 
 spite of the prophet uttering the magic words that should 
 have paralyzed his assailant, killed him with his toma- 
 hawk and swam back with the body to Hainoma. " 
 
 "They seem to have been two serious affairs," Mr. 
 Kenshaw said; "but as the Hau-Haus were defeated in 
 each we may hope that we have heard the last of them, 
 for as both the prophets were killed the belief in the 
 invulnerability of Te Ua's followers must be at an end." 
 
 "I wish I could think so," Mr. Mitford said; "but it
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 197 
 
 is terribly hard to kill a superstition. Te Ua will, of 
 course, say that the two prophets disobeyed his positive 
 instructions and thus brought their fate upon themselves, 
 and the incident may therefore rather strengthen than 
 decrease his influence. The best part of the business in 
 my mind is that some of the tribes have thrown in their 
 lot on our side, or if not actually on our side at any rate 
 against the Hau-Haus. After this we need hardly fear 
 any general action of the natives against us. There are 
 all sorts of obscure alliances between the tribes arising 
 from marriages, or from their having fought on the same 
 side in some far-back struggle. The result is that the 
 tribes who have these alliances with the Wanganui will 
 henceforth range themselves on the same side, or will at 
 any rate hold aloof from this Pai Marire movement. 
 This will also force other tribes, who might have been 
 willing to join in a general movement, to stand neutral, 
 und I think now, that although we may have a great deal 
 of trouble with Te Ua's followers, we may regard any 
 absolute danger to the European population of the island 
 as past. 
 
 "There may, I fear, be isolated massacres, for the 
 Hau-Haus, with their cutting off of heads and carrying 
 them about, have introduced an entirely new and savage 
 feature into Maori warfare. I was inclined to think the 
 precautions you and Atherton are taking were rather 
 superfluous, but after this I shall certainly adopt them 
 myself. Everything is perfectly quiet here, but when 
 we see how readily a whole tribe embrace the new reli- 
 gion as soon as a prophet arrives, and are ready at once to 
 massacre a man who had long dwelt among them, and 
 for whom they had always evinced the greatest respect 
 and liking, it is impossible any longer to feel confident 
 that the natives in this part of the country are to be 
 relied upon as absolutely friendly and trustworthj".
 
 198 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I am sorry now that I have been to some extent the 
 means of inducing you all to settle here. At the time I 
 gave my advice things seemed settling down at the other 
 end of the island, and this Hau-Hau movement reached 
 us only as a vague rumor, and seemed so absurd in itself 
 that one attached no importance to it." 
 
 "Pray do not blame yourself, Mr. Mitford; whatever 
 comes of it we are delighted with the choice we have 
 made. We are vastly more comfortable than we had 
 expected to be in so short a time, and things look promis- 
 ing far beyond our expectations. As you say, you could 
 have had no reason to suppose that this absurd movement 
 was going to lead to such serious consequences. Indeed 
 you could have no ground for supposing that it was 
 likely to cause trouble on this side of the island, far re- 
 moved as we are from the scene of the troubles. Even 
 now these are in fact confined to the district where fight- 
 ing has been going on for the last three or four years 
 Taranaki and its neighborhood ; for the Wanganui river, 
 although it flows into the sea in the north of the Welling- 
 ton district, rises in that of Taranaki, and the tribes who 
 became Hau-Haus and came down the river had already 
 taken part in the fighting with our troops. I really see 
 no reason, therefore, for fearing that it will spread in 
 this direction." 
 
 "There is no reason whatever," Mr. Mitford agreed; 
 "only, unfortunately, the natives seldom behave as we 
 expect them to do, and generally act precisely as we ex- 
 pect they will not act. At any rate I shall set to work 
 at once to construct a strong stockade at the back of my 
 house. I have long been talking of forming a large 
 cattle-yard there, so that it will not in any case be labor 
 thrown away, while if trouble should come it will serve 
 as a rallying place to which all the settlers of the dis-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 199 
 
 trict can drive in their horses and cattle for shelter, and 
 where they can if attacked hold their own against all the 
 natives of the districts." 
 
 "I really think you are looking at it in almost too 
 serious a light, Mr. Mitford ; still, the fact that there is 
 such a rallying place in the neighborhood will of course 
 add to our comfort in case we should hear alarming 
 rumors." 
 
 "Quite so, Mr. Eenshaw. My idea is there is nothing 
 like being 'prepared, and though I agree with you that 
 there is little chance of trouble in this remote settlement, 
 . it is just as well to take precautions against the worst."
 
 800 MAORI AND SETTLED 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 THE FIRST ALARM. 
 
 ONE morning Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw went down to 
 epend a long day with the Mitfords. The latter had 
 sent up the boat overnight, and they started the first 
 thing in the morning. For the two or three days pre- 
 vious Jack, the young native, had more than once spoken 
 to Wilfrid of the propriety of the hands keeping near 
 the house, but Wilfrid had failed to obtain from him any 
 specific reasons for the warning. 
 
 "Bad men come down from Waikato," he said. 
 "Much talkee talkee among natives." 
 
 "But what do they talk about, Jack?" 
 
 Jack shook his head. 
 
 "Jack no hear talkee. Men come to hut and talk with 
 father. Other Maoris on land steal in and talk too, but 
 no talk before Jack; always turn him out or send him on 
 errand. But Jack hear sometimes a word, and think 
 that trouble come. Young master better not go far away 
 by himself, and tell two white men to keep close to hut. 
 Perhaps nothing come, but better to be on guard." 
 
 "Very well, Jack; I am obliged to you for the warn- 
 ing. I will tell the Grimstones not to go out to the out- 
 lying clearings, but to occupy themselves with what they 
 can find to do near home." 
 
 Jack nodded. -"That best, Master Wilfrid, but no 
 talk too much with me. If my people thought I speak to 
 -you then trouble come to Jack."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 201 
 
 "Wilfrid nodded, and without saying anything to his 
 father and mother told the Grimstones to keep near the 
 house. "After you have done shooting of a morning," 
 he said, "instead of bringing your guns into the house 
 as usual take them down with you to the place where you 
 are at work, so that they will be handy in case of neces- 
 sity. Most likely there is no danger whatever ; but I 
 have heard a rumor that some people from Waikato have 
 come into this neighborhood, and if so no doubt they are 
 toying to get the tribes here to join the Hau-Haus. I 
 do not think that there is much chance of their succeed- 
 ing, for the natives have always been very friendly, and 
 there has been no dispute about land or any other griev- 
 ance; but when one knows how suddenly they have 
 risen in other places it is better to take precautions." 
 
 After breakfast on the morning when his father and 
 mother had started, Wilfrid strolled out on to .the ver- 
 anda, and stood for some little time hesitating what he 
 should do. The Grimstones had just started to look up 
 some cattle in one of the distant clearings, one of the 
 native hands having reported the evening before two of 
 the animals were missing. 
 
 "I will not go far till they come back, he said to him- 
 self. "The garden wants hoeing. Weeds grow as fast 
 here as they do at home. That will be just the job for 
 me." 
 
 He was about to turn to enter the house when he saw 
 four natives emerge from the trees and make toward him. 
 
 "Marion," he said through the open door, "get the 
 guns down from the rack, and see that they are capped 
 and ready. There are four natives coming toward the 
 house. I dare say they are friendly, and are probably 
 only on the way down to the river to look for work. 
 Still, as we are alone you cannot be too careful. ' '
 
 202 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Hearing Marion reply "All right, Wilfrid!" the lad 
 leaned against the door in a careless attitude and awaited 
 the coming of the natives. As they approached he saw 
 they were all strangers to him, although he knew most 
 of the natives in the neighborhood by sight, for these 
 not unfrequently came in to barter a pig or a sheep for 
 tobacco, sugar, or other things necessary to them. The 
 natives as they came up gave the usual salutation, of 
 good-day, to which Wilfrid replied. 
 
 "We are hungry," a tall Maori, who L by his dress ap- 
 peared to be a chief, said. 
 
 "I will get you something to eat," Wilfrid answered. 
 
 The Maoris would have followed into the house, but 
 he stopped and said sharply, "We do not allow strangers 
 in the house. Those we know are free to enter and de- 
 part as they choose, but I have not seen any of you be- 
 fore. If you will sit down on that bench outside I will 
 bring you food." 
 
 He soon reappeared with a dish of maize and boiled 
 pork, for a supply was generally kept in readiness in casi> 
 any of the natives should come in. 
 
 "Shuffle about and make a noise," he said to Marion 
 as she got the dish from the cupboard. "They cannot 
 know who are inside, and if they mean [mischief and 
 honestly I do not like their looks they will be more 
 likely to try it on if they think that I am alone." 
 
 The Maoris took the food in silence, and as they ate it 
 Wilfrid was amused to hear Marion stamping heavily 
 about inside, and occasionally speaking as if to her 
 father. He could see that the men were listening, and 
 they exchanged words in a low tone with each other. 
 
 Presently the leader of the party said, "Drink!" 
 Wilfrid went in and brought out a pitcher of water. 
 "Gin!" the chief said shortly.
 
 Maori MARION COVERS THE NATIVE WITH HER RlFLE. Page 203.
 
 JfAORI AND SETTLER. 203 
 
 "I have no gin to give you," Wilfrid replied; "we do 
 not keep spirits." 
 
 The natives rose to their feet. "We will come in and 
 see," the leader said. 
 
 "No, you won't!" Wilfrid said firmly. "I have given 
 you what food there is in the house, and you are welcome 
 to it; but strangers don't come into the house unless 
 they are invited." 
 
 The native laid his hand on Wilfrid's shoulder to push 
 him aside, but four months of chopping and digging had 
 hardened every muscle in the lad's body. He did not 
 move an inch, but jerked the Maori's hand off his 
 shoulder. 
 
 With an exclamation of anger the native drew a heavy 
 knobbed stick from the girdle round his waist, but be- 
 fore he could raise it to strike another figure appeared at 
 the door. Marion held a gun in her hand which she 
 raised to her shoulder. "Drop that," she said, in a 
 clear, ringing voice, "or I fire!" 
 
 Taken by surprise, and seeing the rifle pointed full at 
 his head, the chief instantly dropped his club. At the 
 same instant Wilfrid sprang to the door, exclaiming "Go 
 in, Marion!" and before the natives had recovered from 
 their surprise the door was shut and barred. 
 
 They had not been deceived by Marion's attempt to 
 personate a man, and their sharp ears had told them 
 while eating their meal that there was but one person in 
 the house, and that it was a girl. They knew that there 
 was no other about, having watched the house for some 
 time, and had therefore anticipated that the work of 
 iQurder and plunder would be accomplished without 
 difficulty. The instant the door was closed they bounded 
 ,way at the top of their speed to the shelter of the bush, 
 expecting every moment to hear the report of a rifle be- 
 hind them ; but the Benshaws had not thought of firing.
 
 204 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 "Well done, Marion!" Wilfrid exclaimed, as soon as 
 the door was fastened. "I was on the point of spring- 
 ing upon him when I heard your voice behind me ; I 
 think that I could have tripped him backward, but if I 
 had done so the others would have been upon me with 
 their clubs. Now, let us close and fasten the shutters, 
 though I do not think we need have any fear of their 
 coming back. In each case we have heard of they have 
 always fallen on the settlers suddenly and killed them 
 before they had time for resistance, and I do not think 
 there is a chance of their trying to attack UB now that 
 they know we are ready for them. I expect that they 
 were passing down to some of their people below, and 
 seeing, as they thought, a defenseless hut, thought it 
 would be an easy business to plunder it and knock on 
 the head any one they might find here. Ndw that they 
 have failed they will probably go on their journey again. " 
 
 "I was horribly frightened, Wilfrid," Marion said, 
 when they joined each other in the sitting-aroom after 
 making all the fastenings secure. 
 
 "You did not look frightened a bit, Marion; and you 
 certainly gave that fellow a tremendous scare. Didn't 
 he drop his club sharp? And now, what do you think 
 \ve had better do ? The first thing is to get the Grim- 
 Btones in. Those fellows may have been watching for 
 some time and saw them go out." 
 
 "But they have got their guns with them, Wilfrid. 
 The natives would surely not think of attacking two 
 men with guns when they have nothing but their clubs." 
 
 "No, they certainly would not think of doing that, 
 Marion. But the chances are that they have got guns, 
 and that they left them in the bush when they sallied 
 out, as they wanted to look peaceful and take us by sur- 
 prise. "
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 205 
 
 'I did not think of that, Wilfrid. Yes, perhaps they 
 have guns. Well, you know, it has always been agreed 
 that in case of danger three shots should be fired as a 
 warning to those who might be out. If we fire and they 
 hear it they will hurry back. ' ' 
 
 "Yes, but they might be shot as they make their way 
 down to the house; that is what I am afraid of." 
 
 Marion was silent for a minute. "Do you know where 
 they have gone to, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "They have gone in the first place to the clearing with 
 those two big trees standing in the center, but I cannot 
 say where they may go afterward, for they had to look 
 for four or five of the cattle that had strayed away." 
 
 "I can slip out from the window in the men's room 
 and get into the bush and work round to the clearing, 
 Wilfrid, alW fire three shots there; that would bring 
 them to me at once. You see, the natives couldn't cross 
 the clearing here without your having them under your 
 gun." 
 
 "No, Marion," Wilfrid said decidedly; "that is not 
 to be thought of. If they saw you going they could 
 work up through the bush on their side to the top of the 
 clearing, and then follow you. No; I think I will fire 
 the three shots. We have talked it over several times, 
 you know, and the Grimstones have been tofd that if 
 they heard the alarm they must make their way cau- 
 tiously to the top of the clearing and see what is going 
 on before they venture to make for the house. As soon 
 as I see them I can shout to them to keep to the bush on 
 their left till they get opposite the house. Everything 
 is so still that one can hear a shout a long way, and I 
 feel sure I could make them understand as far off as the 
 end of the clearing. It isn't as if we were sure that 
 these fellows were still hanging about ready to attack us;
 
 206 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 the probabilities are all the other way. They would 
 have murdered us if they could have taken us by sur 
 prise, but that is a different thing altogether to making 
 an attack now they know we are armed and ready." 
 
 Taking three of the rifles, Wilfrid opened one of the 
 shutters at the back of the house and fired them, with an 
 interval of about five seconds between each shot; then 
 he stood at the window and watched the upper end of 
 the glade. "Dear me!" he exclaimed suddenly, "lam 
 sorry we fired." 
 
 "Why?" Marion asked in surprise. 
 
 "Because Mr. Atherton is sure to hear it if he is at 
 home, and will come hurrying over ; and if these fellows 
 are still there he may come right into the middle of 
 them." 
 
 "I do not think he would do that, Wilfred," Marion 
 said, after thinking for a moment or two. "Mr. Ather- 
 ton is not like the Grimstones. He has been in all sorts 
 of adventures, and though I am sure he will come to our 
 help as soon as he can, I think he would take every pre- 
 caution. He would know that the natives will be likely 
 to come from above, and therefore be between him and 
 us, and would come along carefully so as not to be sur- 
 prised. " 
 
 "I hope so, I am sure," Wilfrid said; for he is an 
 awfully good fellow. Still, as you say, he is sure to keep 
 his eyes opened, and unless they surprise him I should 
 back him against the four of them." 
 
 In a quarter of an hour they heard a shout from the 
 edge of the clearing. "There are the Aliens!" Wilfrid 
 exclaimed as he leaped to the door. "I forgot about 
 them, although of course they are nearer than Mr. Ather- 
 ton. Allright!" he shouted; "you can come on. " The 
 two Aliens ran across the open space between the wood 
 and the house.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 207 
 
 "What is it, "Wilfrid?" they exclaimed as they came 
 up. "You fired the alarm signal, did you not?" Both 
 were breathless with the speed at which they had run. 
 They had been engaged in felling when they heard the 
 shots, and had thrown down their axes, run into the hut 
 for their guns, and made for The Glade at the top of 
 their speed. In a few words Wilfrid explained what 
 had happened, and that there was every reason to believe 
 that four hostile neighbors were lurking in the bush on 
 the opposite side of the glade. The Aliens at once vol- 
 unteered to go up to the head of the clearing to warn 
 the Grimstones. Returning to the point where they had 
 left the forest, they made their way among the trees until 
 they reached the upper end of the clearing ; then sat 
 down and listened. In a few minutes they heard the 
 sound of breaking twigs. "Here come the men, "the 
 elder Allen said ; "the Maoris would come along noise- 
 lessly." Two or three minutes later the Grimstones 
 came up at a run, accompanied by their two dogs. 
 
 "This way," James Allen said. 
 
 "What is it, sir?" Bob Grimstone gasped. "We were 
 a long way in the woods when we thought we heard three 
 shots. We were not quite sure about it, but we started 
 back as fast as we could come. There is nothing wrong, 
 I hope?" 
 
 "Fortunately nothing has happened," James Allen 
 replied; "but four strange Maoris came up to the house 
 and would certainly have murdered Mr. Wilfrid and his 
 sister if they had not been prepared for them. Whether 
 they are in the bush now or not I do not know ; but we 
 have come up to warn you not to go up the clearing, as 
 if they are there they might pick you off as you did so. 
 We must come down under shelter of the trees till we 
 are opposite the house."
 
 208 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 In ten minutes they reached the house. Just as they 
 did so Mr. Atherton appeared at the edge of the wood 
 which they had just left. 
 
 "Thank God you are all safe!" he said as he strolled 
 up to the house. "Your three shots gave me a fright; 
 but as I heard no more I was relieved, for the signal told 
 that you had not been taken by surprise, and as there 
 was no more firing it was clear they had drawn off." 
 
 "But how did you get to that side of the clearing, Mr. 
 Mherion?" 
 
 "I followed the wood till within a few hundred yards 
 & the clearing, as I made sure if there were hostile 
 A&tives about they would be at the edge of the bush. 
 'Chen I got down into the river and waded along the 
 fcdge. The bank in front here was not high enough to 
 hide me, though I stooped as much as I could; but I 
 reckoned that all eyes would be fixed on the house, and 
 it was not likely I should be noticed. And now, what is 
 it all about? I am sure you would not have fired the 
 signal unless there had been good cause for the alarm." 
 
 Wilfrid related what had taken place. 
 
 "Well done, Miss Marion!" Mr. Atherton said when 
 he had finished. "It was lucky for your brother that 
 you did not go with your father and mother this morn- 
 ing. " 
 
 "It was lucky," Wilfrid agreed; "but at the same 
 time, if I had been quite alone I should have closed the 
 shutters and door as they came up, and kept indoors. I 
 only ventured to meet them outside because I knew that 
 Marion had a gun ready to hand to me the moment I 
 wanted it." 
 
 "Yes; but you see there was not time to hand you the 
 gun, Wilfrid, as it turned out, and you would have been 
 knocked on the head to a certainty if your sister had not 
 come to your rescue."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 09 
 
 "That I certainly should; and I know that I owe 
 Marion my life. What do you think we had better do 
 now?" 
 
 "I do not think we can do anything, Wilfrid, beyond 
 trying to find out whether the fellows who came here 
 were alone, or were part of larger party. Where are your 
 natives?" 
 
 "The three men are chopping, and Jack went out with 
 the Grimstones to look for the cattle." 
 
 "Was he with you when you heard the shots fired, 
 Bob?" 
 
 "He was with us a minute or two before, and was fol- 
 lowing a track. After we heard the signal we did not 
 think anything more about him, and whether he followed 
 us or went on looking after the cattle I do not know." 
 
 "If you go to the door, Wilfrid, and give a loud cooey 
 it will bring him in if he is within hearing. You may be 
 sure that he heard the signal, for his ears are keener 
 than those of your men; but he would not rush straight 
 back, but would come cautiously through the woods 
 according to his nature." 
 
 Wilfrid went to the door and gave a loud cooey. A 
 mimite later the Maori issued from the bush, nearly 
 opposite the house, and ran in. 
 
 "That's j-ust where the natives took to the bush," Wil- 
 frid said. "Perhaps he will be able to tell us something 
 about them." 
 
 "I expect he has been scouting," Mr. Atherton said, 
 "and his coming boldly out from that point is a pretty 
 sure proof that the natives have made off. Well, Jack, so 
 you heard our signal?" 
 
 Jack nodded. 
 
 "And what kave you been doing since?" Wilfrid 
 asked.
 
 310 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Jack went through the bush fast till he got near 
 house, then, as the guns were not going off, he kne\V 
 there could be no attack; but thought black man might 
 be lying in bush, so he crept and crawled. Presently he 
 heard man talk, and then saw four Maori walking fast 
 away from house. He only heard them say as he passed, 
 'No use now; too many Pakehas. Come another day and- 
 finish them all.' Jack was coming straight to house 
 when he heard cooey." 
 
 "You have seen nothing of your father and the other 
 two men, Jack?" 
 
 The Maori boy shook [his head. "They chop wood; 
 perhaps not heard signal." 
 
 "More likely they heard, but thought it better to stay 
 away," Wilfrid said. 
 
 "No got guns; they not fighting men," Jack said, as 
 if in excuse. 
 
 "There is something in that," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "The Hau-Haus have always proved themselves even 
 more merciless tow r ard the friendly natives than toward 
 the whites; and these men, being unarmed, might even 
 with the best disposition in the world be afraid to come 
 to the house. At any rate, I am glad those fellows have 
 made off. You see, they were in a position to shoot any 
 of us as if they got the chance, while we were scarce in a 
 position to return the compliment." 
 
 "Why not?" James Allen asked. 
 
 "Because, although we could have now no doubt what- 
 ever as to their intentions, the have committed no actual 
 assault. They tried their best to push their way into 
 the house, and when Wilfrid opposed them one of them 
 drew his club; but they might say this was only done to 
 frighten him, and that they had no thought of using it. 
 If they had fired a shot, we should of course be justified
 
 WAORI AND SETTLER. 2ll 
 
 an killing them ; but were we to begin the shooting, the 
 whole tribe they belong to would take it up, and there 
 would be a cry for vengeance; and even if nothing were 
 done at once, we should be marked down to be wiped 
 out at the first opportunity. 
 
 "We shall learn in a day or two whether the matter 
 was serious or not," Mr. Atherton went on. "If 
 there is anything like a general defection of the natives 
 in these parts yours will not have been the only place 
 threatened, and we shall hear of attacks on other settlers. 
 If we do not hear of such attacks we can safely put it 
 down that these four fellows were mere haphazard pass- 
 ers, like tramps at home, who were tempted by the fact 
 that the house contained only two persons. In that case 
 we need feel no further anxiety; for as you would be 
 able to recognize them if you met them anywhere, they 
 would not be likely to come near this part of the district 
 again. At any rate I will set off with the boy here and 
 one of the dogs, and will follow up their tracks and see 
 if they have gone well a \vr.y. I have no doubt they have 
 done so; still, it will be more comfortable to make cer- 
 tain of it. ' ' 
 
 "By the way, Bob," Wilfrid said, "don't you take 
 those two dogs out again. I don't think they would be 
 any good for hunting cattle, and would be much more 
 likely to frighten and hunt them away than to help you 
 to drive them in. At any rate they were bought as 
 guards, and are to remain about the house. Shall I go 
 with you, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "No, thank you, Wilfrid; Jack will be enough to help 
 me follow the tracks, for what he heard them say is al- 
 most proof that they have gone. I shall go round to my 
 own place when I have followed them fairly off 
 the land, but will come round here to-morrow morning,
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 when we will hold a general council of war. It is no use 
 my coming back again this evening, as your father and 
 the others will not be here before that time. It is possi- 
 ble that they will bring us some news from the Mitfords. 
 If there is any trouble anywhere along the river Mitford 
 is sure to be the first to hear it. I will send a message 
 back by Jack when he has gone as far as necessary for 
 our purpose." 
 
 Two hours later Jack returned with the news that the 
 Maoris had gone straight on without makiug a stop. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kenshaw were expected back at about ten 
 o'clock. They were to breakfast early at the Mitfords 
 and to come up with their light canoe. They arrived, 
 however, soon after eight o'clock. 
 
 "Is all well?" Mr. Renshaw shouted as ke stepped 
 from the boat. 
 
 "All well, father," Marion replied, running down to 
 meet them. "We had a little unpleasantness yesterday, 
 but nothing of consequence. What brings you back so 
 early? You must have started before daylight." 
 
 "Bad news came in yesterday evening, and we should 
 have come straight over if it had been possible, but Mr. 
 Mitford would not let us leave till morning. We have 
 been very anxious about you." 
 
 "What is the news?" Wilfred asked. 
 
 "The natives murdered two settlers at a farm some 
 four miles from Mr. Mitford 's. Yesterday he received 
 letters both from Poverty Bay and Napier saying that 
 the natives were in a very disturbed state, that Hau-Hau 
 prophets had been going about among them, and that in 
 both districts there had been several murders. Corps of 
 volunteers are being raised at Napier, and they have sent 
 to Wellington for a company of the constabulary. The 
 settlers at Poverty Bay are also making preparations for
 
 IfAORI AND SETTLER. 213 
 
 defense. Mr. Mitford was asked to get all the colonists 
 on this river to arm and prepare for an attack. Of 
 course this news was very alarming in itself, and when 
 two or three hours later the news came in of the murders 
 in our own settlement we were naturally most anxious 
 about you. However, as we could not come over in the 
 dark through the forest, and as Mitford pointed out that 
 the house was well prepared for defense, and that you 
 would certainly be on the alert and had the dogs, who 
 would give you notice of any body of men coming, we 
 Consented to remain if he would send us home in the 
 canoe at five o'clock in the morning. And now, what 
 is it that happened here yesterday?" 
 
 "It was nothing very alarming, father. Four natives 
 came up and asked for food, which of course I gave 
 them. Then they wanted gin, and seeing that I was 
 alone tried to push their way into the house. I tried to 
 stop them. The fellow snatched at his club. As he did 
 so Marion appeared at the door with a leveled rifle, and 
 the fellows, who had no guns with them, took to their 
 heels. . We gave the alarm signal, and the Aliens and 
 Mr. Atherton came over at once, and the Grimstones ran 
 in from their work. However, the natives had made their 
 way off, and I do not suppose we shall hear any more of 
 them." 
 
 "I don't know, Wilffrid, " his father said. "If it had 
 been only this affair I should not have thought much 
 about it. The natives are often rude and insolent, and 
 these men might not have meant to do more than help 
 themselves to a bottle of spirits, but taken with these 
 accounts from Napier and Poverty Bay, and with the 
 murders yesterday, I think it is very serious. ' ' 
 
 "Mr. Atherton and the Aliens promised to come over 
 at ten o'clock, father, to chat the matter over with you,
 
 214 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 and hear whether you had brought news of any troubles 
 elsewhere. So we shall have quite a council. And now 
 let us have breakfast. We were just going to sit down 
 when we heard your call, and I am sure you must be as 
 hungry as hunters after your three hours on the water." 
 
 Breakfast was scarcely finished when Mr. Atherton and 
 the Aliens arrived, and were made acquainted with the 
 news of the murder of the two setttlers on ihe previous 
 day. 
 
 "It is clear," Mr. Atherton said, "that the affair here 
 yesterday, was not, as I hoped, a mere incident, such as 
 might happen anywhere if a party of ruffianly fellows 
 arrived at a lonely house which they thought they could 
 rob with impunity. This sad business you tell us of 
 shows that there is a general movement among the 
 natives, the result, I suppose, of the arrival of some emis- 
 sary from the Hau-Haus. It is an awkward business. 
 What is Mr. Mitford's opinion on the subject?" 
 
 "He thinks it will be well that all settlers on the river 
 capable of bearing arms should be enrolled as a volunteer 
 corps, and be in readiness to turn out at a moment's 
 notice. He is of opinion that all those whose farms lie 
 at a distance from the main body should drive in their 
 animals and bring in such goods as they can carry to his 
 station, as one of the most central. Huts could be got 
 up there, and the animals all kept at night in his large 
 stockaded yard. In case the natives seem inclined to 
 make a regular attack the women and children could be 
 sent down the river in boats or put on board a ship and 
 sent to Napier. Fortunately, there is seldom a week 
 without a craft of some sort putting into the river." 
 
 "There is no doubt that this would be the safest plan," 
 Mr. Atherton said, "but it would be a serious thing for 
 the settlers to abandon their crops and houses to tha
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 215 
 
 natives unless it was certain that the danger was very 
 .great." 
 
 "That is my opinion," Mr. Renshaw said. "I am 
 certainly not disposed to have the results of our labor 
 destroyed without a struggle." 
 
 "Wilfrid looked alike surprised and pleased. "I am 
 glad to hear you say so father. It would be an awful 
 nuisance and loss to have all our crops destroyed and our 
 house burned down, and to have to begin the whole thing 
 over again. I don't see what would have been the use 
 of getting everything ready for defense if we are all to 
 run away directly there is danger; but I think it would 
 be a good thing to send the animals down to Mr. Mit- 
 ford's, as he is good enough to offer to take them. We 
 might send down the three natives to look after them, as 
 of course they will have to go out to graze in the day- 
 time, and keep Jack here. I do not know about the 
 other men, and one doesn't seem able to trust the natives 
 in the slightest; but I feel sure of Jack, and he would be 
 useful to us in many ways in the house, beside being 
 able to scout in the woods far better than we could do." 
 
 "I think that you are right, Mr. Renshaw," Mr. 
 Atherton said. "I should propose as an addition that 
 the Aliens here and I make this our headquarters while 
 the scare lasts. We could run up a light shanty with a 
 few hours' work just behind the house. The Aliens 
 could go over to their work during the day and return 
 here at night, and I should wander about the woods with 
 my gun as usual. I do not think we need fear any attack 
 in the daytime. If it comes at all it will be at night or 
 at early morning. The natives will know from the men 
 who were here that you are well armed, and will try to 
 atch you napping. We won't be any more trouble to 
 you than we can help, and with the addition of our three
 
 1 216 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 guns I think we could defend ourselves against any 
 number of natives. What do you think of my proposal, 
 lads?" 
 
 The Aliens said at once that they thought it was an. 
 excellent one, if Mr. and Mrs. Eenshaw were willing to 
 have the trouble of them. 
 
 "It will be no trouble at all," Mrs. Renshaw said, 
 "and will be a very great comfort. With seven men to 
 protect us Marion and I shall feel perfectly safe, and it 
 will be in all ways pleasant to have you here with us. I 
 do not see that you need build a hut outside at all. 
 There will be no difficulty in making up beds her^ and in 
 the kitchen, and then we shall be all together." 
 
 "But I do not propose that you should cook for us, 
 Mrs. Renshaw. If we had a hut of our own our boys 
 could do that for us. You see, we are coming up here 
 for our own defense as well as yours. ' ' 
 
 "I should not think of such a thing," Mrs. Renshaw 
 said decidedly. "There is no more trouble in cooking 
 for nine than there is for six; and, as I have said, it will 
 be a real pleasure to us to have you stopping here." 
 
 "Very well. Then in that case, Mrs. Renshaw, we 
 will accept your invitation. I will bring over my be- 
 longings to-day and store them in your loft above, and 
 the Aliens had better bring over anything they do not 
 want burned by the natives. I still hope that these out- 
 rages are the work of a few ruffians, and that the natives 
 in general will not allow themselves to be persuaded into 
 hostilities against us; still, if the worst comes to the 
 worst, I am convinced that we can hold this house against 
 quite as strong a force as they are likely to bring to attack 
 it. There is one precaution I should advise you to take 
 at once, and that is to lay in a store of water. I dare 
 gay you have got some empty molasses .and pork casks,
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 217 
 
 tnat it if you not not bum them as soon as you empty 
 them. If not we must set to work and make a strong 
 wooden tank. In case we were really besieged, it would 
 be fatal to us if we were caught without a supply of 
 water. ' ' 
 
 Fortunately there were three or four empty casks. 
 These were taken down to the river and thoroughly 
 washed, filled with water, and rolled up to the house. 
 "While this was being done, Wilfrid, with the Grimstones 
 and the natives, had gone out and driven in all the 
 animals from the clearings, and as soon as they were 
 brought in Wilfrid with the natives started to drive them 
 to Mr. Mitford's. Mr. Atherton went over to his hut, 
 and before night his two natives had brought over all his 
 most valuable property, and the next day his hut was 
 completely stripped. The Aliens only brought over a 
 few things. Their furniture was rough and heavy, and 
 they contented themselves by carrying it out into the 
 forest near and hiding it in the undergrowth. Wilfrid 
 returned to The Glade in the evening. He said that 
 many of the settlers had come in, and were erecting 
 shelters of hides, canvas, and wood near Mr. Mitford's 
 house. The men were all being enrolled. Officers had 
 been appointed, and the natives were likely to meet with 
 a stout resistance if they ventured on hostilities. 
 
 Mrs. Mitford had sent an earnest invitation to Mrs. 
 Kenshaw and Marion to take up their abode with her. 
 Mr. Mitford had approved of their intention of holding 
 the house. He knew its capabilities of defense and 
 thought that, unless taken by surprise, they would be 
 able to hold it. 
 
 "It will be a sort of outpost for the colony," he said, 
 "and will add to our safety; for if any strong body of 
 natives were approaching they would probably attack
 
 218 MAORI AND SETTLER 
 
 you before coming on here. The instant we hear that 
 you are attacked we will come up to aid you. We shall 
 be able to muster in all something like fifty mounted 
 men a strength sufficient to meet any number of natives 
 likely to assemble in these parts."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE ATTACK ON THE GLADE. 
 
 FOB three days things went on quietly at The Glade. 
 The first thing in the morning Jack went out with two of 
 the dogs and scouted in the bush. As soon as he returned 
 with the news that he could find no signs of natives the 
 household broke up. The Aliens went through the bush 
 to their clearing and continued their work of felling 
 trees. Mr. Atherton sauntered off with his two dogs 
 into the forest in search of plants. Wilfrid and the 
 Grimstones pursued their work of digging and planting 
 iu the upper part of the glade. Jack and the two dogs 
 were on watch round the house. Mr. Renshaw worked 
 at his Maori vocabulary, and his wife and daughter 
 carried on the business of the house. 
 
 At night two of the dogs were chained up outside ; the 
 other two slept in the kitchen, while Jack was allowed to 
 sleep up in the loft. At daybreak on the fourth day the 
 party were awoke by a growl from one of the dogs out- 
 side. Each of the occupants of the house had been 
 allotted his post, and in a minute all were standing rifle 
 in hand, at the windows they were to guard. Mr. Ather- 
 ton opened the front door and went out, followed by 
 Jack. It was just getting light enough to make out 
 objects in the clearing. Everything seemed quiet. 
 
 "What is it, Ponto?" he said to his dog, who was 
 standing with his eyes fixed upon the bush to the right,
 
 220 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 his ears pricked and his hair bristling. "What do you 
 hear, old fellow?" 
 
 The dog uttered another deep growl. A moment later 
 there was a loud yell. A number of dark figures leaped 
 from the edge of the bush and ran toward the house. 
 They had made out Mr. Atherton's figure, and knew 
 that their hope of surprising the place was at an end. 
 Mr. Atherton leveled his rifle and fired, and one of the 
 natives fell dead. Then stooping he quietly unfastened 
 the dog's chain from his collar, telling Jack to do the 
 same to the other dog, "Come into the house, sir," he 
 ordered; "it's no use your being here to be shot." 
 
 His shot had been answered by a dozen rifles, but 
 fired in haste, as the men were running, none of the bul- 
 lets struck him. Four shots were fired simultaneously 
 from the windows looking toward the bush, and. three 
 more natives fell. This proof of the accuracy of the de- 
 fenders' shooting staggered the Maoris and they paused 
 for a moment, then, moved by the exhortations of their 
 chief, they again rushed forward. The whole of the de- 
 fenders were now gathered at the windows facing them, 
 and seven shots were fired in quick succession. Three 
 natives fell dead. Four others were wounded, two so 
 seriously that they had to be carried off by their com- 
 rades, who at once ran back to the bush, and from ita 
 edge opened a straggling fire against the house. The 
 shutters that had been thrown open at the two windows 
 were at once closed. 
 
 "This is what I call beating them off handsomely, 1 * 
 Mr. Atherton said. "Now you see the advantage, "Wil- 
 frid, of the pains you have taken to learn to shoot 
 straight. There have been only eleven shots fired, and I 
 fancy there are at least ten casualties among them. X 
 call that a very pretty average for young hands."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 221 
 
 ''What will they do next, do you think?" Mr. Ren- 
 naw asked. 
 
 "They will not try another open attack, I fancy. We 
 may expect them to try to work round us. Jack, do you 
 go to the other side of the house and keep a sharp look- 
 out on t e bush there. Wilfrid, you take post at the 
 windows we fired from, and peep out from time to time 
 through the loopholes in the shutters. Between times 
 keep yourself out of the line of fire. The betting is a 
 thousand to one against a bullet coming through, still 
 there is no use in running any risk if it can be avoided. 
 Jim Allen, you and I will take up our place at the back 
 of the house ; they may try to work up among the crops. 
 In fact, I expect that is the course they will take unless 
 .they have had enough of it already. Bob Grimstone, 
 you keep watch at one of the front windows. I don'fc 
 think there is much chance of attack from that side, but 
 it is as well to keep a lookout. Some of them may at- 
 tempt to cross to the opposite bush, keeping down by 
 the river. The other three guns will be in reserve." 
 
 "Don't you think they are likely to go away now that 
 they have suffered so much loss?" Mrs. IJenshaw asked. 
 
 "No, I cannot say I think so, Mrs. Eenshaw. The 
 Maoris, from what I have heard, always try to get revenge 
 for the death of a kinsman or fellow-tribesman. Of 
 course it depends how many of them there are. I should 
 judge that there were about thirty showed themselves. 
 If that is all there are of them I should say they would 
 not attack again at present. They must know by our 
 firing that there are seven or eight of us here. But I 
 should not rely altogether even upon that, for the natives 
 regard themselves as fully a match, man for man, with 
 the whites, and in their fights with our troops we were 
 often greatly superior in numbers. Still, it is one thing
 
 222 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 to defend a strong pah and another to attack resoiut* 
 men snugly sheltered behind bullet-proof logs. Thejf 
 may %ry again, but if there are any more of their people 
 within reasonable distance I fancy they will be inora 
 likely to send for them and keep a sharp watch round 
 us until they come up. Now I will go to my post. " 
 
 For a quarter of an hour the two watchers at the back 
 of the house saw no signs of life. Then Mr. Atherton 
 said: "There is a movement among that corn, Jim. Do 
 you see, there just in a line with that big tree at the 
 other end of the clearing? It is moving in'several places. 
 Call your brother and young Grimstone to this side of 
 the house, and do you all take steady aim at these mov- 
 ing patches. I will fire first. I think I can pretty well 
 mark the spot where one of the fellows is making his wa;/ 
 down. If I hit him the others are likely enough to start 
 up. Then will be your time for taking a shot at them. " 
 
 As soon as the others were in position and ready Mr. 
 Atherton fired. There was a yell. A dark figure sprang 
 up, stood for an instant-, and then fell back. Almost at 
 the same instant half a dozen others leaped to their feet 
 and dashed away. Three rifles were fired. Two of the 
 natives fell, but one almost immediately rose again and 
 followed the others. 
 
 "You ought to have done better than that at a hun- 
 dred yards, " Mr. Atherton said. "You two lads ought 
 to have practiced a little more steadily than you have. 
 It was Grimstone brought down that man. His rifle 
 went off a second before yours, and the man was falling 
 when you fired. The great thing in. firing at natives is 
 that every shot should tell. It is the certainty of the 
 thing that scares them. If they hear bullets singing 
 about with only occasionally a man dropping they gain 
 confidence, but a slow, steady fire with every shot telling
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. , 223 
 
 shakes their nerves, and makes them very careful of 
 showing themselves. " 
 
 Half an hour later Jack reported he could see figures 
 moving in the bush on his side, and soon afterward a fire 
 was opened on the hut from that direction. 
 
 "They have worked round the end of the clearing," 
 Mr. Atherton said. "Now it is our turn to begin to fire. 
 We have let them have their own way long enough, and 
 there is plenty of light now, and I think we shall soon 
 be able to put a stop to this game. Now, Wilfrid, do 
 you with one of the Grimstones take up your place at the 
 loopholes at that end of the house, and I with the others 
 will take up mine on the right. Keep a sharp lookout, 
 and do not throw away a shot if you can help it. As we 
 have not answered their fire they have probably got care- 
 less, and are sure to expose themselves as they stand up 
 to fire. Now, Bob," he went on, as he took his place at 
 the loophole, "I will take the first who shows himself. I 
 do not think you would miss, but I am sure that I shall 
 not, and it is important not to make a mistake the first 
 time." 
 
 Half a minute later a native showed his head and 
 shoulders over a bush as he rose to fire. Before he could 
 raise his gun to his shoulder he fell with a bullet through 
 his head from Mr. Atherton's unerring rifle. That gen- 
 tleman quietly reloaded. 
 
 "You had better take the next again, sir," Bob Grim- 
 stone said quietly. "I do not suppose I should miss, 
 but I might do. I do not reckon on hitting a small mark 
 more than eight out of twelve times. " 
 
 Tt was nearly four minutes before another native 
 howed himself. 
 
 "I think, sir, there is one standing behind that big 
 tree twenty yards in the bush. I thought I saw some- 
 thing move behind it just now."
 
 224 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I will watch it, Bob," Mr. Atherton said, rmo/ng his 
 rifle to his shoulder and looking along it through the 
 loophole. 
 
 Two minutes passed, and then a head and shoulder 
 appeared from behind the tree. Instantaneously Mr. 
 Atherton 's rifle cracked, and the native fell forward, his 
 gun going off as he did so. 
 
 "We need not stand here any longer," Mr. Atherton 
 said quietlj r , "there will be no .more shooting from that 
 Bide for some time." 
 
 Mr. Atherton went to the other end of the house. 
 
 "How are you getting on, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "We have had three shots. I fired twice and Bill 
 once. I think I missed once altogether, the other time 
 the native went down. Bill wounded his man hit him 
 in the shoulder, I think. They haven't fired since." 
 
 "Then you can put down your guns for the present. 
 Mrs. Eenshaw has just told me that breakfast is ready." 
 
 Mrs. Renshaw and Marion had indeed gone quietly 
 about the work of preparing breakfast for their defenders. 
 
 "So you are a noncombatant this morning, Miss 
 Marion?" Mr. Atberton said as he took his place with 
 the rest of the party, with the exception of the Grim- 
 stones, who were placed on the watch, at the table. 
 
 "Yes," the girl replied; "if I thought there were any 
 danger of the natives fighting their way into the house, 
 of course I should do my best to help to defend it ; but I 
 do not think that there is the least fear of such a thing, 
 so I am quite content to leave it to you. It does not" 
 4seem to me that a woman has any business to fight unless 
 absolutely driven to do so in defense of her life. If the 
 natives really do come on and get up close to the house 
 I think that I ought to help to keep them out ; but it is 
 a dreadful thing to have to shoot any one at least it 
 seems so to me."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 225 
 
 "It is not a pleasant thing when considered in cold 
 blood; but when men go out of their way to take one's 
 life, I do not feel the slightest compunction myself in 
 taking theirs. These natives have no cause of complaint 
 against us. They have assembled and attacked the set- 
 tlement in a treacherous manner, and without the slight- 
 est warning of their intentions. Their intention is to 
 slay man, woman and child without mercy, and I there- 
 fore regard them as human tigers, and no more deserv- 
 ing of pity. At the same time I can quite enter into 
 your feelings, and think you are perfectly right not to 
 take any active part in the affair unless we are pressed 
 by the savages. Then, of course, you would be not only 
 justified, but it would, I think, be your absolute duty to 
 do your best to defend the place." 
 
 "Do you think that it is all over now, Mr. Atherton?" 
 Mrs. Renshaw asked. "We regard you as our command- 
 ing officer, for you are the only one here who ever saw a 
 shot fired in anger before our voyage out, and your ex- 
 perience is invaluable to us now. Indeed, both my hus- 
 band and myself feel that it is to your suggestion that 
 we should put up the strong shutters and doors that we 
 owe the lives of our children ; for had it not been for 
 that, those men who came first might have taken the 
 house when they found them alone in it." 
 
 "I cannot accept your thanks for that, Mrs. Renshaw. 
 It may be if this goes on that the shutters will be found 
 of the greatest use, and indeed they have probably 
 stopped a good many balls from coming in and so saved 
 some of our lives, but on the first occasion Wilfrid and 
 your daughter owed their lives to their being prepared 
 and armed, while the natives, relying upon surprising 
 them, had left their guns in the wood. The shutters 
 were not closed until after they made off, and had they
 
 226 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 not been there those four natives could never have passed 
 across the clearing and reached the house under the fire 
 of two cool and steady marksmen. 
 
 "Aa to your first question, -whether it is all over, it 
 depends entirely upon whether the party who attacked 
 us are the main force of the natives. If so, I do not 
 think they will renew the attack at present. They have 
 suffered terribly, and know now that it is almost certain 
 death for any of them to show themselves 'within range 
 of our guns. They have lost fourteen or fifteen men, 
 and I do not think they numbered above forty at first. 
 But if they are only a detached party, and a main body 
 o< the tribe is making an attack elsewhere, perhaps upon 
 the settlers at Mitford'Sj a messenger will by this time 
 have been dispatched to them, and we" may all have a 
 much more serious attack to encounter to-night or to- 
 morrow morning. 
 
 "I have no idea what tribe these fellows belong to; but 
 there are few of the tribes that cannot put five hundred 
 men in the field, while some can put five times that num- 
 ber. So, you see, we are entirely in the dark. y Of 
 course things will depend a good deal as to how the main 
 body, if there is a main body, has fared. If they have 
 been, as I feel sure they will be if they venture to attack 
 Mitford's place, roughly handled, the whole body may 
 return home. The natives have proved themselves 
 through the war admirable in defense; but they have 
 by no means distinguished themselves in the attack, and 
 have not so far as I remember, succeeded in a single in- 
 stance in capturing a position stoutly held. 
 
 "It is one thing to fight behind strong palisades, de- 
 fended by interior works skillfully laid out, and quite 
 another to advance across the open to assault a defended 
 position ; and my belief is that, if they are beaten at
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. %%) 
 
 Mitford's as well as here, we shall hear no more of them 
 at present. Mind, I do not say that after this I think 
 that it would be safe to continue to live in an outlying 
 station like this until matters have again settled down in 
 this part of the island. No doubt, as soon as the news 
 is known at Napier and Wellington a force will be sent 
 here, or perhaps to Poverty Bay, which is only some 
 twenty miles higher up the coast, and is, I think, from 
 what I hear, better suited as the base of operations than 
 this river would be. 
 
 "This force will no doubt make an expedition inland 
 to punish the tribes connected with this affair, for it is 
 of course most important to let the natives on this side 
 of the island see that they cannot attack our settlements 
 with impunity. After that is done it will no doubt be 
 safe to recommence operations here; but at present I fear 
 you will find it necessary for a time to abandon the place, 
 and either take up your abode at the Mitford's, or go 
 down to Napier or Wellington. This will, of course, 
 involve the loss of the crops you have planted, and possi- 
 bly of your house; but as you have saved all your 
 animals, the loss will be comparatively small and easily 
 repaired. " 
 
 "Whether large or small," Mr. Benshaw said, "we 
 cannot hesitate over it. It will, as you say, be out of 
 the question to live here exposed at any instant to attack, 
 and never knowing what the day or night may bring 
 forth. The house has not cost above a hundred pounds, 
 and we must put up with that loss. We are fortunately 
 in a very much better position than most settlers in hav- 
 ing a reserve to fall back upon, so there will be no hesi- 
 tation on my part in taking this step. The furniture is 
 worth more than the hut, but I suppose that must go 
 too."
 
 228 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Not necessarily, Mr. Renshaw. We cannot get away 
 now ; for although we can defend ourselves well enough 
 here, we could not make our way down through the 
 woods to Mitford's without great risks. They are accus- 
 tomed to bush fighting, and as they are still five to one 
 against us, it would be a very serious matter to try to 
 fight our way down. I think that we have no choice 
 but to remain where we are until we are either relieved 
 or are perfectly certain that they have made off. In 
 either case we should then have ample time to make our 
 preparations for retiring, and could strip the house and 
 send everything down in boats or bullock-carts, and 
 might even get up the potatoes, and cut such of the crops 
 as are ripe, or nearly ripe, and send them down also. 
 
 "The corps that has been got up among the settlers 
 will be sure to join in the expedition for the punishment 
 of these scoundrels, and indeed it is most probable that 
 all able-bodied settlers will be called out. In any case I 
 think I shall 'chip in,' as the Americans say. I shall 
 have an opportunity of going into little explored tracts 
 in the interior and adding to my collections ; and to tell 
 you the truth, I feel anxious to take a part in revenging 
 the massacres that these treacherous natives have com- 
 mitted. Unless they get a sharp lesson the lives of the 
 settlers in all the outlying districts in the colony will be 
 unsafe." 
 
 Wilfrid glanced at Mr. Atherton and nodded, to inti- 
 mate that he should be willing and ready to join in such 
 an expedition ; but he thought it better to say nothing 
 at present. The two Aliens, however, said at once that 
 if obliged to quit their clearing they would join one of 
 the irregular corps for the defense of the colony. 
 
 "We shall get pay and rations," James Allen said, 
 "and that will keep us going until things get settled;
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 229 
 
 and I should certainly like to lend a hand in punishing 
 these treacherous natives. It is horrible to think of 
 their stealing upon defenseless people at night and mur- 
 dering men, women, and children. It is as bad as the 
 Sepoy mutiny. And now the troops have been almost 
 all withdrawn, and the colony has been left to shift for 
 itself, I think it is no more than the duty of all who 
 have no special ties to aid in the defense against these 
 fanatical Hau-Haus. " 
 
 "Very well, then, James; we will march side by side, 
 and when you see me give out you shall carry me." 
 
 "That would be worse than fighting the natives," 
 James Allen replied with a laugh. "If I were you, Mx\ 
 Atherton, I should engage ten natives to accompany me 
 with poles and a hammock." 
 
 "That is not a bad idea," Mr. Atherton said calmly, 
 "and possibly I may adopt it; but in that case I shall 
 have to go as a free lance, for I fear it would scarcely be 
 conducive to military discipline to see one of an armed 
 band carried along in the ranks." 
 
 None would have thought from the cheerful tone of 
 the conversation that the party were beleaguered by a 
 bloodthirsty enemy. But Mr. Atherton purposely gave 
 a lively tone to the conversation to keep up their spirits. 
 He felt, as he expressed himself, perfectly confident that 
 they could beat off any attack in the daytime ; but he 
 knew that if their assailants were largely reinforced, and 
 the place attacked by night, the position would be a very 
 Berious one. He even was convinced that the assailants 
 would not be able to force their way in, but they would 
 assuredly try to fire the house; and although the solid 
 logs would be difficult to ignite, the matchboard cover- 
 ing and the roof would both readily catch fire. How- 
 ever, his hope lay in preventing the natives from firing
 
 230 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 it, as it would be difficult/ in the extreme to bring ujk 
 burning branches under the fire of the defenders. 
 
 "It is a pity now, Wilfrid," he said to the lad after 
 breakfast was over, and they had taken up their place 
 together at one of the windows, "that we did not dio- 
 suade your father from putting that boarding to the logs. 
 You did not intend to have it at first, and now it adds a 
 good deal to our danger. The only thing I am afraid of 
 is fire, though I own I do not think that there is much 
 chance of any of them getting up with a lighted brand 
 under the fire of our rifles. If the natives were not in 
 the bush at the present moment, I should say that the 
 best thing by far to do would be for all hands to set to 
 work to tear off the match-boarding, and to get down 
 the whole of the covering of the roof; they could not 
 well hurt us then. " 
 
 "Shall we do it at once, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "They would shoot us down at their leisure, Wilfrid. 
 No, that is not to be thought of. We must run the 
 risk of fire now; and I feel, as I said, pretty confident 
 that we are too good shots to let men with fire get up to 
 the walls. I wish we could send down word to Mitford's 
 that we are besieged here. Of course, if he is attacked 
 himself he could not help us ; but if he is not, I know he 
 would come out at once with a strong party to our relief. 
 I wonder whether that native boy of yours would try to 
 carry a message. None of us would have a chance of 
 getting through, but these fellows can crawl like snakes, 
 and by working up through the crops to the upper end 
 of the glade he might gain the bush unobserved." 
 
 "I will ask him anyhow," Wilfrid said. 
 
 Jack on being promised a new suit of clothes and a 
 present in money if he would carry a note through to 
 Mr. Mitford, at once undertook the mission. Mr. Ken-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 23 1 
 
 Bhaw on being told what was arranged, wrote a not 
 stating their position, and Jack, divesting himself of th 
 greater portion of his clothes, crept out through the 
 door at the back of the house, and lying down at once be- 
 gan to crawl through the potato patch toward the upper 
 end of the clearing. From the loopholes of the windows 
 the defenders watched his progress. Although aware of 
 his approximate position they were soon unable to trace 
 his progress. 
 
 "He ^will'do," Mr. Atherton said; "if we, knowing 
 the line he is taking, can see nothing move, you may be 
 sure that those fellows in the bush will not be able to 
 make him out. Well, we shall have assistance in four or 
 five hours if Mitford's hands are free." 
 
 A quarter of an hour passed and all was still quiet. 
 
 "He is in the bush by this time," Mr. Atherton said; 
 "now we can take matters easy." 
 
 An occasional shot was fired from the bush, and shouts 
 raised, which Mr. Renshaw interpreted to be threats of 
 death and extermination. 
 
 "They say that all the white men are to be driven into 
 the s'ea not one left alive on the island." 
 
 "Well, we shall see about that," Mr. Atherton said; 
 "they are not getting on very fast at present." 
 
 As time went on it was only the occasional crack of a 
 gun, accompanied by the thud of a bullet against the logs, 
 that told that the natives were still present. They now 
 never raised themselves to fire, but kept well back in the 
 bush, shifting their position after each shot. Time 
 passed somewhat slowly inside, until about four o'clock 
 in the afternoon the sharp crack of a rifle was heard. 
 
 "There is Mitford!" Mr. Atherton exclaimed; "that 
 is not a Maori gun. Man the loopholes again! We must 
 prevent any of the fellows on the other side crossing to
 
 232 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the assistance of their friends, and give it to the others 
 hot if they are driven out oi the shelter of the bush." 
 
 The rifle-shpt was speedily followed by others, and 
 then came the deeper report of the Maori muskets. Eng- 
 lish shouts were heard, mingled with the yells of the 
 natives. The fight was evidently sharp, for Jack had led 
 the relieving party down upon the rear of the natives 
 engaged in attacking the house from the left. The latter 
 began to fall back, and the defenders of the house pres- 
 ently caught sight of their figures as they flitted from 
 tree to tree. 
 
 "We must be careful," Mr. Atherton said, "for every 
 bullet that misses might strike our friends. I think that 
 you had all better reserve your fire till they make a break 
 across the open. You can see by the direction they are 
 firing and the sound of the rifles Mitford is closing in on 
 both their flanks so as to drive them out of the bush. I 
 can trust myself not to miss, and will pick them off when 
 I see any of them sheltering on this side of the trees. 
 There is a fellow there just going to fire." His rifle 
 cracked, and the native fell among the bushes. 
 
 This completed the scare of the natives, who had al- 
 ready been much disconcerted at the unexpected attack 
 made upon them. The leader of the party shouted an 
 order, and the whole of them made a sudden rush through 
 the bush down toward the river. Three or four fell be- 
 neath the rifles of the whites on that side of them, but 
 the rest burst through and continued their course down 
 to the river, and, plunging in, swam to the other side 
 without once giving the defenders of the house the 
 chance of a shot at them. 
 
 "Now we can sally out," Mr. Renshaw said. 
 
 The door was opened, and they hurried out just as a 
 party of whites issued from the wood and ran toward the 
 house.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 233 
 
 "Thanks for your speedy aid, Mitford!" Mr. Kenshaw 
 exclaimed as he wrung the hand of the settler. 
 
 "You are heartily welcome, my dear sir, A party was 
 just setting off to see how you had fared when your 
 native boy arrived with your note, and it was a great 
 relief to us to know that you had repulsed their attack 
 with such heavy loss to them ; I am afraid that several 
 others have not fared so well. Two or three native serv- 
 ants have come in this morning with news of massacres 
 of whole families, they themselves having managed to 
 make their escape in the confusion ; and I am afraid that 
 we shall hear of other similar cases. Your gallant de- 
 fense of your station has been of most important service 
 to us all. There is no doubt that it saved us from an 
 attack at our place. There were a good many natives in 
 the bush round us this morning yelling and shouting, 
 but they did not venture on an attack; and I have no 
 doubt they were waiting for the arrival of the party told 
 off to attack your place on their way. Do you think that 
 there are any of them still in the bush on the other 
 Bide?" 
 
 "I should hardly think so," Mr. Atherton replied. 
 "There must have been fully half of them in the party 
 you attacked, and the others are hardly likely to have 
 waited after they saw you had defeated their friends; 
 but I think that it would be as well for a party of us to 
 ascertain, for if they are still lurking there some of us 
 may be shot down as we move about outside the house. 
 We are quite strong enough now to venture upon such a 
 Btep." 
 
 "I think so, too," Mr. Mitford agreed. "There are 
 ten men beside m*self and your party. We had better 
 leave four here, the rest of us will make a dash down to 
 the edge of the bush and then skirmish through it."
 
 234 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Mr. Renshaw, the two Grimstones, and one of the set- 
 tlers were appointed to remain behind to guard tho 
 house, and the rest of the party then dashed at full speed 
 across the glade to the edge of the bush. Not a shot waa 
 fired as they did so, and having once gained the shelter 
 they advanced through the trees. After pushing for- 
 ward for half a mile they came to the conclusion that the 
 Maoris had retreated. Many signs' were seen of their 
 presence. There were marks of blood here and there, 
 and the bushes were broken down where they had car- 
 ried off those who had fallen killed or wounded in the 
 bush ; the bodies of those who had fallen in the open still 
 remained there. 
 
 Upon the return of the party Mr. Mitford was informed 
 of the determination that had been arrived at. This met 
 with his cordial approval. 
 
 "I think, Mrs. Renshaw," he said, "that the best plan 
 will be for you and your husband and daughter to return 
 at once with me. I will leave a couple of my men here 
 with your garrison, and in the morning will come out 
 with a strong party and three or four bullock drays to 
 fetch in all your portable property. They can make 
 another trip for your potatoes and such of your crops aa 
 can be got in. After the sharp lesson the natives have 
 had here they are not likely to venture in this neighbor- 
 hood again for some time ; and, indeed, now that they 
 find that the whole settlement it aroused and on its guard 
 I doubt whether we shall hear anything more of them at 
 present, and possibly you may, when matters settle down 
 again, find your house just as it is left." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw agreed to the plan proposed, 
 nd in a quarter of an hour the party started, leaving 
 The Glade under the protection of the garrison of eight 
 men. The night passed off quietly, and at daybreak all
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 235 
 
 set to work to get up the potatoes and to cut down the 
 crops that were sufficiently ripe. At nine o'clock the 
 wagons arrived, and the furniture and stores were loaded 
 up. By twelve o'clock next day the work in the fields 
 was completed and the wagons again loaded. The house 
 was then locked up and the whole party proceeded to the 
 settlement. They found on their arrival that a strong 
 stockade had been erected near Mr. Mitford's house, and 
 that rough tents and huts had been got up there for the 
 use of the settlers; the whole of the animals belonging 
 to the various farmers on the river had been driven into 
 the stockaded inclosure behind the house. 
 
 Here it was decided that all the settlers should remain 
 until help arrived from Wellington or Napier, but in the 
 meantime twenty-five of the younger men were enrolled 
 as a volunteer corps ; a Mr. Purcell, who had served for 
 some years as an officer in the army, being unanimously 
 elected to command. There still remained enough men 
 capable of bearing arms to defend the stockade in case of 
 attack during the absence of the corps. Wilfrid and the 
 two Aliens were among those who enrolled themselves. 
 Mr. Atherton said that he fully intended to accompany 
 them if possible upon any expedition they might make, 
 but that he should not become a member of the corps. 
 
 "You may have long marches," he said, "through the 
 bush, or may, when the reinforcements arrive, be called 
 upon to make an expedition into the hill country to 
 punish the natives. I could not possibly keep up with 
 you during a heavy day's marching, so I shall, like Hal 
 of the Wynd, fight for my own sword. I dare say I 
 shall be there or thereabout when there is any work to be 
 done, but I must get there in my own way and in my 
 own time. I shall have my own commissariat train. I 
 have had my share of living on next to nothing, and have
 
 236 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 become somewhat of an epicure, and and I know that the 
 sort of rations you are likely to get on a march though a 
 rough country would not suit my constitution. But, as 
 I said before, I hope if there is any fighting done to be 
 somewhere in the neighborhood."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 23? 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FKESH TROUBLES. 
 
 THREE days later a small steamer arrived from Napier, 
 bringing a reply to the urgent request that had been sent 
 for the dispatch of a body of constabulary for the protec- 
 tion of the settlers. Sir Donald McLean, the superin- 
 tendent of the province, sent word that this was impossi- 
 ble at present, as the alarming news had just been 
 received that the notorious chief Te Kooti, who had been 
 captured and imprisoned at Chatham Island, had effected 
 his escape with the whole of the natives confined in the 
 island, had captured a schooner, and had, it was re- 
 ported, landed near Poverty Bay. 
 
 "It is probable," Sir Donald wrote, "that it is the 
 news of his landing which has excited one of the tribes 
 of the neighborhood to make an attack upon ycfu. A 
 strong expedition will be fitted out, and we. shall doubt- 
 less have to supply a contingent. I can only advise you 
 to organize yourselves into a militia, and to stand for the 
 present on the defensive. As soon as operations begin 
 from Poverty Bay you will be relieved from all further 
 danger, as the attention of the hostile tribes will be fully 
 occupied in that direction." 
 
 Hitherto the province of Hawke Bay had been compara- 
 tively free from the troubles that had so long disturbed 
 Auckland, Taranaki, and the northern portion of Well- 
 ington. Only one xising had taken place, and this had 
 been so promptly crushed that the tribes had since re-
 
 238 MAORI AND SETTLER? 
 
 mained perfectly quiet. In October, 1866, a party of it 
 hundred fighting men had suddenly appeared near the 
 Meanee village. Their principal chief had hitherto 
 borne a very high character, and had been employed by 
 the government to improve the mail road between Napier 
 and Taupo. Colonel Witmore, who was in command of 
 the colonial forces for the regular troops had now been 
 almost entirely withdrawn from the island had just re- 
 turned from punishing some natives who had committed 
 massacres higher up on the coast, and was, fortunately, 
 at Napier ; he at once dispatched a company of colonists 
 under Major Eraser, with thirty or forty friendly natives, 
 to hold the natives in check. 
 
 Just as they had been sent off the news came that an- 
 other and more numerous body of Hau-Haus were ad- 
 vancing by way of Petanc to attack Napier. Major Fraser 
 and his company were sent off to check these, while 
 Colonel "Whitmore, with one hundred and eighty of the 
 colonial militia, marched against the smaller force, and 
 McLean, with two hundred friendly natives, established 
 himself in the rear of the village they occupied. An 
 officer was sent in to summon them to surrender, and as 
 no answer could be obtained from them the colonists ad- 
 vanced. The enemy fought with resolution, but the 
 colonists opened a cross-fire upon them, and after fight- 
 ing for some time the natives were driven out of their 
 cover. Finding no mode of retreat open to them they 
 laid down their arms, some who endeavored to escape 
 being cut off and also captured. The native loss was 
 twenty-three killed and twenty eight wounded many of 
 them mortally; forty -four taken prisoners. Only two or 
 three of the whole party escaped. Upon the same day 
 Major Fraser's little force attacked the other party of 
 Hau-Haus, killed their chief with twelve of his followers, 
 and put the rest to flight.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 239 
 
 From that time peace had been unbroken in Hawke 
 Bay; but there had been several outbreaks at Poverty 
 Bay, which lay just north of the province, and mas- 
 sacres at Opotaki and other places further to the north, 
 and almost continuous fighting in the northern districts 
 of Wellington. The news of Te Kooti's escape and of 
 his landing at Poverty Bay naturally caused considera- 
 ble alarm among the settlers, but hopes were entertained 
 that the whites at Poverty Bay, aided by the friendly 
 natives, would be able to recapture Te Kooti and his fol- 
 lowers before they could do any harm. 
 
 The next day a small vessel came down from Poverty 
 Bay with a message from Major Biggs, who commanded 
 at that settlement, to ask for assistance if it could be 
 spared him. A consultation was held and it was agreed 
 that the best plan of defending their own settlement was 
 to aid in the recapture of Te Kooti, and that the little 
 force of twenty men should at once go up to aid the set- 
 tlers under Major Biggs. Accordingly they embarked 
 without delay, Mr. Atherton making a separate bargain 
 with the captain of the craft for his passage, and the 
 next morning they arrived in Poverty Bay. 
 
 Major Biggs had, as soon as the news reached him, 
 raised a force of a hundred Europeans and natives. He 
 found Te Kooti's party, a hundred and ninety strong, 
 holding a very strong position near the sea, and sent a 
 chief to them to say that if they would lay down their 
 arms he would try and smooth matters over with govern- 
 ment. A defiant answer was returned, and Major Biggs 
 gave orders to commence the attack. But the natives, 
 who formed the bulk of his force, -refused to move, say- 
 ing that the Hau-Haus were too numerous and too 
 strongly posted. Under these circumstances an attack 
 was impossible, for had the little body of whites been
 
 240 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 defeated the whole settlement would have been open to 
 ravage and destruction. 
 
 During the night Te Kooti and his men started for the 
 interior, carrying with them all the stores and provisions 
 they had taken from the schooner. When it was found 
 they had escaped Major Biggs ordered Mr. Skipwith to 
 follow with some friendly natives, pressing on their rear 
 until he ascertained their line of retreat, when he was to 
 cut across country and join the main body who were to 
 march to Paparatu, a point which Te Kooti would in all 
 probability pass in his retreat. The arrival of the coaster 
 with the little band from the Mohaka River was hailed 
 with joy by the Poverty Bay settlers. They arrived just 
 in time to join Major Biggs and raised his force to fifty 
 white men, who, with thirty Maoris, started for Papa- 
 ratu and arrived there on the following morning. The 
 Europeans were commanded by Captains Westrupp and 
 Wilson. In the afternoon Mr. Atherton arrived with a 
 party of four natives whom he had hired to carry his 
 store of provisions, ammunition and baggage. 
 
 "So I am in plenty of time, " he said when he came up. 
 "I could not bring myself to undertake a night march, 
 but as those fellows have got to lug all the stores they 
 have captured over the mountains I felt pretty sure that 
 I should be in time." 
 
 "I am glad you are in time, Mr. Atherton," Wilfrid 
 said. "The assistance of your rifle is not to be despised. 
 The sooner the natives come now the better, for we have 
 only brought four days' provisions in our haversacks. I 
 hear that a reserve force is to come up in two days with 
 rations and ammunition; but one can never calculate 
 upon these natives." 
 
 The camp was pitched in a hollow to avoid the obser- 
 vation of the enemy, but it was proposed to fight at a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 241 
 
 point a mile distant, in a position commanding the spur 
 of the hill, up which the natives must advance after 
 crossing a ford on the Arai river. Four days passed 
 and there was no news of the convoy with the provisions, 
 and the supply in camp was almost exhausted. That 
 evening Major Biggs started to bring up the supplies 
 with all speed, as otherwise starvation would compel the 
 force to retreat. The same day Mr. Skipwith had arrived 
 with news that Te Kooti was undoubtedly marching on 
 Paparatu, but was making slow progress, owing to the 
 heavy loads his men were carrying. 
 
 The fifth day passed slowly. The men being altogether 
 without food Mr. Atherton divided his small stock of 
 provisions and wine among them, and then taking his 
 rifle went out among the hills, accompanied by two of 
 his natives. Late in the evening he returned, the natives 
 bearing an old boar which he had shot. This was a great 
 piece of luck, for the island contained no wild animals fit 
 for eating, and the boar had probably escaped from some 
 settler's farm or native clearing when young and taken, 
 to the woods. It was at once cut up and divided among 
 the hungry men. The next day Mr. Skipwith, with two 
 natives, went out to reconnoiter, and soon returned at 
 full speed, saying that the natives were crossing the 
 river. Captain Wilson, with twenty men, took posses- 
 sion of a hill on the right flank an almost impregnable 
 position, while Captain Westrupp, with the main body, 
 marched to support the picket which had been placed on 
 the position which it had been arranged they should 
 occupy; but before they could arrive there Te Kooti, 
 with overwhelming numbers, had driven the picket from 
 the ground and occupied the hill. 
 
 "This is going to be an awkward business, Wilfrid," 
 \Ir. Atherton said. "We have only thirty rounds of
 
 242 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 ammunition a man, and we have had nothing to eat for 
 the last forty-eight hours but a mouthful of meat. We 
 have suffered the natives to take the position we fixed on. 
 "We are outnumbered three to one, and there are not ten 
 men in the force who have had any experience in fight- 
 ing. If the worst comes to the worst, Wilfrid, do you 
 and the Aliens take to the bush. Mind, it is no use try- 
 ing to run from the natives. If the men were all like 
 our party the other day we could keep these fellows at 
 bay for any time; but they are most of them young 
 hands. They will blaze away their ammunition, and 
 may be seized with a panic. I shall keep close to you, 
 and if things do go badly we will keep together and sell 
 our lives dearly." 
 
 "We must retake that place if possible, lads," Captain 
 Westrupp said at that moment. "Spread out in skir- 
 mishing order and take advantage of any cover you can 
 find, but let there be no stopping or lagging behind. 
 We must all get up there together and carry it with a 
 rush." 
 
 There was no time lost. The men spread out, and 
 with a cheer started up the hill. They were received 
 with a storm of bullets; but the natives from their emi- 
 nence fired high, and without suffering loss they reached 
 a small ridge near the summit, about twelve yards from 
 the enemy, and separated from them by a narrow gully. 
 Here they threw themselves down, and their fire at once 
 caused the Hau-Haus to throw themselves down among 
 the bushes on their side of the gully. The position of 
 the colonists was a fairly strong one. On their right flank 
 the ground was open, with a few scattered bushes here 
 and there, but the left was covered by a steep ravine, 
 which fell away sharply. The Hau-Haus kept up a 
 heavy fire, to which the colonists replied but seldom,
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 243 
 
 their officer continally impressing upon them the neces- 
 sity for husbanding their ammunition. Mr. Atherton 
 had arrived breathless in the rear of the partj T , and had 
 thrown himself down by "Wilfrid's side, the two 
 Aliens lying next in order. For some minutes Mr. 
 Atherton did not speak, but lay panting heavily. 
 
 "This is a nice preparation for shooting," he said 
 present^. "However, I suppose my hand will steady 
 itself after a bit I have seen a fellow's head show under 
 that bush there twice, and each time his bullet came just 
 over our heads. I will have a talk with him as soon as I 
 get my wind back again. This is not a bad position 
 after all, providing they don't work round to our right." 
 
 Ten minutes later Wilfrid, who had his eyes fesed on a 
 bush from which four or five shots had been fired, wait- 
 ing for another puff of smoke to indicate the exact posi- 
 tion in which the man was lying, heard the sharp report 
 of Mr. Atherton 's rifle. 
 
 "You have got him, I suppose?" 
 
 "Of course, lad; there is one less of the yelling rascals 
 to deal with. I wish we could see Biggs and his people 
 coming along the road behind. If we could get a square 
 meal all round and a good supply of ammunition I think 
 we should be able to turn the tables on these fellows. 
 The men are all fighting very steadily, and are husband- 
 ing their ammunition better than I expected to see them 
 do." 
 
 The fight went on for four hours. Then a number of 
 the Hau-Haus leaped to their feet and made a rush toward 
 the settlers, but the volley they received proved too much 
 for them. Several fell, and the rest bolted back into 
 shelter. Again and again this was tried, but each time 
 without success. At three in the afternoon some men were 
 seen coming along the road behind toward the deserted
 
 244 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 camp. Captain Westrupp at once wrote a note and sent 
 it down by one of the men, but to the disappointment of 
 the settlers he soon returned with the news that the new 
 arrivals consisted of only nine Maoris carrying rations. 
 They had opened the rum bottles on their way, and most 
 of them were excessively drunk. Two of them who were 
 sufficiently sober came up to help in the defense, but one 
 was shot dead almost immediately, one of the settlers 
 being killed and many wounded more or less severely. 
 
 Just as evening was coining on the force was startled 
 by hearing a Hau-Hau bugle in their rear, and presently 
 made out a party of the enemy moving toward the camp 
 through the broken ground on the left rear. It was now 
 evident that either the enemy must be driven off the hill 
 in front or the party must retire to a position on the hill 
 behind the camp. Captain Westrupp determined to try 
 the former alternative first. Calling upon the men to 
 follow him, he dashed across the gully and up on to the 
 crest held by the Maoris. The men followed him gallantly ; 
 but the fire from the Maoris hidden among the bushes 
 was so heavy that they were forced to fall back again, 
 seven more of their number being wounded. They now 
 retired in good order down to the camp and up the hill 
 behind it, and were here joined by Captain Wilson with 
 his twenty men. 
 
 It was now determined to throw up a sort of intrench- 
 ment and hold this position until help came; but the 
 settlers, who had hitherto fought well, were dispirited by 
 their want of success, and by the non-arrival of the rein- 
 forcement, and were weak with their long fast. As soon 
 as it became dark thej r began to steal off and to make 
 their way back toward their homes, and in an hour half 
 the force had retreated. The officers held a council. It 
 was evident the position could not long be held, and thai
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 245 
 
 want of food and ammunition would compel a retreat in 
 the morning. It was therefore decided to fall back 
 under cover of the darkness. 
 
 The chief of the friendly natives, who had behaved 
 admirably through the fight, offered to guide the party 
 across the country. The officers were obliged to leave 
 their horses, and the party of forty half-starved men, of 
 whom a fourth were wounded-^-two so severely that it was 
 necessary to carry them set out. It was a terrible 
 march for the exhausted men, up the bed of a mountain 
 creek, often waist-deep in water, and over steep fern- 
 covered hills, until, just as day was breaking, they 
 reached an out-station. Here they managed to get two 
 sheep, and just as they had cooked and eaten these 
 Colonel Whituaore, the commander of the colonial forces, 
 arrived with thirty volunteers from Napier, who had 
 reached the bay on the previous day. 
 
 He at once paraded the men, thanked thejn for their 
 behavior on- the previous day, and warned them to be 
 ready to start in pursuit of the enemy at once. One of 
 the settlers, acting as spokesman for the rest, stepped 
 forward, pointed out that they had been fighting with- 
 out intermission for twenty-four hours, that they had 
 been for the last forty-eight hours almost without food, 
 and that it was impossible for them to set out on a fresh 
 march until they had taken some rest. Colonel Whit- 
 more was a hot-tempered man, and expressed himself so 
 strongly that he caused deep offense among the settlers. 
 
 They remained firm in their determination not to move 
 until the following day, and the forward movement was 
 therefore necessarily abandoned. On the day previous 
 to the fight Lieutenant Gascoigne had been dispatched 
 by Major Biggs to Te Wairoa with dispatches for Mr. 
 Deighton, who commanded at that station, warning him,
 
 246 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 to muster all the force at his disposal, and prepare to in- 
 tercept Te Kooti at the Waihau Lakes in case he should 
 fight his way through Captain Westrupp's force. Orders 
 were sent to the friendly Mahia tribe to muster, and a 
 hundred men at once assembled ; but as they had only- 
 four rounds of ammunition apiece, nothing could be done 
 until three casks of ammunition were obtained from some 
 of the Wairoa chiefs. 
 
 Two days were lost in consequence, and this gave time 
 to Te Kooti ; they then started eighteen European vol- 
 unteers and eighty natives; a larger body of natives pre- 
 paring to follow as soon as possible. After being met 
 by messengers with several contradictory orders, they 
 arrived at Waihau, and just before dark Te Kooti was 
 seen crossing the hills toward them with his whole force. 
 Captain Richardson determined to fight them in the 
 position he occupied, but the native chief, with sixty of 
 his followers, at once bolted. Captain Richardson was 
 therefore obliged with the remainder to fall back, and, 
 unfortunately, in the retreat one of the natives fell ; his 
 gun went off and, bursting, injured his hand. This was 
 considered by the natives a most unfortunate omen, and 
 dissipated what little courage remained in the Wairoa 
 tribe. 
 
 At eleven o'clock next morning the enemy advanced 
 and the action began ; but the Wairoa chief, with fifty of 
 his men, again bolted at the first shot. Captain Richard- 
 Bon with the remainder held the position until four in 
 the afternoon, when the ammunition being almost ex- 
 hausted, he retired quietly. The force fell back to 
 Wairoa, where it was reorganized and increased to two 
 hundred men. In the meantime Colonel Whitmore had 
 been toiling on over a terrible country in Te Kooti 's 
 War, having with him in all about two hundred men, as
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 he had been joined by Major Eraser with fifty of the No. 
 1 Division Armed Constabulary. 
 
 But when they arrived at the boundary of the Poverty 
 Bay district the settlers belonging to it, who had not 
 recovered from their indignation at Colonel "Whitmore's 
 unfortunate remarks, refused to go further, saying that 
 the militia regulations only obliged them to defend. their 
 own district. Colonel Whitmore, therefore, with a hun- 
 dred and thirty men of whom but a handful were whites, 
 marched on to attack two hundred and twenty Hau-Haus 
 posted in a very strong positien in the gorge of a river. 
 Twelve of the little party from the Mohaka river still 
 remained with the column, one had been killed, four 
 wounded, while five had remained behind completely 
 knocked up by the fatigues they had encountered. 
 
 Mr. Atherton had not gone on with them after the 
 arrival of Colonel Whitmore. "It is of no use my dear 
 lad," he said to Wilfrid. "I know Colonel Whitmore 
 well by reputation, and the way in which he blew us up 
 this morning because, exhausted as we were, we were 
 physically unable to set out for a fresh march, confirms 
 what I have heard of him. He is a most gallant officer, 
 and is capable of undergoing the greatest fatigue and 
 hardships, and is of opinion that everyone else is as tire- 
 less and energetic as he is. He will drive you along 
 over mountain, through rivers, with food or without 
 food, until you come up to Te Kooti, and then he will 
 fight, regardless of odds or position, or anything else. 
 It isn't the fighting I object to; but I never could keep 
 up with the column on such a march. It would be a 
 physical impossibility, and I am not going to attempt it. 
 I shall take a week to recover from my fatigues of last 
 night, and shall go down and stay quietly at the settle- 
 ment. If Te Kooti takes it into his head to come down
 
 248' MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 there, I shall have great pleasure in doing my best 
 toward putting a stop to his rampaging over the coun- 
 try- If he does not come down I shall, as they say, 
 await developments, and shall find plenty to do in the 
 way of botanizing." 
 
 Mr. Atherton had not exaggerated the fatigues and 
 hardships that the force would be called upon to undergo, 
 and they were worn out and exhausted when at last they 
 came upon the track of the Hau-Haus. When they were 
 resting for a short halt, Captain Carr, late K. A., who was 
 with the force as a volunteer, reconnoitered a short dis- 
 tance ahead and found the enemy's fire still burning. 
 The news infused fresh life into the tired and hungry 
 men, and they again went forward. The track led up 
 the bed of a river which ran between low, steep cliffs 
 impossible to climb, and the men had to advance in 
 single file. After marching for some distance they 
 reached a bend in the river where a narrow track ran 
 through a break in the cliff and up the spur of a hill. 
 The advanced guard, consisting of six men, led by Cap- 
 tain Carr, were within fifty yards of this point, when a 
 heavy fire was opened upon them. Just where they were 
 the river bank was sufficiently low to enable them to 
 climb it and take cover in the thick scrub above, whence 
 they replied vigorously to the Hau-Haus, who were 
 within a few yards of them. In the meantime the enemy 
 had opened fire from the base of the hill at the river 
 bend upon the main body, who, standing in single file in 
 the river, where unable to reply or to scale the steep 
 bank and take covering in the scrub. Colonel Whitmore 
 and Captain Tuke tried to lead the men up to charge, 
 but this could only be done in single file, and the fire of 
 the enemy was so hot that those who attempted this were 
 killed or wounded, Captain Tuke being severely hurt.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLES. 349 
 
 The rest found what shelter they could among the bowl- 
 ders in the river bed, and remained here until the ad- 
 vanced guard fell back, hard pressed by the enemy, and 
 reported the death of Captain Carr and Mr. Canning, 
 another volunteer. 
 
 The natives now pressed through the scrub above the 
 cliffs to cut off the retreat. The friendly natives, who 
 were well behind, were ordered to scale the. cliff then, 
 and hold the enemy in check. One of them was 
 wounded, and the rest hastily retreated down the river; 
 the constabulary and settlers, altogether about fifty 
 strong, fell back to an island about half a mile to the 
 rear, and here calmly awaited the attack of the enemy. 
 These, however, drew off without disturbing them, dis- 
 heartened by the fact that Te Kooti had received a wound 
 in the foot, and the troops then retired. Only a few of 
 the strongest men reached the camp that night; the rest, 
 knocked up by want of food and fatigue, lay down in the 
 pouring rain and did not get in until the following 
 morning. 
 
 The .result of this fight was most unfortunate. Even 
 Colonel "Whitmore saw that, with the force at his dis- 
 posal, nothing could be done against Te Kooti, who was 
 daily becoming more powerful, and was being joined by 
 the tribes in the vicinity He believed that Te Kooti 
 would carry out his expressed intention of marching 
 north to Waikato, and after collecting there all the tribes 
 of the island, march against Auckland. Thinking, there- 
 fore, that Poverty Bay was not likely to be disturbed, he 
 left the settlement and went lound by sea to Auckland to 
 confer with government as to the steps to be taken to 
 raise a force capable of coping with what appeared to be 
 the greatest danger that had as yet threatened the island. 
 Te Kooti did not, however, move north, but remained 114
 
 250 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 his camp near the scene of the fight from the 8th of 
 August to the 28th of October, sending messages all over 
 the island with the news of the defeat he had inflicted 
 upon the whites, and proclaiming himself the savior of 
 the Maori people. 
 
 From the position he occupied, about equidistant from 
 the settlements at Wairoa and Poverty Bay, he was able 
 to attack either by a sudden march of two or three daj T s, 
 and yet there was no great uneasiness among the settlers. 
 The force that had operated against Te Kooti had been 
 disbanded, the Napier volunteers had returned, the con- 
 stabulary withdrawn, and the party of settlers from the 
 Mohaka river had returned home. Wilfrid Eenshaw had 
 not gone with them. He had been shot through the leg 
 in the fight in the river and had been carried down to 
 the settlement. Here Mr. Atherton, who was lodging in 
 one of the settler's houses, had taken charge of him and 
 nursed him assiduously. 
 
 Unfortunately the effect of the wound was aggravated 
 by the exhaustion caused by fatigue and insufficient 
 food, and for weeks the lad lay in a state of prostration, 
 wasted by a low fever which at one time seemed as if it 
 would carry him off. It was not until the middle of 
 October that matters took a turn, and he began slowly to 
 mend. For the last three weeks his mother had been by 
 his bedside. For some time Mr. Atherton in his letters 
 had made light of the wound, but when the lad's condi- 
 tion became very serious he had written to Mrs. Ren- 
 shaw saying that he thought she had better come herself 
 to help in the nursing, as Wilfrid was now suffering 
 from a sharp attack of fever brought on by his hardships. 
 
 Mrs. Renshaw, on her arrival, was dismayed at the state 
 in which she found her son. She agreed, however, that 
 it was best not to alarm them in her letters home.
 
 MA OR1 AND SETTLER. 25 1 
 
 The events on the attack of the settlement had much 
 shaken Mr. Eenshaw, and he was, when she left him, in 
 a nervous and excited state. She saw that Wilfrid would 
 need every moment of her time, and that were her hus- 
 band to come it would probably do him harm and seri- 
 ously interfere with her own usefulness. He was, when 
 she left, on the point of returning to the farm with 
 Marion, as there had been no further renewal of troubles 
 in the settlement. 
 
 It had been arranged that the two Aliens should take 
 up their residence at The Glade, and that four men be- 
 longing to a small force that had been raised among the 
 friendly natives should also be stationed there. This 
 would, it was thought, render it quite safe against a 
 sudden attack. Mr. Kenshaw was looking eagerly for- 
 ward to being at home again, and his wife thought that 
 the necessity of superintending the operations at the 
 farm would soothe his nerves and restore him to health. 
 She, therefore, in her letters made the best of things, 
 although admitting that Wilfrid was prostrated by a sort 
 of low fever, and needed care and nursing. 
 
 At the end of another fortnight Wilfrid was enabled to 
 sit up and take an interest in what was going on around 
 him. The house was the property of a settler named 
 Sampson, and had been erected by a predecessor of the 
 farmer; it was a good deal larger than he required, 
 though its capacity was now taxed to the utmost by the 
 addition of three lodgers to his family. 
 
 "How are things going on, Mr. Atherton?" Wilfrid 
 asked one day when his mother was not present. 
 
 "People here seem to think that they are going ou 
 very well, Wilfrid." 
 
 "But you do not think so, Mr. Atherton?" the lad 
 asked, struck by the dry tone in which the answer was 
 given.
 
 252 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 "No, Wilfrid, I cannot say I do. It seems to me that 
 the people here are living in a fool's paradise ; and as 
 for Major Biggs I regard him as an obstinate fool." 
 
 "How is that?" Wilfrid asked, amused at his friend's 
 vehemence. 
 
 "Well, Wilfrid, as far as I can see there is nothing in 
 the world to prevent Te Kooti coming down and cutting 
 all our throats whenever he pleases." 
 
 "You don't say so, Mr. Atherton!" 
 
 "I do, indeed; it is known that he has sent messages 
 down to the natives here to remain apparently loyal, get 
 what arms they can from the whites, and prepare to join 
 him. I will ^say for Biggs that he has repeatedly repre- 
 sented the unprotected position of the bay to govern- 
 ment, and has obtained permission to place an officer 
 and nine men on pay as scouts to watch the roads lead- 
 ing to the settlements. Gascoigne is in charge of them. 
 There are two roads by which the natives can come ; the 
 one a short one, and this is being watched, the other a 
 much longer and more difficult one, and this is entirely 
 open ito them if they choose to use it. 
 
 "The fact is, Biggs relies on the fact that Colonel 
 Lambert is at Wairoa, and is collecting a force of six 
 hundred men there to attack Te Kooti, and he believes 
 that he shall get information from him and from some 
 spies he has in the neighborhood of Te Kooti 's camp 
 long before any movement is actually made. Of course 
 he maj' do so, but I consider it is a very risky thing to 
 trust the safety of the whole settlement to chance. He 
 ought to station four mounted men on both tracks as 
 near as he dare to Te Kooti 's camp. In that case we 
 should be sure to get news in plenty of time to put all 
 the able-bodied men under arms before the enemy could 
 ireach the settlement. ' '
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 353 
 
 "Have they got a stockade built?" 
 
 "No, it was proposed at a meeting of some of the set- 
 tlers that this should be done, but Biggs assured them it 
 was altogeth r unnecessary. I do not know how it is 
 Wilfrid, but take us altogether we Englishmen have fully 
 a fair share of common sense. I have observed over and 
 over again that in the majority of cases when an English- 
 man reaches a certain rank in official life, he seems to 
 become an obstinate blockhead. I have often wondered 
 over it, but cannot account for it. Anyhow the state of 
 affairs here is an excellent example of this. I suppose in 
 the whole settlement there is not, with the exception of 
 the man in authority, a single person who does not per- 
 ceive that the situation is a dangerous one, and that no 
 possible precaution should be omitted; and yet the man 
 who is responsible for the safety of all throws cold water 
 on every proposal, and snubs those who are willing to 
 give up tinle and labor in order to insure the safety of 
 the place. 
 
 "I suppose he considers that the tone he adopts show.8 
 him to be a man superior to those around him, possess- 
 ing alike far greater knowledge of the situation, and a 
 total freedom from the cowardly fears of his neighbors. 
 Well, well, I hope that events will justify his coxn-se, but 
 I own that I sleep with my rifle and revolvers loaded and 
 ready to hand. Mind, I do not say that the chances may 
 not be ten to one against Te Kooti's making a raid down 
 here ; but I say if they were a hundred to one it would 
 be the height of folly not to take every possible precau- 
 tion to insure the safety of all here." 
 
 "Don't you think, Mr. Atherton, that it would be 
 better for mother to go home? I am getting all right 
 now, and can get on very well without her." 
 
 "I am sure your mother would not leave you at pres-
 
 254 MAORI AND 8ETTL&3. 
 
 ent, Wilfrid, and I don't think you will be fit to be 
 moved for another fortnight yet. Te Kooti has done 
 nothing for two months, and may not move for as much 
 more. You mother knows nothing of what I have told 
 you, and I should not make her anxious or uncomfortable 
 by giving her even a hint that I considered there is dan- 
 ger in the air."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 355 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE MASSACKE AT POVERTY BAT. 
 
 ANOTHER week passed and Wilfrid was able to walk 
 about the house and garden. A ship was going down in 
 three days, and Mr. Atherton had arranged with the cap- 
 tain to" put into the Mohaka river and land them there. 
 No change had taken place in the situation. There had 
 been a meeting of the settlers and friendly natives. The 
 latter had offered to erect the stockades for a small fort if 
 the settlers would do the earthworks. This they had agreed 
 to, but the project was abandoned, as Major Biggs again 
 declared it to be wholly unnecessary. Some of the set- 
 tlers, dissatisfied with the result, formed themselves into 
 a vigilance committee to watch the ford of the Waipaoa 
 river. 
 
 This was done for several nights, but Major Biggs 
 again interfered, and told them he considered the act to 
 be absurd. The vigilance committee, therefore, ceased 
 to act. A few nights later Te Kooti's people crossed at 
 this very ford. Late in the evening of the 4th of Novem- 
 ber Mr. Atherton was about to go up to bed when he 
 heard a growl from a dog chained up outside. He lis- 
 tened, and made out the voices of men talking, in. low 
 tones. The lower windows had shutters, and these Mr. 
 Atherton had with some difficulty persuaded Mr. Samp- 
 son, who was himself incredulous as to the possibility of 
 attack, to have fastened up of a night. Mr. Atherton 
 ran upstairs, knocked at the doors of Wilfrid's and the
 
 256 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 settler 's rooms, and told them to get up instantly, as 
 something was wrong. Then he threw up his window. 
 
 "Who is there?" he asked. 
 
 "Open the door," a native replied, "we have a message 
 for you." 
 
 "You can give me the message here. I shall not come 
 down until I know who you are." 
 
 "The message is that you are to open the door and 
 come out. Te Kooti wants you." 
 
 Mr. Atherton could just make out the figure of the 
 speaker in the darkness. 
 
 "That is my answer," he said as he fired. 
 
 A fierce yell from twenty throats rose in the air, and 
 there was a rush toward the door, while two or three 
 shots were fired at the window. Mr. Atherton had, how- 
 ever, stepped back the instant he had discharged his 
 rifle, and now, leaning out, discharged the chambers of 
 his revolver in quick succession among the navvies gath- 
 ered round the door. Shrieks and yells arose from them, 
 and they bounded away into the darkness, and again 
 several musket shots were fired at the window. By thia 
 time the settler and Wilfrid had both joined Mr. Ather- 
 ton, having leaped from their beds, seized their arms, 
 and ran out when the first shot was fired. 
 
 "It is Te Kooti's men," Mr. Atherton said. "They 
 have come at last. I expect there will be a few minutes 
 before they attack again. You had better throw on some 
 clothes at once and tell the ladies to dress instantly. We 
 may have to leave the house and try to escape across 
 country." 
 
 Wilfrid and the settler gave the messages, and then 
 returned. 
 
 "How many of them do you think there are?" Wil- 
 frid asked.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 357 
 
 " About twenty of them I should say, and we could 
 rely upon beating them off; but no doubt there are 
 parties told off to the attack of all the outlying settlers, 
 and when the others have done their work they may 
 gather here." 
 
 "Where are they now?" Wilfrid asked as he gazed 
 into the darkness. 
 
 "I fancy they are behind that shed over there. They 
 are no doubt arranging their plan of attack. I expect 
 they will try fire. There! do you see? That is the flash 
 of a match." 
 
 A minute later a light was seen to rise behind the 
 shed, and there was a sound of breaking wood. The 
 light grew brighter and brighter. 
 
 "They will be coming soon," Mr. Atherton said. "Do 
 not throw away a shot. The shingles on this roof are as 
 dry as tinder, and if a burning brand falls on them the 
 place will be in a blaze in five minutes. Now!" As he 
 spoke a number of natives, each carrying a flaming 
 brand, appeared from behind the woodshed. Three rifles 
 cracked out, and as many natives fell. The farmer be- 
 gan to reload his rifle, while Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid 
 handed theirs to Mrs. Kenshaw, who at that moment 
 joined them, and opened fire with their revolvers. Only 
 two of Wilfrid's shots told, but Mr. Atherton's aim was 
 as steady as when firing at a mark. Two of the natives 
 fell, and four others, throwing down their brands, ran 
 back wounded to the shelter of the woodshed. Their 
 companions after a moment's hesitation, followed their 
 example. There were now but six unwounded men out 
 of the twenty who attacked the house. 
 
 "There is one of them off for assistance!" Wilfrid ex- 
 claimed as he caught sight of a figure running at full 
 speed from the shed. In another moment he was lost in 
 the darkness.
 
 358 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Now is the time for us to make our escape, " Mr. 
 Atherton said, turning from the window. "We have 
 succeeded so far, but there may be three times as many 
 next time, and we must be off. We will get out by a 
 window at the back of the house and try and make our 
 way across country to the Mahia tribe. We shall be 
 safe there." 
 
 "But Wilfrid cannot walk a hundred yards," Mrs. 
 Renshaw said. 
 
 "Then we must carry him," Mr. Atherton replied 
 cheerfully. "He is no great weight, and we can make a 
 litter when we get far enough away. Take a loaf of 
 bread, Mrs. Sampson, a bottle or two of water, and a 
 flask of spirits. You will find one full on my table. 
 Please hurry up, for there is not a moment to lose. I 
 will stay here to the last moment and fire an occasional 
 shot at the shed to let them know that we are still here." 
 
 As the course Mr. Atherton advised was evidently the 
 best, the others followed his instructions without dis- 
 cussion, and three minutes later stepped out from the 
 back window into the garden. Mr. Atherton had been 
 told that they were ready, and after firing a last shot 
 from the window and reloading his rifle joined them. 
 Mrs. Sampson had a small basket on one arm, and her 
 child, who was ten years old, grasping her hand. Mrs. 
 Renshaw had taken charge of Wilfrid's rifle, and had 
 offered him her arm, but the excitement had given him 
 his strength for the moment, and he declared himself 
 perfectly capable of walking without assistance. 
 
 "Go on as quietly as you can," Mr. Atherton said. "I 
 will keep a bit behind first. They may possibly have 
 put somebody on the watch on this side of the house, 
 although I do not expect they have. They have been 
 taken too much by surprise themselves."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 259 
 
 The little party went on quietly and noiselessly about 
 three hundred yards, and then Mr. Atherton joined 
 them. "Wilfrid was breathing heavily and leaning 
 against a tree. 
 
 "Now jump up upon my back, Wilfrid," Mr. Ather- 
 ton said; "your weight will not make much difference to 
 me one way or the other. That is right; lend him a 
 hand, Sampson, and get him on to my shoulders. It 
 will be easier for both of us, for I have got no hips for 
 his knees to catch hold of. That is right. Now if you 
 will take my gun we shall get along merrily. ' ' 
 
 They walked fast for about two miles. "Wilfrid several 
 times offered to get down, saying that he could walk 
 again for a bit, but Mr. Atherton would not hear of it. 
 At the end of two miles they reached the spot where the 
 country was covered with low scrub. 
 
 "We are pretty safe now," Mr. Atherton said; "we 
 can turn off from the track and take ta the scrub or 
 shelter, and there will be little chance of their finding 
 us. Now, Wilfrid, I will set you down for a bit. This 
 is fine exercise for me, and if I were to carry you a few 
 miles every day I should fine down wonderfully. Ah ! 
 the others have come up. ' ' He broke off as the sound of 
 a native yell sounded on the still night air, and looking 
 round' they saw a bright light rising in the direction 
 from which they had come. 
 
 "They have set fire to the house," the settler said; 
 "there goes the result of six years' work. However, I 
 need not grumble over that now that we have saved our 
 lives." 
 
 "We had best be moving on," Mr. Atherton said. 
 "No doubt they opened a heavy fire before they set fire 
 to the shingles with their brands, but the fact that we 
 did not return their fire must have aroused their suspi-
 
 260 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 cions, and by this time they must have woke up to the 
 fact that we have escaped. They will hunt about for a 
 bit, no doubt, round the house, and may send a few men 
 some distance along the tracks, but they will know there 
 is very little chance of catching us until daylight. Now, 
 Sampson, let us join arms, your right and my left. 
 Wilfrid can sit on them and put his arm round our neck. 
 We carry our rifles on our other shoulders, and that will 
 balance matters. That is right. Now on we go again. " 
 
 With occasional halts they went on for another four 
 hours. By this time the ladies and the little girl were 
 completely exhausted from stumbling over roots and low 
 shrubs in the darkness, and the two men also were thor- 
 oughly fatigued ; for the night was extremely hot, and 
 the work of carrying Wilfrid in addition to the weight 
 of their ammunition told upon them. They had long 
 since lost the path, but knew by the stars that they were 
 keeping in the right direction. 
 
 "Now we will have a few hours' halt," Mr. Atherton 
 said. "We may consider ourselves as perfectly safe from 
 pursuit, though we shall have to be cautious, for there 
 may be parties of these scoundrels wandering aboxit the 
 country. We may hope that a good many of the settlers 
 heard the firing and made off in time, but I fear we shall 
 hear some sad stories of this night's work." 
 
 Lying down the whole party were in a few minutes 
 fast asleep. Wilfrid had offered to keep watch, saying 
 that he had done no walking and could very well keep 
 awake, but Mr. Atherton said that nothing would be 
 gained by it. "You could see nothing, and you would 
 hear nothing until a party of natives were quite close, 
 and unless they happened by sheer accident to stumble 
 upon us they could not find us; beside, though you 
 have done no absolute walking, the exertion of sitting up
 
 MAOEI AND SETTLER 261 
 
 and holding on has been quite as much for you in your 
 weak state as carrying you has been for us. No, we had 
 best all take a rest so as to start fresh in the morning. ' ' 
 
 Mr. Atherton woke as soon as daylight broke, and 
 rousing himself cautiously looked round. There was 
 nothing in sight, and he decided to let the party sleep 
 for a few hours longer. It was eight o'clock, and the 
 sun was high before the others opened their eyes. 
 
 Mr. Atherton was standing up. "There is a horseman 
 coming across the plain," he said; "no doubt he is fol- 
 io-vying the track; by the line he is taking he will pass a 
 little to our right. I will go out to hear the news. I 
 think you had better remain where you are; he may be 
 followed." 
 
 Mr. Atherton walked through the bush until he reached 
 the track just as the rider came along. 
 
 "Ah! you have escaped, Mr. Atherton; I am glad of 
 that. Have all your party got away?" 
 
 "Yes, thank God!" Mr. Atherton said; "and now 
 what is the news?" 
 
 "I cannot tell all," the settler said, "but there has 
 been a terrible massacre. I was pressing wool for Dodd 
 and Peppard, whose station, you know, lies some dis- 
 tance from any other. I rode up there just as day was 
 breaking and went to the woolshed. Nobody came, and 
 I heard the dog barking angrily ; so I went up to the 
 house to see what was the matter. I found the back- 
 door open and the two men lying dead inside, evidently 
 killed by natives. I then galloped off to the Mission 
 Station and warned them there, and then to the stations 
 of Hawthorne and Strong. I found they had already 
 been warned, and were just about to start; then I rode 
 to Matawhero to warn the settlers there. Most of them 
 had already made off. I passed Bigg's house on the
 
 262 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 way ; there were ^a number of natives round it evidently 
 in possession, and as I passed Mann's house I saw him 
 and his wife and child lying outside dead. How many 
 more have been murdered I do not know. It is an awful 
 business. Where are your friends?" 
 
 "They are in the scrub there. We are making our 
 way to the Mahia." 
 
 "Most of the settlers who have escaped have made for 
 the old redoubt at Taranganui, and I fancy they will be 
 able to beat off any attack made on them. I am riding 
 for Wairoa. I cannot think what they can have been 
 about there to let Te Kooti slip away without sending us 
 a warning. He must have come by the long road and 
 been six or seven days on the march." 
 
 "Have you seen any natives since you started?" Mr. 
 Atherton asked. 
 
 "I saw a party of about twenty of them moving across 
 the country about two miles back. They were scattered 
 about in the bush, and were, I expect, in search of fugi- 
 tives. They were moving across the line I was going, 
 and were half a mile away; but when they come on this 
 path they may follow it, knowing that those who made 
 their escape and did not go to the redoubt would be 
 likely to try to reach the Mahia country." 
 
 "Thank you! then we will be moving on without de- 
 lay, " Mr. Atherton said; and the settler at once rode on 
 with his message to the force at Wairoa. As soon as Mr. 
 Atherton joined the party and told them what he had 
 heard they again set out. After walking for four miles 
 they reached the edge of the plain, and the path here 
 ascended a sharp rise and entered a narrow defile. 
 
 Wilfrid, who was sitting on Mr. Atherton 's shoulders, 
 looked back for the twentieth time as they ascended the 
 rise. "Thej r are following us!" he exclaimed. "There
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 263 
 
 are a party of fifteen or twenty coming along the path at 
 a run. They are not more than a mile behind at the out- 
 side. " 
 
 "Then I will put you down, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton 
 said quietly; "that will give me time to cool down a bit 
 before they arrive. They could not have come up at a 
 better place for us. It is no use trying to hide, they 
 would track us directly. We must make a stand at the 
 mouth of this defile. It is a good place for defense, and 
 if it were not for this rascally bush we should have no 
 difficulty in keeping them off. Even as it is I think we 
 can make a good fight of it. Now, Mrs. Renshaw, will 
 you and Mrs. Sampson and the child go a little way in 
 and sit down. I have no doubt we shall be able to beat 
 these fellows back, and if we do that we can hope to 
 make the rest of our journey without further molesta- 
 tion." 
 
 "Could I be of any use in loading the rifles, Mr. 
 Atherton?" 
 
 "I think not, Mrs. Renshaw; it may be a long skirm- 
 ish, and we shall have plenty of time to load ; and j r our 
 being here with us and running the risk of being hit 
 would make us nervous. I think, if you do not mind, we 
 would much rather know that you are in safety behind 
 us." 
 
 "Very well," Mrs. Renshaw said quietly; "I will do 
 what you think best. We shall be praying for your suc- 
 cess until it is over." 
 
 Mr. Atherton looked round after the two ladies had 
 gone on. "There is a bush with a wide ledge of flat 
 ground behind it," he said, pointing to a little clump of 
 underwood some ten feet above them on the side of the 
 ravine. "I think, with my help, you can manage to 
 clamber up there, Wilfrid. Lying down you will Ibe
 
 264 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 able to fire under the bush and be in fair shelter. Mr. 
 Sampson and I will hold the path here. If they make a 
 rush you will be able to help us with 3 r our revolver. Up 
 there you will have the advantage of being able to see 
 movements among the bushes better than we shall, and 
 can fire down at them; and if it comes to a hand-to-hand 
 fight will be of more use there than down here. " 
 
 Wilfrid at once assented. "Stand on my hand and I 
 will hoist you up. " Mr. Atherton raised Wilfrid until 
 he was able to get on to the ledge of rock behind the 
 bushes. Wilfrid laid himself down there, and with his 
 knife cut off a few of the lower twigs so that he was able 
 to get a good view ahead. "Keep yourself well back, 
 lad, and do not raise your head except to fire. Do you 
 see anything of them?" 
 
 "Yes, they are not more than a quarter of a mile away 
 and are scattering among the bushes. No doubt they 
 caught sight of us as we came up here, and think it pos- 
 sible we may intend to defend the defile." 
 
 "I will let them know we are here;" and Mr. Atherton 
 made two steps forward to the mouth of the defile. Al- 
 most at the same instant he leveled his rifle and fired, 
 and one of the Maoris threw up his arms and fell back, 
 the rest throwing themselves down instantaneously 
 among the bushes, whence a moment later two or three 
 shots were fired. But Mr. Atherton had stepped back, 
 and he and the settler, lying down on the ground, worked 
 themselves forward until by raising their heads they 
 could command a vew of the slope up to the mouth of the 
 ravine. 
 
 For a time all was silent. Presently Wilfrid's rifle 
 spoke out, and a yell testified to the fact that the quick 
 aim he had taken at a dark figure stealing among the 
 bushes had been true. It was followed quickly by a
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 265 
 
 general discharge of their pieces by the natives. The 
 bullets rattled thickly against the rock, and cut leaves 
 from the bushes behind which Wilfrid was lying, but he 
 had drawn himself back a foot or two the moment he 
 fired, and the balls passed harmlessly over him. Not so 
 the missive dispatched by Mr. Atherton in the direction 
 of a puff of smoke from a bush some forty yards away, 
 for the figure behind it remained still and immovable 
 while the fray went on. For upward of an hour the ex- 
 change of shots continued, and then the assailants were 
 joined by fifteen other natives, who had been attracted 
 to the spot by the sound of firing. 
 
 "I expect they will pluck up their courage to make a 
 rush now, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton said. "If it had not 
 been for these new arrivals I think they would have soon 
 drawn off, for we must have diminished their numbers 
 very considerably. Don't fire again for a bit; we had 
 best keep our rifles loaded so as to be ready for them 
 when they pluck up courage to charge. When they do, 
 be sure you keep your revolver as a reserve for the criti- 
 cal moment." 
 
 Five minutes later a tremendous yell rose in the air. 
 The natives leaped to their feet from behind the bushes, 
 fired their guns at their hidden foes, and then, toma- 
 hawk in hand, rushed forward. 
 
 Three shots rang out almost simultaneously from the 
 mouth of the defile and three of the natives dropped dead 
 in their tracks. The rest rushed forward in a body. 
 Mr. Atherton and the settler leaped to their feet, and the 
 former opened a fire with his Colt's revolver when the 
 leading natives were within ten yards of him. His aim 
 was as accurate as when directed against a mark stuck 
 against a tree, and a man fell at each shot. But the 
 natives' blood was thoroughly up now, and in spite of
 
 266 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the slaughter they rushed forward. There was no room 
 in the narrow defile for two men to swing their rifles, 
 and Mr. Atherton and the settler stepped forward to 
 meet the foe with their clubbed rifle in their hands. 
 Two crashing blows were delivered with effect, but be- 
 fore the settler could again raise his weapon three Maoris 
 were upon him. One tomahawk struck him in the shoul- 
 der and the rifle fell from his hands. Another raised his 
 tomahawk to brain him, but fell with a bullet from Wil- 
 frid's revolver through his chest; but the third native 
 brought his weapon .down with terrible force upon the 
 settler's head, and he fell in a heap upon the ground. 
 The tremendous strength of Mr. Atherton stood him in 
 good stead now. The first blow he had dealt had 
 smashed the stock of his rifle, but he whirled the iron 
 barrel like a light twig round his head, dealing blows 
 that broke down the defense of the natives as if their 
 tomahawks had been straw, and beating them down as a 
 flail would level a wheat stalk. Those in front of him 
 recoiled from a strength which seemed to them super- 
 human, while whenever one tried to attack him in the 
 rear Wilfrid's revolver came into play with fatal accuracy. 
 At last, with a cry of terror, the surviving natives turned 
 and retreated at the top of their speed. 
 
 "Hot work, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton said as he lowered 
 his terrible weapon and wiped the streaming perspiration 
 from his face; "but we have given the rascals such a 
 lesson that we can journey on at our leisure. This is a 
 bad business of poor Sampson's. I will help you down 
 first and then we will see to him. Eecharge your re- 
 volver, lad," he went on as Wilfrid stood beside him; 
 "some of these fellows may not be dead, and may play 
 us an ugly trick if we are not on the lookout." 
 
 Wilfrid reloaded his pistol, and Mr. Atherton then 
 stooped over the fallen man.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 267 
 
 "He is desperately hurt," he said, "but he breathes. 
 Hand me that revolver, Wilfrid, and run back and tell 
 Mrs. Sampson her husband is hurt." 
 
 Wilfrid had gone but a yard or two when he met his 
 mother and the settler's wife, who, hearing the cessation 
 of the firing, were no longer able to restrain their anxiety 
 as to what was going forward. Mrs. Eenshaw gave a cry 
 of joy at seeing Wilfrid walking toward her. 
 
 "Is it all over, my boy, and are you unhurt?" 
 
 "It is all over, mother, and they have bolted. I have 
 not had a scratch, for I have been lying down all the 
 time in shelter; but I am sorry to say, Mrs. Sampson, 
 that your husband is badly hurt. 
 
 "No, he is not dead," he continued in answer to the 
 agonized expression of inquiry in her eyes. "He has 
 been stunned by the blow of a tomahawk, and is, as I 
 said, badly hurt; but he will, I trust, get over it." 
 
 Mrs. Sampson ran forward and threw herself on her 
 knees by her husband's side, uttering a suppressed cry as 
 she saw the terrible wound on his head. 
 
 "Wilfrid, there is a bottle of water untouched in the 
 basket," Mr. Atherton said. 
 
 "I will fetch it," Mrs. Kenshaw broke in, hurrying 
 away. "No, Milly," she said, as the child who had been 
 ordered to stay with the basket came running to meet 
 her. "You must stay here for a little while. The 
 natives have all run away, but j*our father is hurt and for 
 a time must be kept quite quiet. I will send Wilfrid to 
 sit with you." 
 
 Taking a bottle of water and a cloth which covered the 
 basket, Mrs. Eenshaw hurried back. "Wilfrid," she 
 said, "do you go and sit with the little one. You can 
 do no good here, and look completely worn out. You 
 will be making yourself useful if you amuse Milly and 
 keep her away from here for the present."
 
 268 MAORI AXD SETTLER. 
 
 Mr. Atherton poured a little of the water into the cover 
 of his flask, added some brandy, and poured a little of it 
 between the wounded man's lips. Then he saturated the 
 cloth with water and handed it to Mrs. Sampson, who 
 wiped the blood from her husband's head and face, then 
 poured a little water from the bottle on to his forehead. 
 Some more brandy and water was poured between his 
 lips and he uttered a faint groan. 
 
 "I will examine his wound now, Mrs. Sampson. I 
 have had some experience that way in my journey inga 
 about the world." Kneeling down he carefully exam- 
 ined the wound. 
 
 "It is better than I hoped, Mrs. Sampson," he said 
 cheerfully. "I expect the thick hat turned the toma- 
 hawk a little and it -fell obliquely on the side of the head. 
 It has carried away a goodish slice of the hair and scalp, 
 and has scraped the bone, but it has not crushed it in, 
 and I think that with care and nursing your husband 
 will not be long before he gets over it. You had better 
 fold up that cloth again, pour some fresh water over it, 
 and then bandage it over the wound with a slip of stuff 
 torn off from the bottom >f your petticoat. You had bet- 
 ter tear off two slips, fo. his arm will require bandaging 
 too. I will look to tnat as soon as you have done his 
 head. No," he wen on, when he saw that Mrs. Samp- 
 son's trembling fin ers were quite incapable of fixing the 
 bandage properly f "I do not think that will do. If you 
 will allow me I ill do it for you. " 
 
 He took Mi Sampson's place, and while Mrs. Een- 
 shaw supported, the settler's head he wound the bandage 
 tightly and sKllfully round it. "Now for his arm," he 
 said, and drawing out his knife cut the sleeve up the 
 shoulder. 'It has narrowly missed the artery," he went 
 on; ''but though it is an ugly -looking gash it is not seri-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 269 
 
 ous. I wish we had some more water, but as we haven't 
 we must do without it, and I dare say we shall come 
 across a stream soon." When the operation of banda- 
 ging was complete Mr. Atherton stood up. 
 
 "What are we to do next?" Mrs. Renshaw asked him. 
 
 "We must cut a couple of saplings and make a litter," 
 he said. "If one of you ladies can spare a petticoat, 
 please take it off while I cut the poles." He went away 
 and returned in a few minutes with two poles ten or 
 eleven feet long. 
 
 "Here is the petticoat," Mrs. Renshaw said. The 
 settler's wife was too absorbed by her grief and anxiety 
 to hear Mr. Atherton 's request. "What is to be done 
 with it?" 
 
 "In the first place it must be taken out of that band, 
 or whatever you call it," Mr. Atherton replied, "and 
 then split right down. Here is my knife." 
 
 When the garment had been operated upon there re- 
 mained a length of strong calico nearly three feet wide 
 and three yards long. "That will do well," he said. 
 "Now we have to fasten this to the poles. How would 
 you do that? It is more in your way than mine." 
 
 "I should roll it twice round the pole and then sew it, 
 if I had a needle and thread. If I had not that I should 
 make holes in every six inches and tie it with string; but 
 unfortunately we have no string either." 
 
 "I think we can manage that," Mr. Atherton said; 
 and he walked rapidly away and returned in a few 
 minutes with some long stalks that looked like coarse 
 grass. 
 
 "This is the very thing, Mrs. Renshaw," he said; 
 "this is what is called New Zealand flax, and I have no 
 doubt it will be strong enough for our purpose. " In a 
 quarter of an hour the litter was completed. Just as it
 
 270 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Tras finished Mrs. Sampson uttered an exclamation of joy, 
 and turning round, they saw that her husband had 
 opened his eyes and was looking round in a dazed, bewil- 
 dered way. 
 
 "It is all right, Sampson," Mr. Atherton said cheer- 
 fully; "we have thrashed the natives handsomely; they 
 have bolted, and there is no fear of their coming back 
 again. You have had a clip on the head with a toma- 
 hawk, but I do not think that you will be much the 
 worse, for it at the end of a week or two. We have just 
 been manufacturing a litter for you, and now we will lift 
 you on to it. Now, ladies, I will take him by the shoul- 
 ders; will you take him by the feet, Mrs. Eenshaw; and 
 do you, Mrs. Sampson, support his head? That is the 
 waj r . Now, I will just roll up my coat and put it under 
 his head, and then I think he will do; lay our rifles be- 
 side him. Now, I will take the two handles at his head ; 
 do you each take one at his feet. The weight will not 
 be great, and you can change about when your arms get 
 tired. Yes, I see what you are thinking about, Mrs. 
 Kenshaw. We must go along bit by bit. We will carry 
 our patient here for half a mile, then I will come back 
 and fetch Wilfrid up to that point, then we will go on 
 again and so on." 
 
 "All the hard work falls on you, Mr. Atherton; it is 
 too bad," Mrs. Renshaw said with grateful tears in her 
 eyes. 
 
 "It will do me a world of good, Mrs. Eenshaw. I 
 must have lost over a stone weight since yesterday. If 
 this sort of thing were to go on for a few weeks I should 
 get into fighting condition. Now, are you both ready? 
 Lift." 
 
 In a short time they came to the point where Wilfrid 
 and the child were sitting down together. Wilfrid had
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 271 
 
 been impressing upon her that her father was hurt, and 
 that she must be verj-- good and quiet, and walk along 
 quietly by her mother's side. So when they came along 
 she got up and approached them with a subdued and 
 awe-struck air. She took the hand her mother held out 
 to her. 
 
 "Is father very bad, mother?" she asked in a low tone. 
 
 "He is better than he was, dear, and we must hope 
 and pray that he will soon be well again ; but at present 
 you must not speak to him. He must be kept very quiet 
 and not allowed to talk." 
 
 "You sit where you are, Wilfrid, I will come back for 
 you in half an hour," Mr. Atherton said. 
 
 "That you won't, Mr. Atherton," Wilfrid said, getting 
 up. "I have had a long rest, for, except for pulling my 
 trigger and loading, I have done nothing since the first 
 short walk when we started this morning. All this ex- 
 citement has done me a lot of good, and I feel as if I 
 could walk ever so far. " 
 
 "Well, put your rifle in the litter, then," Mr. Ather- 
 ton said; "its weight will make no difference to us, and 
 it will" make a lot of difference to you; when you are 
 tired say so. ' ' 
 
 Wilfrid struggled on resolutely, refusing to stop until 
 they reached a stream two miles from the starting place. 
 Here they rested for an hour. The settler's wounds were 
 washed and rebandaged, the others partook of a meal of 
 bread and water, and they then continued the journey. 
 At the end of another half-mile Wilfrid was obliged to 
 own that his strength could hold out no longer, but he 
 refused positively to accept Mr. Atherton 's proposal to 
 come back for him. 
 
 "I will not hear of it, Mr. Atherton," he said. "From 
 what Mrs. Sampson says it is another eight or ten miles
 
 272 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 to the Mahia country. There is not the least fear of any 
 of the Hau-Haus following on our track. The best way 
 by far is this : I will go a hundred yards into the bush 
 and lie down. You push on. It will be dark before you 
 finish your journey as it is; you would not get there till 
 to-morrow morning if you had to keep on coming back 
 for me; beside, you would never get on with the litter 
 after it is dark. Leave me a piece of bread, a bottle of 
 water, my rifle and revolver, and I shall be as comforta- 
 ble among the bushes there as if I were in bed. In the 
 morning you can send out a party of Mahias to fetch me 
 in. If you break down a small bough here by the side 
 of the way, that will be quite sufficient to tell the natives 
 where they are to turn off from the path to look for me." 
 
 "Well, I really think that is the best plan, Wilfrid. 
 There is, as you say, no real danger in your stopping 
 here alone. It would be a long job coming back for you 
 every time we halt, and it is of importance to get Mr. 
 Sampson laid down and quiet as soon as possible." 
 
 Mrs. Kenshaw did not like leaving Wilfrid alone ; but 
 she saw that she could be of no real assistance to him, 
 and her aid was absolutely required to carry the wounded 
 man. She therefore offered no objections to the proposal. 
 
 "Don't look downcast, mother," Wilfrid said as he 
 kissed her. "The weather is fine, and there is no hard- 
 ship whatever in a night in the bush, especially after 
 what we went through when we were following Te 
 Kooti." 
 
 Wilfrid made his way a hundred yards back into the 
 bush and then threw himself down under a tree fern, and 
 in a very few minutes he was sound asleep. The next 
 time he woke all was dark around him. 
 
 "I must have slept a good many hours," he said. "I 
 feel precious hungry." He ate a hunch of bread, took
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 273 
 
 a drink of water from the bottle, and soon fell asleep 
 again. The morning was breaking when he again woke. 
 A quarter of an hour later he heard voices, and cocking 
 his rifle and lying down full length on the grass waited. 
 In another minute to his joy he heard Mr. Atherton's 
 voice shouting, "Where are you, Wilfrid? Where have 
 you hidden yourself?"
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER, 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE PUBSUIT OF TE KOOTI. 
 
 HE leaped to his feet and ran forward. Mr. Atherton 
 was approaching, accompanied by a party of six natives. 
 
 "Why, Mr. Atherton, I was not expecting you for an- 
 other three hours." 
 
 "Well, you see, Wilfrid, your mother was anxious 
 about you. She did not say anything, for she is a plucky 
 woman, and not given to complaining or grumbling, still 
 I could see she was anxious, so I arranged with these 
 natives to be ready to start three hours before daybreak, 
 so as to get here just as the sun was rising." 
 
 "It was awfully kind of you, Atherton; but surely the 
 natives would have been able to find me without your 
 troubling yourself to come all this way again. I am sure 
 you must have been dreadfully tired after all your work 
 yesterday. ' ' 
 
 "Well, Wilfrid, perhaps I was just a little bit anxious 
 myself about you, and should have fussed and fidgeted 
 until you got back; so you see the quickest way to satisfy 
 myself was to come with the natives." 
 
 "What time did you get in last night?" 
 
 "About eight o'clock in the evening, I think. We 
 were all pretty well knocked up, but the two ladies bore 
 it bravely, so you see I had no excuse for grumbling." 
 
 "I am sure you would not have grumbled anyhow, " 
 Wilfrid laughed; "but I know that when one is carrying 
 any one the weight at the head is more than double the
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 275 
 
 weight at the feet, and that was divided between them, 
 while you had the heavy end all to yourself. And how is 
 Sampson?" 
 
 "I think he will do, Wilfrid. The natives took him in 
 hand as soon as he got there, and put leaf poultices to 
 his wounds. They are very good at that sort of thing, 
 and so they ought to be considering they have been 
 breaking each others' heads almost from the daj's of 
 Adam. Well, let us be off. We have brought the 
 stretcher with us, and shall get you back in no time." 
 
 Wilfrid lay down upon the stretcher. Four of the 
 natives lifted it and went off at a light swinging pace. 
 From time to time changes were made, the other two 
 natives taking their share. Had they been alone the 
 natives could have made the ten miles' journey under the 
 two hours, but Mr. Atherton reduced their speed directly 
 after they had started. 
 
 "I have not been killed by the Hau-Haus, Wilfrid, 
 and I do not mean to let myself be killed by friendly 
 natives. Three miles an hour is my pace, and except in 
 a case of extreme emergency I never exceed it. I have 
 no wish, when I get back to England, to be exhibited as 
 a walking skeleton. 
 
 "It is good to hear you laugh again, lad," he went on 
 as Wilfrid burst into a shout of laughter, to the astonish- 
 ment of his four bearers. "I was afraid six weeks back 
 that we should never hear you laugh again." 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Atherton!" Wilfrid exclaimed a few minutes 
 later, "were there any other of the Poverty Bay people 
 there last night, and have you heard what took place and 
 whether many beside those we know of have lost their 
 lives?" 
 
 "Yes; I am sorry to say it has been a very bad busi- 
 ness. As we heard from Butters, Dodd and Eeppart
 
 276 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 were killed, and there is no doubt that their shepherd 
 was also slaughtered. Major Biggs, poor fellow, has 
 paid for his obstinacy and overconfidence with his life. 
 His wife, baby, and servant were also killed. The news 
 of this was brought by a boy employed in the house, who 
 escaped by the back door and hid in a flax bush. Cap- 
 tain Wilson, his wife, and children have all been mur- 
 dered. McCulloch was killed with his wife and baby ; 
 the little boy managed to escape, and got to the redoubt 
 at Taranganui. Cadel was also killed. Fortunately 
 Firmin heard the sound of musketry in the night. He 
 started at dawn to see what was the matter. He met a 
 native, who told him that the Hau-Haus were massacring 
 the whites, and at once rode off and warned Wylie, 
 Stevenson, Benson, Hawthorne and Strong; and these 
 all escaped with their families, and with Major Westrupp 
 got safely to the Mahia people. 
 
 "The boy who escaped from Major- Biggs' house 
 reached Bloomfields, and all the women and children 
 there managed to escape. How they did it heaven only 
 knows, for the Hau-Haus were all round. That is all we 
 know at present, and we hope that the rest of the settlers 
 of the outlying stations round Matawhero succeeded in 
 getting into Taranganui. Whether the Hau-Haus will 
 be satisfied with the slaughter* they have effected, or will 
 try to penetrate further into the settlement or attack 
 Taranganui, remains to be seen. Of course the people 
 who have escaped are, like ourselves, ignorant of every- 
 thing that has taken place except what happened in their 
 immediate neighborhood. I should fancy, myself, that 
 however widespread the massacre may have been, the 
 Hau-Haus started last night on their way back. They 
 would know that as soon as the news reached Wairoa the 
 force there will be on the move to cut them off."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 277 
 
 "Do you think they will succeed?" Wilfrid asked 
 
 eagerly. 
 
 "I do not think so, Wilfrid. If Colonel Whitmore 
 were there they would have routed out Te Kooti long ago, 
 but Colonel Lambert seems a man of a different stamp 
 altogether. Why, I heard last night that he marched six 
 days ago to Whataroa, quite close to Te Kooti 's place, 
 and that a prisoner they took gave them positive infor- 
 mation that the Hau-Haus there had all left to assist Te 
 Kooti in a raid upon Poverty Bay. It seems they did 
 not believe the news at any rate, although a mail left 
 for Poverty Bay on the day after they returned to Wairoa, 
 they sent no news whatever of the report they had heard. 
 If they had done so there would have been plenty of time 
 for the settlers to prepare for the attack. 
 
 "It is one of the most scandalous cases of neglect that 
 I ever heard of, and Lambert ought to be tried by court- 
 martial, though that would not bring all these people to 
 life again. However there is one thing certain the 
 news of this affair will create such a sensation through- 
 out the island that even the incapable government at 
 Auckland, who have disregarded all the urgent requests 
 for aid against Te Kooti, will be forced to do something, 
 - and I sincerely hope they will dispatch Whitmore with a 
 strong force of constabulary to wipe out Te Kooti and his 
 band. It is curious how things come about. Almost all 
 these poor fellows who have been killed belong to the 
 Poverty Bay militta, who refused to press on with Whit- 
 more in pursuit of Te Kooti. Had they done so, the 
 addition of thirty white men to his force might have 
 made all the difference in that fight you had with him, 
 and in that case Te Kooti would have been driven far up 
 the country and this massacre would never have taken 
 place. ' '
 
 278 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 It was a great relief to Mrs. Renshaw when Wilfrid 
 reached the village. She was not given to idle fears, 
 and felt convinced that he was running no real danger; 
 for she knew Mr. Atherton would not have left him by 
 himself had he not been perfectly convinced there was no 
 danger of pursuit. Still she felt a weight lifted off her 
 mind when she saw the party entering the village. 
 
 "Well, mother, you must have had a terrible journey 
 of it yesterday," Wilfrid said, after he had assured her 
 that he felt none the worse for what had passed, and waa 
 indeed stronger and better than he had been two days 
 before. 
 
 "It was a terrible journey, Wilfrid. Fourteen miles 
 does not seem such a very long distance to walk, though 
 I do not suppose I ever walked as far since I was a girl; 
 but the weight of the stretcher made all the difference. 
 It did not feel much when we started, but it soon gpt 
 heavier as we went on; and though we changed sides 
 every few minutes it seemed at last as if one's arms were 
 being pulled out of their sockets. We could never have 
 done it if it had not been for Mr. Atherton. He kept us 
 cheery the whole time. It seems ridiculous to remember 
 that he has always been representing himself as unequal 
 to any exertion. He was carrying the greater part of 
 the weight, and indeed five miles before we got to the 
 end of our journey, seeing how exhausted we were be- 
 coming, he tied two sticks six feet long to our end of the 
 poles, and in that way made the work a great deal lighter 
 for us, and of course a great deal heavier for himself. 
 He declared he hardly felt it, for by that time I had torn 
 two wide strips from the bottom of my dress, tied them 
 together, and put them over his shoulders and fastened 
 them to the two poles; so that he got the weight on his 
 shoulders instead of his hands. But in addition to Mr.
 
 ORI AND SETTLER. 279 
 
 Sampson's weight he carried Hilly perched on his shoul- 
 der thejast eight miles. He is a noble fellow." 
 
 "He did not say anything about carrying Milly, " Wil- 
 frid said, "or of taking all the weight of the litter. He 
 is a splendid fellow, mother." 
 
 "He was terribly exhausted when he got in," Mrs. 
 Benshaw said; "and was looking almost as pale as death 
 when we went into the light in the hut where the other 
 fugitives had assembled. As soon as the others relieved 
 him of the weight of the litter, and lifted Milly down 
 from his shoulder, he went out of the hut. As soon an I 
 had seen Mr. Sampson well cared for, I went out to look 
 for him, and found he had thrown himself down on the 
 ground outside, and was lying there, I thought at first 
 insensible, but he wasn't. I stooped over him and he 
 said, 'I am all right, Mrs. Benshaw, but I was not up to 
 answering questions. In half an hour I shall be myself 
 again, but I own that I feel washed out at present. ' I 
 took him out a glass of brandy and water, he drank it 
 and said, 'I feel ashamed of being waited on by you, 
 Mrs. Benshaw, when you must be as tired as I am. 
 Please do not bother any more about me, but if you will 
 ask one of the others to get a native blanket to throw 
 over me to keep off the dew I shall be all right in the 
 morning ; but I do not feel that I could get ou my feet 
 again to-night if a fortune depended on it. ' Of course I 
 did as he asked me, and I was perfectly stupefied this 
 morning when I heard that he had been up at two o'clock 
 and had gone off with a party of natives to bring yon 
 in." 
 
 "It was awfully good of him," Wilfrid said, "and he 
 never said a word to me about it. Where is he?" and he 
 looked round. But Mr. Atherton had disappeared. 
 "Have you seen Mr. Atherton?" they asked Mr. Wylie,
 
 280 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 as he came out of a large hut that had been given up for 
 the use of the fugitives." 
 
 "He has just had a glass of spirits and water unfor- 
 tunately we had no tea to offer him and a piece of 
 bread, and has taken a blanket and has gone off to an 
 empty hut; he said he intended to sleep until to-morrow 
 morning," and indeed it was not until next day that Mr. 
 Atherton again appeared. 
 
 Several friendly natives arrived one after another at 
 the village. They brought the news that the Hau-Haus 
 had attacked only the colonists round Matawairo, and 
 that all the rest of the settlers were gathered at Taran- 
 ganui; but the Hau-Haus were plundering all the de- 
 serted houses, and were shooting down all the natives 
 who refused to join them. It was afterward found in- 
 deed that the natives had suffered even more severely 
 than the whites, for while thirty-three of the latter were 
 murdered thirty-seven of the natives were killed. Major 
 Westrupp had left by ship for Napier to obtain assist- 
 ance, Lieutenant Gascoigne had made his way safely 
 through the Hau-Haus to Taranganui, and had sent a 
 whaleboat out to a schooner that was seen passing down 
 the coast. She at once came into the port, and the 
 women and children were sent off to Napier. The garri- 
 son of the fort had been reinforced by the friendly 
 natives under their chief Henare Potare, and were await- 
 ing the expected attack by Te Kooti. 
 
 A week later news came that Major Westrupp and 
 Captain Tuke had arrived from Napier with three hun- 
 dred natives, and that the Hau-Haus had retired with 
 their plunder. The party at Te Mahia at once started 
 for the coast accompanied by some thirty men of the 
 Mahia tribe. A wagon had been procured for the trans- 
 port of the women and children, and a march of twenty-
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 281 
 
 four milea took them to Taranganui. They found that 
 parties had been out the day before to bury the dead, 
 and had brought in two persons who were supposed to 
 have been murdered. As one of the parties were going 
 along they saw a small poodle dog run into a bush, and 
 recognized it as having belonged to Captain Wilson. 
 They called and whistled to it in vain, and came to the 
 conclusion that some one must be in hiding there. After 
 half an hour's search they discovered little James Wilson 
 with the dog tightly held in his arms ; the boy was too 
 frightened to distinguish friend from foe, and was greatly 
 delighted when he recognized one of the party. He told 
 them that his mother was alive, and was lying wounded 
 in an outhouse at their place. He had lost his way 
 while trying to reach Taranagnui to bring help to her. 
 Captain Wilson had defended his house with a revolver 
 until the natives brought fire to burn him out. As they 
 offered to spare the lives of all within if they surren- 
 dered, Captain Wilson, thinking that there was a possi- 
 bility of their keeping their word while those within 
 would certainly be burned if they resisted, surrendered. 
 The prisoners were being led along by their captors, 
 Captain Wilson carrying the little boy, when the natives 
 fell upon them. Captain Wilson was shot through the 
 back, his servant, Morau, tomahawked, and Mrs. Wilson 
 and the other children bayoneted. Captain Wilson, 
 when shot, fell into a bush, and the little boy in the con- 
 fusion crawled away unnoticed into the scrub. He had"v 
 wandered about sleeping in outhouses for several nights, 
 often close to the enemy, and at last found his way back 
 to what had been his home, and found the bodies of his 
 father, brothers, and sisters, and on going into an out- 
 house for shelter found his mother alive there. 
 
 She had been bayoneted in several places and beaten
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 on the head with the butt of a rifle until they thought 
 her dead. Later in the day she had recovered conscio'us- 
 ness and crawled back to the house, where she got some 
 water and then took refuge in the outhouse, where two 
 or three days later she was found by her son. She had 
 since been kept alive by eggs and other things the child 
 found by foraging round ; but he had at last started to 
 try to get assistance for her. 
 
 After hearing the child's story the party had galloped 
 on to Captain Wilson's, and the poor lady had been 
 lound and carried to Taranganui. A few days later she 
 was sent down to Napier by ship, but expired shortly 
 after from the effects of her wounds. 
 
 In the week that elapsed between the date of the mas- 
 sacre and their return to the settlement Wilfrid had 
 regained his strength wonderfully, and the bracing air 
 of the hills and the excitement of the events through 
 which he passed had acted as a complete restorative. 
 Mr. Atherton too had completely recovered from his 
 fatigue, and indeed, professed himself to have benefited 
 greatly by them, as he maintained that in three days he 
 had lost as many stone of flesh. The morning after their 
 return to Taranganui they had a long talk about their 
 plans. It was settled that Mrs. Renshaw should at once 
 return home. She was most anxious that Wilfrid 
 should accompany her; but this he would not consent 
 to. 
 
 "No, mother," he said; "it is my duty, and every 
 one's duty, to aid in hunting down these murderous 
 scoundrels. They have massacred a number of people 
 who were very kind to me when I first became ill, and I 
 will do my best to punish them ; besides, until Te 
 Kooti's band is destroyed there will be no peace or safety 
 for any of the outlying settlements, and they are j ust as
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 283 
 
 likely to make an attack on our settlement as any other; 
 indeed, we are the nearest to them, therefore in fighting 
 here I am fighting for the protection of our home." 
 
 Mr. Atherton also announced his intention of accom- 
 panying the column in pursuit of Te Kooti. 
 
 "I dislike fatigue amazingly, " he said, "but for sev- 
 eral reasons I feel myself bound to see this affair through 
 to the end. In the first place they have attacked me and 
 caused me to undergo great fatigue ; in the second, they 
 have murdered a number of my acquaintances; in the 
 third place I have to look after this boy and see that he 
 gets into no mischief; and lastly, it really seems to me 
 that a month or two of this sort of thing will absolutely 
 reduce me to ordinary dimensions, a thing which I have 
 for years given up even hoping for. " 
 
 "Well, Wilfrid," Mrs. Kenshaw said at last, "I sup- 
 pose you must have your way. I do think that, as you 
 say, it is the duty of everyone to do all that he can to 
 punish the people who have committed these massacres 
 upon defenseless people, and it is necessary for the safety 
 of the settlement that Te Kooti 's band shall be destroyed. 
 It is very hard on us to know that our only son is fight- 
 ing; but other men as well have to leave perhaps wives 
 and children behind, and if only those without ties were 
 to go the force would be a small one indeed. It is a 
 comfort to me, Mr. Atherton, that you have made up 
 your mind to go too. It sounds selfish of me to say so; 
 but I suppose all mothers are selfish when their sons are 
 concerned." 
 
 "I understand your feeling, Mrs. Kenshaw, and it is 
 quite natural. I do think that everyone who can carry 
 a musket ought to join in this expedition, and I flatter 
 myself that Wilfrid's rifle and mine are allies not to be 
 despised. Anyhow, Mrs. Renshaw, I promise you that
 
 284 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 we will not do what are called rash things. We won't 
 try to capture Te Kooti single-handed, and I think that 
 we can be much more useful covering an attack than 
 leading an assault." 
 
 Accordingly, two days later Mrs. Renshaw embarked 
 on a coaster for the Mohaka river, and Mr. Atherton and 
 "Wilfrid announced to Lieutenant Gascoigne that they 
 would accompany his force as volunteers. 
 
 "I am heartily glad to hear it, " that officer replied. 
 "I have heard from Wylie of your defense of that pass 
 against the Hau-Haus, and yesterday I had a talk with 
 Sampson, who is getting round now, and he gave me the 
 history of the affair, and from what he says you and 
 Renshaw must have killed at least twenty Hau-Haus, for 
 Sampson admits that he is not much of a shot and had a 
 very small share in the total. : ' 
 
 "Yes; we can both shoot indifferently well," Mr. 
 Atherton said carelessly, "and can both be trusted to hit 
 a Maori if we see him within about four hundred yards 
 of us. I fancy that we may be of serivee to you in 
 keeping down the fire of the enemy if you are attacking 
 a pah. There is nothing cows fellows so much as find- 
 ing that it is certain death to raise their heads from be-, 
 hind shelter to take aim. Of coarse we shall be ready 
 generally to obey orders, but that is the special work we 
 join for. You see, Renshaw is but just recovering from 
 illness, and my build unsuits me for violent exertion. So 
 if you want to storm a steep hill you must not count on 
 us being with you except so far as shooting goes." 
 
 "Well, I will take you on your own terms," Lieuten- 
 ant Gascoigne said, smiling. "Mrs. Sampson told me 
 yesterday how disinclined you were for violent exertion, 
 ami how she had to help you along on that journey to Te 
 Mahia."
 
 MA ORI AND SETTLER. 285 
 
 Mr. Atherton laughed. "There are exceptions to all 
 rules," he said. "I am a peaceful botanist, but 1 had to 
 fight. I hate exertion, but on that occasion I was forced 
 to make an effort, and terribly knocked up I was over it. 
 If it becomes absolutely necessary I may have to make an 
 effort again, but I consider it altogether outside my 
 province." 
 
 The expedition started on the following morning, the 
 20th of November. It consisted of nearly six hundred 
 natives belonging to the Napier tribes, the Mahia, and 
 Marsuwai tribes. The next day they came upon the 
 rearguard of the Hau-Hau tribes of Patutahi and shot 
 two of them. Great quantities of booty which the Hau- 
 Haus were unable to carry away were found there, to- 
 gether with the bodies of several friendly natives. The 
 next day another encampment was come upon, and here 
 the carts taken from the plundered farms were found. At 
 dusk on the 23d the column came up with the main 
 body of the enemy, who were encamped on the Te 
 Karetua creek. 
 
 A heavy fire was opened on both sides, and the natives 
 then charged, but were driven back with a loss of five 
 killed and twelve wounded.- Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid, 
 who were walking leisurely in the rear of the column 
 when it came on the enemy, arrived too late to take any 
 part in the fight. After the repulse the friendly natives 
 took up a position on a ridge overlooking the Hau-Hau 
 positions and distant twelve hundred yards from it. 
 Rifle-pits were dug, and for the next week firing was 
 kept up by both sides, with occasional skirmishes as one 
 party or the other tried to take the offensive, but neither 
 cared to try a determined attack on the other. 
 
 The Hau-Haus had lost twenty men during the first 
 day's fighting, and suffered more in the distant firing,
 
 286 
 
 especially whenever they gathered as if for an attack, 
 than did the friendlies. Thia was owing in no small 
 degree to the accuracy of Mr. Atherton's fire. He had 
 got some of the natives to dig a rifle-pit three or four 
 hundred yards down the hill in front of their position, 
 and here he and Wilfrid ensconced themselves every 
 morning before daybreak, taking down with them their 
 provisions for the day, and from this point they galled 
 the Hau-Haus greatly with their fire. Wilfrid knew 
 that his shooting could not be depended upon at this 
 distance; but Mr. Atherton had been accustomed to fire 
 at long ranges, and although at eight hundred yards his 
 rifle was not accurate he did considerable execution, and 
 so alarmed the Hau-Haus that they scarcely dared to 
 move by daylight from one part of their intrenchment to 
 the other. The friends always left their shelter and re- 
 tired to camp as soon as the sun set. 
 
 The Hau-Haus were not, however, idle. A party of 
 sixty men made a long circuit and came down in rear of 
 the column, captured the depot at Patutahi with eight 
 kegs of ammunition and a great quantity of provisions, 
 and also seized a number of pack animals on the way up. 
 On the 3d of December the force was strengthened by 
 the arrival of the chiefs Eapata and Hotene, with three 
 hundred and seventy men from Te Wairoa. These 
 chiefly belonged to the Ngatiporou tribe, who were fa* 
 better fighters than the Napier or Mahia men. 
 
 As soon as the reinforcements had arrived it was de~ 
 cided at once to dislodge the enemy from a hill of which 
 they had possession and then to make a general attack 
 on the intrenchments. Forty men of the Wairoa tribe 
 under Mr. Preece made a dashing attack on the hill, and 
 just as they carried it Eapata sent a message to him to 
 say that his tribesmen were annoyed by the enemy's shot
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 287 
 
 falling into their camp, and were therefore determined 
 to attack at once. That tribe, sallying out, carried two 
 of the enemy's outworks with a rush, and drove the Hau- 
 Haus back to their last line of rifle-pits near the river. 
 Here they were attacked by the Wairoa men on the left, 
 Kapata in the center, and the tribesmen from Napier on 
 the right. The assailants carried the intrenchment and 
 drove the Hau-Haus across the river, these suffering 
 heavy loss from the firing of the left column, who from 
 their position commanded the course of the stream. 
 
 Unfortunately this fire, though destructive to the 
 enemy, was to a certain extent in their favor, for it pre- 
 vented the close pursuit of Rapata's men. Thirty-four 
 Hau-Haus, including three of their fighting chiefs, were 
 found dead. Te Kooti himself had a narrow escape. He 
 was still suffering from his wound in the ankle, and was 
 carried up the bed of the creek on a woman's back. A 
 great quantity of the loot taken from the settlers was 
 'recaptured, and many of the friendly natives held pris- 
 oners by the Hau-Haus escaped during the fight. Mr. 
 Atherton and Wilfrid had joined Rapata's men in their 
 charge, and after the fight was over the former said : 
 "Well, Wilfrid, it is a satisfaction to have got some 
 natives with us at last who will fight. It seemed at first 
 as if all the plucky natives had joined the enemy ; but 
 Rapata's men . are first-rate fellows, though I wish that 
 they had rather an easier name, for Ngatiporou is a 
 crack-jaw word to pronounce." 
 
 " Unfortunately a quarrel arose after the battle between 
 Rapata's men and the Napier tribesmen, and three hun- 
 dred of the latter went off. The next morning Rapata 
 and his tribe, with the remaining Wairoa men, marched 
 out to attack the position the enemy occupied on the 
 top of a hill two miles away. Mr. Preece led the ad-
 
 288 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 vanced party, and found the defenses consisted of two 
 lines of strong earthworks extending across a flat shoul- 
 der, either end resting on a cliff. Mr. Preece halted his 
 men until Eapata came up with the main body. "Wilfrid 
 and Mr. Atherton had attached themselves to the 
 Ngatiporou. Just as they joined Mr. Preece one of the 
 men fired off a gun, and the enemy answered with a heavy 
 volley. Instantly a panic set in, and the whole force, 
 with the exception of some sixteen or eighteen men, 
 bolted. One of the chiefs under Mr. Preece followed and 
 managed to stop them, and persuaded them to wait until 
 Eapata could return to them. This they agreed to do, 
 but refused positively to return to the attack. 
 
 Mr. Preece returned to Eapata, who was in a state of 
 fury at the defection of his tribe. "We will go on and 
 attack the place by ourselves," he said. "Perhaps the 
 cowards will come up when they hear we are fighting. " 
 Mr. Preece at once agreed, and the party, consisting of 
 the two leaders, Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid, and fourteen 
 of Eapata 's men, worked back through the low scrub 
 until within twenty -five yards of the first line of earth- 
 works, when they opened fire upon the enemy. 
 
 "This is rather close work, "Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton 
 said. ""We have the best of it in some respects, because 
 they cannot make out our position among the bushes, 
 and they are obliged to stand up and show their heads 
 above the parapet when they fire. We ought never to 
 miss them at this distance, and we will soon teach them 
 that it is fatal to pause a moment to take aim, so at the 
 worst they will only blaze away at random." 
 
 For some time the fight continued, and then Eapata 
 requested Mr. Preece to go down the hill and bring up 
 some more men. Only nine men would follow Mr. 
 Preece, and Eapata was so disgusted that he himself went
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER, 289 
 
 down for some distance and managed to get thirty more. 
 One of the men had brought a bill up with him, and with 
 this shallow rifle-pits were dug among the bushes, afford- 
 ing a shelter to the men as they lay flat while loading. 
 At three o'clock in the afternoon the chief called on his 
 tribesmen to follow him, and, leaping up, they dashed at 
 one of the outposts and carried it. A man took the news 
 down the hill, and a chief and thirty more men came up 
 and joined in the fight. 
 
 At dusk Eapata requested Mr. Preece to return to 
 camp and try to get the main body back with ammuni- 
 tion, as their own was almost exhausted. Mr. Preece 
 could not induce the natives to start, but they said they 
 would go in the morning. All night the fight went 
 on, but before dawn Eapata, having expended his last 
 round of ammunition, retired, having lost six men killed 
 and four wounded. As he and his men came down they 
 strode through the camp in single file, not deigning to 
 take the slightest notice of the fugitives, and passing 
 on, camped apart half a mile further on. The main body, 
 ashamed of their cowardly conduct, were afraid to go 
 near the chief. As it was necessary to ascertain what he 
 meant to do, one of the white officers went to see him. 
 
 For some time the chief would make no reply. At 
 last he said, "My men have betrayed me, and I will have 
 nothing further to do with them. I intend to return 
 home and get other men, and when I get back I will at- 
 tack the Napier tribe who deserted me." 
 
 The same day he marched for the coast, followed at a 
 distance by the abashed fugitives. On the way down 
 they met Colonel "Whitmore, who with three hundred con- 
 stabulary had just arrived by ship from the scene of 
 operations on the other side of the island. 
 
 The colonel begged Kapata to return with him, but
 
 290 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the chief said, "I never break my word. I have said I 
 will go home, and I will; but I will return with other 
 men and attack the Napier tribes." 
 
 After much persuasion Colonel Whitmore got him to 
 promise that he would not interfere with the Napier men ; 
 but nothing could persuade him to fight again with those 
 men of his own tribe who had deserted him. Such being 
 the case, a steamer was placed at his disposal in order 
 that he might make the voyage and return as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 After Eapata had left Colonel Whitnaore sent out a 
 skirmishing party to ascertain whether the enemy re- 
 tained their position. The scouts returned with the 
 news that there were great fires on the crest of the hill, 
 and they believed that the Hau-Haus were burning their 
 huts preparatory to returning into the interior. Colonel 
 Whitmore believed the report, and considering that the 
 Hau-Haus would leave the neighborhood of the settle- 
 ment altogether, he ordered the constabulary to march 
 down to the coast again as soon as possible and re-embark 
 there, as their presence was urgently required in the 
 north of the province of Wellington, which had been left 
 open to the attack of->the enemy there by their with- 
 drawal. 
 
 Fortunately before they re-embarked Te Kooti showed 
 his hand. He had no idea of retreating from his posi- 
 tion, and the fires were caused by the clearing off of the 
 scrub which had afforded shelter to Eapata's force. No 
 sooner did he hear that Colonel Whitmore had marched 
 away than he sent a party down against one of the out- 
 lying settlements, where they murdered Mr. Ferguson, 
 Mr. Wylie's son,_and a friendly native. Colonel Whit- 
 more, on receiving news of the raid, marched rapidly to 
 cut off the retreat of the Hau-Haus; but they managed 
 to evade him and to retire to their main body.
 
 MAORI AND 8ETTLSR. 291 
 
 On the 27th of December Colonel "Whitmore's force 
 occupied a high ridge a mile distant from Te Kooti's 
 position. Here the colonel received news that Rapata 
 had just landed with three hundred and seventy men, 
 and messenger after messenger was sent down urging 
 him to hurry up. The chief, who was .seriously ill, was 
 much annoyed by these messages, especially by the last, 
 that if he did not come soon Whitmore would take the 
 place without him. Rapata replied: "Very well, I have 
 tried and failed ; it is his turn now, " and immediately 
 ordered his men to camp for the day. 
 
 The next morning Colonel Whitmore came down him- 
 self, Laving been advised that the only way to succeed 
 with Rapata was to treat him in a conciliatory way. The 
 chief's first words were, "Have you taken the place?" 
 
 "No," Colonel Whitmore replied. "I am waiting for 
 you, Rapata." 
 
 "Very good," Rapata said; "I will be with you to- 
 morrow morning. " The Ngatiporou performed a great 
 war-dance, and as no one stumbled or fell they consid- 
 ered the omen to be good one, and marched on and joined 
 Colonel Whitmore's force that night.
 
 292 MAORI AND SETTLER, 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 BACK AT THE FABM. 
 
 THE position of the Hau-Haus was naturally a very 
 strong one, being at the top of a high conical peak rising 
 abruptly from low bush-covered hills to a height of two 
 thousand feet. On the face, which had been before at- 
 tacked, the ground sloped gradually up to the summit, 
 but on the right and left the slope was very steep, and at 
 one point there had been a landslip leaving a perpendic- 
 ular face twenty feet high, and below that, for fifty feet, 
 it was so steep that it was difficult to get a footing. The 
 ground in rear of the position narrowed into a razor- 
 backed ridge down which a track led, with rope ladders 
 to aid the descent of the rock terraces. 
 
 The position in front, where alone it could be attacked 
 was defended by three lines of earthworks with high 
 parapets, and with ditches in front abutting at either end 
 on the steep slopes. The two lower works were seven 
 feet high, the upper work was nearly fourteen feet high, 
 with sandbag loopholes to enable the defenders to fire 
 through. Each line was connected with the one above 
 it by covered ways. Operations commenced by the ad- 
 vance of the Arawa division of the constabulary, and a 
 portion of the Ngatiporou under Kapata. Advancing 
 quietly and cautiously they came upon a party of the 
 enemy engaged in carrying up water. They drove them 
 up to the pah and took possession of the only water 
 available.
 
 MAOttT AND SETTLER. 293 
 
 Bifle-pits were now dug and pushed forward gradually 
 until within a hundred yards of the enemy's first lines of 
 defense. Number seven division of the constabulary 
 were now sent up, and these threw up a long line of 
 trenches parallel to the enemy's works; and the artillery- 
 men having with great exertion brought up a mortar, a 
 vertical shell-fire was opened upon the enemy's position 
 with great effect ; although to get them to the spot these 
 shells had to be carried on the men's backs for three 
 miles over some terrific ravines. A hundred constabulary 
 tinder Colonel Fraser and a hundred Ngatiporou were 
 sent round to cut off the enemy's retreat in rear. An- 
 other division of constabulary under Major Roberts con- 
 nected the two parties, and thus all escape of the enemy 
 was cut off, with the exception of the small piece of cliff, 
 seventy yards in length, which was believed impossible 
 to descend, and was moreover exposed to a flanking fire 
 from Rapata's force in front and that of Colonel Fraser 
 in the rear. 
 
 For some days heavy firing went on, and the hardships 
 suffered by the force were great, for the rain fell without 
 intermission. There were many casualties on both sides. 
 Captain Brown of the constabulary was killed, and Cap- 
 tain Cabel of the same corps severely wounded. Colonel 
 Fraser 's men pushed up the ridge in the enemy's rear, 
 and formed rifle-pits near the summit from which the 
 Hau-Haus made desperate but vain attempts to repel 
 them. On the 4th of January Rapata, after consultation 
 with Colonel "Whitmore, determined to storm the lower 
 line of earthworks. He told off fifty picked men, and 
 sent them round with instructions to scale the cliffs at 
 the point where the parapet ended. The work was a 
 dangerous and difficult one, for the cliff was very steep 
 and gravelly, and the Hau-Haus crowded to the end of
 
 294 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 the trench and fired down, wounding five of the stormers. 
 But to do this they had to expose themselves, and suffered 
 severely from the fire of the men told off to cover the at- 
 tack. Finally the Ngatiporou succeeded in climbing up 
 under the outer face of the parapet, which they cut 
 through with their spades, and opening a raking fire 
 upon the Hau-Haus drove them out and took possession 
 of the first line of defense. 
 
 All night a sap was carried upward toward the second 
 line, with the intention of blowing up the earthworks 
 and storming the main works next morning, and two 
 hundred picked men were assembled in the trenches 
 ready to attack at daybreak. But at two o'clock in the 
 morning a woman cried out from within the pah that the 
 Hau-Haus had all left, leaving only some wounded men 
 and women and children. Her words were not at first 
 believed, and they were considered to be only a ruse to 
 induce the assailants to advance up the hill under the 
 enemy's fire But at daybreak it was found that the 
 news was true, that the whole of the Hau-Haus had es- 
 caped, by means of ropes, down the face of the perpendic- 
 ular cliff. 
 
 Kapata with his men started in pursuit. He followed 
 the Hau-Hau trail for some distance, and then scattered 
 his men in small parties as he guessed that the enemy 
 would scatter in search of food. A hundred and twenty 
 of the Hau-Haus were overtaken and killed, and Bapata 
 returned after an absence of two days. By this time the 
 whites and constabulary had left, as the work had now 
 been done and the constabulary were urgently needed 
 elsewhere. Bapata marched back by a circuitous way, 
 captured eighty more prisoners, men, women and chil- 
 dren, whom he brought alive down into the settlement. 
 Te Kooti had lost altogether during the siege and pursuit
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 295 
 
 a hundred and fifty of his men, but he was still believed 
 in by the natives, three tribes joining him at once, more 
 than making up for the loss he had suffered. 
 
 Mr. Atherton and the other volunteers with Colonel 
 Whitmore's force had taken but small share in the second 
 attack upon Te Kooti's position, not being attached to 
 any regular force. Rapata had been greatly struck with 
 the coolness of Mr. Atherton and Wilfrid in his first at- 
 tack, and astonished at the accuracy of their shooting, 
 and had greeted them very heartily on his return, and 
 invited them to act with his force. They had, therefore, 
 during the siege taken up their position in some rifle-pits 
 in the rear of his party, and from here had done great 
 service to the Ngatiporou by covering them from the 
 enemy's fire, for the Hau-Haus soon learned that it was 
 almost certain death to stand up to take a steady aim 
 above the parapet. 
 
 After the defeat of the Hau-Haus many of the natives 
 of Poverty Bay who had joined Te Kooti, and taken a 
 prominent part in the massacres, deserted him, and 
 calmly returned to the settlement as if nothing had taken 
 place", and the authorities allowed them to remain unmo- 
 lested. The settlers, justly indignant that men who had 
 BO lately murdered women and children should be allowed 
 to come down among them with impunity, formed them- 
 selves into a vigilance committee, and some of them who 
 had lost relatives in the massacre bound themselves by 
 oath to shoot the next party of ruffians who made their 
 appearance. 
 
 An opportunity soon offered. A native who had as- 
 sisted in murdering Mr. Wylie's son came in, and was 
 shot by Mr. Benson. The following morning, to his as- 
 tonishment, Benson was warned to attend as juryman at 
 the inquest of his victim. In vain he assured the native
 
 296 MAORI AND hETTLER. 
 
 constable that he was the man who had done the deed, 
 and that he ought not therefore to sit. The constable 
 refused to entertain the excuse, and so Benson not only 
 sat on his own trial, but gave evidence against himself, 
 and the jury, among whom was Mr. Atherton, having 
 heard his statement, brought in the following verdict: 
 "We find that the deceased was shot by some person un- 
 known, and served him right." 
 
 The day after this verdict was returned Mr. Atherton 
 and Wilfrid, who had been waiting ten days for a coast- 
 ing craft, sailed for the Mohaka river, and, landing at 
 Mr. Mitford's, borrowed two horses from him, and were 
 soon at The Glade. 
 
 "lam afraid I am heavy on a horse still, Wilfrid," 
 Mr. Atherton said as they started, "but this animal may 
 be thankful that I did not ride him the last time I was 
 here. I calculate I must be at least four stone lighter 
 than I was. ' ' 
 
 " You certainly have lost a good deal of flesh, Mr. 
 Atherton. I almost wonder that you did not continue 
 with our friend Eapata. He declares that, he will follow 
 up Te Kooti till he catches him if it takes him a couple 
 of years." 
 
 "No, no, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton laughed, "it is pos- 
 sible to have too much of a good thing. I might jog 
 along with a colonial force well enough and benefit by it, 
 but Bapata and his men would kill me in a week. I do 
 not think those fellows know what it is to be tired. No, 
 I am very well contented, and I intend to do no end of 
 work in the woods and keep myself down to my present 
 weight. There is an immense deal to be done in the 
 way of botanizing. I have already found twelve new sorts 
 of ferns, and I have only just begun, and have not even 
 looked at the orchids yet or the mosses."
 
 Maori. " I AM AFRAID I AM HEAVY ON A HORSE STILL, WILFRID." Page 296.
 
 297 
 
 "I should have thought, Mr. Atherton, that it would 
 have been well worth your while to go in for collecting 
 and sending home rare and new plants, instead of merely 
 drying specimens for your herbarium. I know new 
 orchids fetch a tremendous price, because a gentleman 
 near us at home had a large house full of them, and I 
 know he used to pay what seemed to me prodigious 
 prices for little scraps of plants not a bit more beautiful 
 than the others, simply because they were rare." 
 
 "The idea is a very good one, Wilfrid, and I will think 
 it over. I have never gone in for collecting in that way, 
 for my income has been amply sufficient for my wants, 
 but there can be no doubt that in these days, when peo- 
 ple are ready to give such large sums for rare plants, a 
 botanist like myself might make a really good thing of it 
 out here. The woods are literally crowded with rare 
 plants, and it would add to the interest of my excursions. 
 As it is now I simply look for new species, and even here 
 these are hard to discover; but if I took to getting rare 
 specimens for sending home, there would be an unlimited 
 field of work for me. Of course the difficulty is getting 
 them home alive, for in a country like this, where there is 
 practically no winter, they are never in an entirely 
 quiescent state, and would require the most careful pack- 
 ing in cases specially constructed for them, and would 
 need attention on the voyage. Still all this might be 
 managed, and a steward might be paid well to take them 
 under his charge. 
 
 "Well, I will think jit over, Wilfrid. Your idea cer- 
 tainly seems a good one, and if it pays the great horticul- 
 turalists to send out skilled men to collect plants for them 
 from all parts of the world, it should certainly pay me, 
 who am living in the center of one of the most varied 
 groups of vegetation in the world, to send home con- 
 signments. ' '
 
 298 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Ten minutes later they rode into the clearing. A loud 
 . whoop of welcome was heard as they appeared, and Jack 
 came tearing down from the house to meet them. A 
 moment later Marion appeared at the door, and she too 
 came flying toward them. Mr. and Mrs. Eenshaw also 
 appeared on the veranda. 
 
 "I need not ask you how you are, my boy," Mr. Een- 
 shaw said as Wilfrid, who had leaped from his horse as 
 Marion ran up, hastened forward with her to the house. 
 "Your mother has told us so much about your illness 
 that I hardly anticipated seeing you looking a picture of 
 health. Mr. Atherton, I am delighted to see you. My 
 wife has told me how much we all owe to you both for 
 your care of Wilfrid and for having brought him and 
 my wife safely out of tho hands of the natives." 
 
 "I am very glad that I was able to be of some little 
 service, Mr. Renshaw. It is quite as pleasant, you know, 
 to be able to aid as it is to be aided, so w r e will look upon 
 the obligation as mutual. Wilfrid has invited me to 
 take up my quarters here for a day or two until my 
 shanty is put in order again." 
 
 "It would be a pleasure to us if you would take up 
 your abode here permanently," Mr. Eenshaw said as Mr. 
 Atherton dismounted from his horse and the two men 
 wrung each other's hands warmly. "Jack, take the two 
 horses round to the shed. And now come in. Fortu- 
 nately dinner is just ready, and I have no doubt you are 
 ready too." 
 
 Wilfrid was struck with the change that had come 
 over his father sinse he had been away. He looked bet- 
 ter and stronger than he had ever seen him before, and 
 spoke with a firmness and decision quite new to him. 
 Mr. Eenshaw, finding the whole responsibility of the 
 farm upon his shoulders, had been obliged to put aside
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 399 
 
 his books and to throw himself into the business with 
 vigor. At first the unusual exertion involved by being 
 out all day looking after things had tried him a good 
 deal, but he had gained strength as h* went on, and had 
 even come to like the work. The thought that his wife 
 and Wilfrid would be pleased to find everything going 
 on well had strengthened Ljm in his determination to 
 stick to it, and Marion had, as far as the housework 
 allowed her, been his companion when about the farm, 
 and had done her best to make the evenings cheerful and 
 pleasant. They had had a terribly anxious time of it 
 during the week between the arrival of the news of the 
 massacre at Poverty Bay and Mrs. Eenshaw's return; 
 but after that their life had gone on quietly, although 
 until the news of the capture of Te Kooti's fortress had 
 arrived, they had naturally been anxious about Wilfrid's 
 safety. 
 
 "You are looking wonderfully well and sunburned, 
 father," the lad said as they sat at dinner. 
 
 "Your father has been out from morning until night, 
 Wilfrid, managing the farm," Mr. Renshaw said with a 
 glad smile, "and I do think the exercise has done him a 
 great deal of good. " 
 
 "I am sure it has, mother," Wilfrid agreed. "I am 
 afraid the book has not made much progress, father, 
 since I have been awaj\ " 
 
 "It has made no progress at all, Wilfrid, and I do not 
 suppose it ever will. Science is all very well when a 
 man can afford to make it his hobby, but I have come to 
 the concluson that a man has no right to ride a hobby 
 while his family have to work to make a living." 
 
 "But we were all glad to work, father," Wilfrid said. 
 "And now I am back again there is no reason why you 
 should not return to your work. "
 
 300 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "No, "Wilfrid. I have been selfish a great deal too 
 long, and indeed, now that I have broken myself into an 
 active life out of doors, I have at present, at any rate, no 
 inclination to take to the pen again. I feel better than I 
 have done for years, and am astonished myself at the 
 work I can get through. As to my appetite, I eat twice 
 as much as I used to, and really enjoy my food. Since 
 the day we heard of the failure of the bank the burden 
 has all been on your shoulders, Wilfrid and your 
 mother's. I am going to take my share of it in the 
 future. As to the book, some one else must write it. I 
 do not suppose it would ever have really paid. I almost 
 wonder now how I could have thought that I out here 
 could have derived any satisfaction from knowing that 
 my work was praised by scientific men at home ; beside, 
 to do it properly a man must live among the natives, 
 must travel all over the island and gather the traditions 
 current in every tribe. That I could not do, and if I could 
 have no inclination for it. I have been thinking that 
 I shall ask Mr. Atherton to teach me a little botany, so 
 that I can enjoy a little more intelligently than I can now 
 do the wonders of our forests " 
 
 "That I will gladly do, Mr. Renshaw. I am sure it 
 would add greatly to the enjoyment of your life here to 
 become acquainted with the secrets of the marvelous 
 vegetation around. It is extraordinary to me that men 
 should be content to remain in ignorance of the names of 
 even the principal trees and shrubs that meet their eye 
 at every turn. There is not one settler in a hundred can 
 tell you the names of a score of trees in the island. 
 While I have been away I have tried to get the native 
 names of many of the trees that are mostly to be met 
 with, and only in one or two cases could I get any infor- 
 mation, although some of the settlers have been living 
 for years among them. ' '
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 301 
 
 "And now, Mr. Atherton, about what I was saying 
 just now, do not you think it would be more pleasant for 
 you to erect a fresh hut close to ours instead of living by 
 yourself away in the woods? It would be a great pleas- 
 ure to all of us to have you with us. Your society would 
 brighten our life here. We should have the assistance of 
 your rifle in case the natives broke out again. You 
 would, of course, live with us, but you would have your 
 own hut to retire to when you liked to be alone. What 
 do you say?" 
 
 "I say that it is a very kind offer, Mr. Renshaw, and 
 it would certainly be very much more pleasant for me 
 than living out there by myself at the mercy of a native 
 cook. On the condition that you will allow me to pay 
 my share of the expenses of housekeeping I will gladly 
 accept your offer." 
 
 "The expenses of housekeeping are next to nothing, Mr. 
 Atherton," Mrs. Renshaw laughed; "but if you make it 
 a condition we must of course agree to your terms, and 
 you shall be permitted to pay your quota to the expenses 
 of the establishment ; but I warn you that the amount 
 will not be a heavy one." 
 
 "Heavy or light, I shall be glad to pay it, Mrs. Ren- 
 shaw. The arrangement would be a delightful one for 
 me, for although as a traveler I have necessarily been 
 much alone, I am a gregarious animal, and fond of the 
 company of mankind." 
 
 And so tw# days later a party of natives were set to 
 work, and a hut was erected for Mr. Atherton twenty 
 yards away from the house, and was soon fitted up as his 
 other had been. Wilfrid had at once taken up his own 
 work at the farm, but was now his father's right hand, 
 instead of having as before everything on his shoulders. 
 
 The natives in the neighborhood had now settled down
 
 302 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 again. From time to time news came that showed that 
 the Hau-Hau rebellion was almost crushed. Colonel 
 Whitmore, having finally completely subdued the Hau- 
 Hau tribes in the north of Wellington and Taranaki, had 
 marched with a strong force divided into four columns 
 and severely punished all the tribes that had joined Te 
 Kooti in the northeastern part of the island. Te Kooti 
 himself, after perpetrating several other massacres of 
 settlers, was a fugitive, hotly hunted by Rapata, who 
 gave him no rest, surprising him several times, and ex- 
 terminating the last remnants of the band who had 
 escaped with him from the Chatham Islands. Te Kooti 
 himself was now believed to be hiding somewhere in the 
 Waikato country; but he was no longer dangerous, his 
 schemes had utterly failed, his pretensions had even in 
 the native eyes been altogether discredited, and all who 
 had adhered to him had either been killed or punished 
 by the destruction of their villages and clearings.. There 
 was not the slightest chance that he would ever again 
 trouble the community. 
 
 The settlement on the Mohaka river had grown, and 
 in six months after Wilfrid's return the whole of the 
 land lying between the Allen farm and Mr. Mitford's was 
 taken up, and two or three families had settled beyond 
 Mr. Atherton's holding. At The Glade everything went 
 on prosperously the animals multiplied, the crops w.ere 
 excellent, and, owing to the many settlers arriving and 
 requiring food until they could raise it for themselves, 
 much better prices were obtained for the produce, and it 
 was no longer necessary to ship it to Napier or Welling- 
 ton. 
 
 Although Mr. Atherton had not gone through any 
 such fatigues as those that he had endured at Poverty 
 Bay he had continued steadily to decrease in weight.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 303 
 
 Feeling nimself so much lighter and more aoiive on the 
 return from the expedition, he had continued to stick to 
 long and regular exercise, and was out every day, with a 
 native to carry his tin collecting boxes, his presses, ax, 
 and trowel, from breakfast-time until dark. As he stead- 
 ily refused to take any food with him, and fasted from 
 breakfast-time till supper, the prolonged exercise in the 
 close heat of the woods did its work rapidly, and at the 
 end of a year from the date of his taking up his abode at 
 The Glade he could no longer be called a stout man, and 
 newcomers looked with admiration at his broad shoulders 
 and powerful figure. 
 
 "When I first came to New Zealand," he said, "I 
 thought it probable that I should only stay here a few 
 weeks, or at most a few months, and I had a strong doubt 
 whether it would repay my trouble in coming out here. 
 Now I am sure that it was the very best step I ever took. 
 I weighed the other day at Mitford's, and I did not turn 
 eighteen stone, which is nothing out of the way for a 
 man of my height and size. Last time I weighed I 
 pulled down twenty-six. When I go back to England I 
 shall stick to my two meals a day, and go in regularly 
 for racquets and horse exercise." 
 
 "And when is that going to be, Mr. Atherton?" Wil- 
 frid asked. 
 
 "I have not settled yet, Wilfrid. I have been longer 
 stationary here than I have been in any place since I 
 left college. Occasionally I get a fit of longing to be 
 back in London again, but it seldom lasts long. How- 
 ever, I suppose I shall yield to it one of these days." 
 
 ''You are doing very well here, Mr. Atherton. You 
 said only the other day that your consignment of plants 
 had sold wonderfully, and that you expected to make 
 nearly a thousand pounds this year."
 
 304 MAORI AND SETTLES. 
 
 "That is true enough, Wilfrid; but you see, unfor- 
 tunately or fortunately, whichever way you like to put it, 
 the thousand pounds are of no importance to me one way 
 or the other. I am really what is generally considered 
 to be a rich man, and from the day I left England, now 
 just two years ago, my income has been simply accumu- 
 lating, for bevond the two or three pounds a month your 
 mother lets me pay her I spend absolutely nothing." 
 
 "It must be very dull for yoi; here, Mr. Atherton, 
 accustomed as you have been to be always either travel- 
 ing or in London, to be cut off from the world with only 
 just our society, and that of the Aliens and Mitfords, and 
 two or three neighbors." 
 
 "I do not look dull, do I, Mrs. Benshaw?" Mr. Ather- 
 ton laughed. 
 
 "No; I have never seen you dull since I knew you, 
 Mr. Atherton, not even when you were toiling, exhausted 
 and worn out with that child on your shoulders and 
 the weight of the helpless man on your arms. We shall 
 miss you awfully when you do go; shall we not Marion?" 
 Marion was now nineteen, and had developed, as Wilfrid 
 told her in some surprise for brothers seldom think 
 their sisters good-looking into a very pretty girl. 
 
 "It is not coming just yet," Mr. Atherton said; "but 
 I have, I think, pretty well exhausted the forest for a 
 distance of fifty miles round, and now that things are 
 settling down I shall take more extensive trips to the 
 mountains in the northeast and the Waikato country, and 
 the strip of land lying north of Auckland. I have toever 
 been absent above two or three days at a time; but in 
 future I may be away for weeks. But this will always 
 be my headquarters, Mrs. Benshaw. You see, your hus- 
 band is becoming a formidable rival of mine here, so I 
 must be off to pastures new."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 305 
 
 "You know he did not want to send things home, Mr. 
 Atherton. It was only because you insisted that he did 
 so." 
 
 "I am very glad that I did insist, Mrs. Renshaw. As 
 you know, I only went into the trade of plants to give 
 me something to do on my rambles beside looking for 
 new species; but I am sure it has been a capital thing 
 for him. He has always been accustomed to use his 
 brain, and although he now takes a lively interest in 
 farm work, he would in time have found a certain void if 
 he had not taken up this new hobby. As it is, it gives 
 him plenty of outdoor work, and is not only interesting, 
 but pays well; and now that he is thoroughly acquainted 
 with the botany of this part of the island, and knows 
 which things are worth sending home, and the price he 
 can depend upon getting for them he will make a far 
 larger income out of it than he could do from farming. 
 Wilfrid will be quite capable of looking after the interests 
 of the farm." 
 
 Another year passed. The clearings at The Glade had 
 been greatly enlarged; but clumps of bush had been 
 judiciously left so as to preserve its sylvan appearance, 
 the long operation of fencing in the whole property had 
 been accomplished, and the number of horses, cattle, and 
 sheep had so increased that the greater part were now 
 sent to graze on Maori land, a small rate per head being 
 paid to the natives. Mr. Atherton had come and gone 
 many times, and had now almost completed his study of 
 the botany of the island. Mr. Renshaw had altogether 
 abandoned the management of the farm to Wilfrid, and 
 devoted himself entirely to the collection of ferns, 
 orchids, and other plants, receiving handsome checks in 
 return for the consignment sent to England by each 
 vessel that sailed from Wellington or Napier. He had
 
 306 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 agents at each of these towns, who made arrangements 
 with the stewards of the ships for taking care of the 
 plants on their way home, their remuneration being de- 
 pendent upon the state in which the consignment arrived 
 in England. 
 
 Settlers were now established on both sides of the river 
 for miles above The Glade, and as among these weie sev- 
 eral who had been officers in the army, or professional 
 men who had come out for the benefit of their families, 
 there was now" much cheerful society, and The Glade 
 occupied the same leading position in that part of the 
 settlement that Mr. Mitford's had done on the lower river 
 when they first arrived. 
 
 James Allen had now been a year married to the eldest 
 of the Miss Mitfords. His brother had been decidedly 
 refused by Marion when he proposed to her, much to the 
 surprise of her father and mother, who had seen from 
 the frequent visits of their neighbor during the past year 
 how things were going with him, while Wilfrid had been 
 quite indignant at her rejection of his friend. 
 
 " Girls ere extraordinary creatures," he said to his 
 Bister. "I had quite made up my mind for the last six 
 months that you and Bob were going to make a match of 
 it, and thought w y hat a jolly thing it would be to have 
 you settled next to us. I am sure I do not know what 
 you want more. You have known him for three years. 
 He is as steady as possible, and safe to get on well, and 
 as nice a fellow as I know." 
 
 "He is all that, Wilfrid, but you see I don't want to 
 marry him. I like him very much in the same way you 
 like him, but I don't like him well enough for that." 
 
 "Oh, I suppose you want a wandering prince in dis- 
 guise," Wilfrid grumbled. "That is the way with girls; 
 they always want something that they cannot get."
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER 307 
 
 "My dear Wilfrid/' Marion said with spirit, "when I 
 take to lecturing you as to whom you are to marry it will 
 be quite time for you take to lecturing ine ; but until I 
 do I cannot allow that you have any right in the matter." 
 
 It was seldom indeed that brother and sister differed 
 in opinion about anything, and seeing a tear in Marion's 
 eye Wilfrid at once gave in and admitted himself to be 
 wrong. 
 
 "Of course it is no business of mine, Marion, and I 
 beg your pardon. I am sure I shall not wish for a mo- 
 ment that you should marry any one but the man that 
 you choose for yourself. I should certainly have liked 
 you to have married Bob Allen, but if you do not fancy 
 him of course there is an end of it. ' ' 
 
 This was not the only offer that Marion had received 
 during the year, for there were several young settlers who 
 would have been glad to have installed her as the mis- 
 tress of their homesteads ; but they had each met with 
 the same fate that had now befallen Bob Allen. 
 
 The next time Mr. Atherton came back he said, "I 
 have taken my last ramble and gathered my last plant." 
 
 "What! are you going home?" Mrs. Renshaw ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 "Yes, I am going home," he said more seriously than 
 he usually spoke. "I have been away three years now, 
 and have pretty thoroughly ransacked the island. I have 
 discovered nearly eighty new species of plants and two 
 or three entirely new families, so I have done enough for 
 honor ; beside, I am wanted at home. An old aunt has 
 died and left me a considerable sum of money, just be- 
 cause I had plenty of my own before, I suppose. It is 
 another instance of female perversity. So I have had a 
 letter from my solicitor saying that I am really wanted ; 
 but in any case I should have gone now or in another
 
 308 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 month or two. I begin to feel that I have had enough 
 of wandering, and at thirty~eight it is time to settle 
 down if you are ever going to do so." 
 
 There was a silence round the table as he ceased speak- 
 ing, for all felt that the loss would be a serious one, and 
 although Mr. Atherton had tried to speak lightly they 
 could see that he too felt the approaching end of their 
 close friendship. 
 
 "Are you going to start at once?" Mr. Eenshaw asked. 
 
 "No, I shall give myself a fortnight or three weeks 
 before I sail. I have all the plants I gathered this time 
 to dry and prepare properly; beside, I should like a 
 quiet stay with you before I say good-by. You see, I 
 have not seen much of you during the last year." 
 
 Nothing further was said on the subject, which none 
 of them liked to touch on. For the next two days the 
 house seemed strangely quiet. 
 
 "By the way, what has become of young Allen?" Mr. 
 Atherton said at dinner on the third day. "You told me 
 every one was well, so I suppose he is away from home, 
 as I have not seen him since I came, and he used to be a 
 very regular visitor." There was a momentary silence 
 and then Mrs. Renshaw said : 
 
 "I do not think he is away from home, though he may 
 be, for he was talking the other day of looking out for a 
 fresh piece of land for himself. Now that his brother is 
 married I suppose it is only natural that he should think 
 of setting up for himself. The farm is of course their 
 joint property, but I suppose they will make some 
 arrangement for his brother to take over his share." 
 
 "Naturally," Mr. Atherton agreed, "young Allen would 
 not care about remaining now that his brother is 
 married. When one of two partners marries it generally 
 breaks up the partnership, and beside, he will of course
 
 MAORI AND BETTLER. 309 
 
 1)8 "wanting to have a place of his own, and the holding 
 is not large enough to divide." 
 
 After dinner Wilfrid strolled out with Mr. Atherton. 
 
 "I dare say you saw, Mr. Atherton, that your question 
 about Bob Allen fell rather as a bombshell among us. 
 There is no reason why you, who are a great friend, 
 should not know the truth. Th fact is, to my astonish- 
 ment, Marion has thought proper to refuse Bob Allen. 
 I was never more surprised in my life. I had always 
 looked upon it as certain that she would accept him, 
 especially as she has refused three or four good offers 
 this year. One never can understand girls." 
 
 Mr. Atherton was silent for a minute or two. Then he 
 said : 
 
 "I thought too, Wilfrid, that it would have come off. 
 I have always thought so. Well, well." Then after a 
 pause he went on: "I had intended to go over in the 
 morning to see him. I like the lad, and had an idea of 
 offering to advance him a sum of money to set up in a 
 place of his own without loss of time. Then the young 
 couple would have had a fair start in life without having 
 to wait two or three years or to go through the rough 
 work at the first start in a settler's life. The money 
 would of course have been nothing to me, and it would 
 have been satisfactory to have lent a helping hand toward 
 seeing your sister married and happy. And so she has 
 refused him. Well, I will take a turn by myself, 
 Wilfrid." 
 
 And to the young fellows surprise Mr. Atherton turned 
 off and started at a brisk pace up the glade. 
 
 "He is evidently as vexed at Marion's throwing over 
 Bob Allen as I am," Wilfrid said to himself, as he looked 
 after him. "I wish he would give her a good talking to, 
 she would think more of his opinion than she does of 
 mine.
 
 310 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 IN ENGLAND. 
 
 "I SUPPOSE you have not settled yet as to what ship you 
 will return by, Atherton?" Mr. Eenshaw asked as the 
 party were gathered in the veranda in the evening. 
 
 "No, " Mr. Atherton replied, absently watching the 
 smoke of his cigar as it curled up, "nothing is at all set- 
 tled; nay plans seem to be quite vague now." 
 
 "What do you mean, Mr. Atherton?" Mrs. Renshaw 
 asked in surprise, for Mr. Atherton's plans were gener- 
 ally mapped out very decidedly. "How is it that your 
 plans are vague? I thought you said two days ago that 
 you should go down to Wellington about the 20th." 
 
 "I did not mean to say that they were vague, Mrs. 
 Renshaw; did I really say so?" 
 
 "Why, of course you did," Mrs. Renshaw said; "and 
 it is not often that you are vague about anything." 
 
 "That shows that you do not understand my character, 
 Mrs. Renshaw," Mr. Atherton said in his usual careless 
 manner. "I am the vaguest of men a child of chance, 
 a leaf blown before the wind." 
 
 Wilfrid laughed. "It would have taken a very strong 
 wind when we first knew you." 
 
 "I am speaking metaphorically, Wilfrid. I am at 
 London, and the idea occurs to me to start for the 
 Amazon and botanize there for a few months. I pack up 
 and start the next morning. I get there and do not like 
 the place, and say to myself it is too hot here, let me
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 311 
 
 Study the Arctic flora at Spitzbergen. If I act upon an 
 idea promptly, well and good, but if I allow any time to 
 elapse between the idea striking me and my carrying the 
 thing into execution, there is never any saying whether 
 I may not go off in an entirely different groove during 
 the interval." 
 
 "And is there any chance of your going off in any 
 other groove now, Atherton?" Mr. Renshaw asked. 
 
 "No, I think not; just a Jemote possibility perhaps, 
 but not more than that. It is so indefinitely small, in- 
 deed, that you may yes, I think you may safely calcu- 
 late upon my starting on the day I said, or if I find a 
 ship at Wellington going on a trading excursion among 
 the islands, or up to the strait, or to Japau, I may likely 
 enough take a passage in her." 
 
 "But I thought you said that your business required 
 you to be at home, Mr. Atherton?" 
 
 "Yes, I suppose that is so, "Wilfrid ; but I dare say my 
 solicitor would manage it just as well if I did not turn 
 up. Solicitors are people who, as far as I can see, con- 
 sider it their duty to bother you, but if they find that 
 you pay no attention to their letters they manage some- 
 how or other to get on very well without you. I believe 
 they go into a court and make affidavits, and get an order 
 authorizing them to sign for you. I do not know how it 
 generally is done, but that is my experience of them so 
 far." 
 
 Marion had said little that evening, and had indeed 
 been very quiet for the last few days. She was some- 
 what indignant at Wilfrid's interference in what she con- 
 sidered her affairs, and felt that although her father and 
 mother had said nothing, they too were somewhat disap- 
 pointed, and would have been glad had she accepted Bob 
 Allen. Beside she had reasons of her own for being out
 
 312 MAORI AND SETTLER 
 
 of spirits. After breakfast the next morning Mr. Ather* 
 ton said: "Marion, when you have finished your domes- 
 tic duties and can be spared, suppose you put on your 
 hat and come for a ramble \vith me." 
 
 There was nothing unusual in the request, for the girl 
 often accompanied him in his rambles when he was not 
 going far into the forest. 
 
 "I shall be ready in half an hour, if your highness can 
 wait so long." 
 
 "I am in no hurry, child, and will smoke a pipe on 
 the veranda until you are ready. ' ' 
 
 Marion always enjoyed these walks with Mr. Atherton. 
 He was at all times a pleasant companion, and when 
 alone with her always exerted himself to amuse her, 
 though he sometimes vexed her by talking to her as if 
 she were a child. To-day he was muoh more silent than 
 usual, and more than once she looked up in wonder at 
 his face as he walked along puffing at his pipe, with his 
 hands deep in his jacket pockets and his eyes bent on the 
 ground. 
 
 "A penny for your thoughts, Mr. Atherton," she said at 
 last with a laugh. "It seems to me that you would have 
 got on just as well without me." 
 
 "Well, I was just thinking that I was a fool to ask you 
 to come with me, child." Marion opened her eyes in 
 surprise. "You see, my dear," he went on, "we all 
 make fools of ourselves sometimes. I started in life by 
 making a fool of myself. I fell in love with a woman 
 whom I thought perfection. She was an arrant flirt, and 
 was only amusing herself with me till she hooked a 
 young lord for whom she was angling. That was what 
 sent me roaming for the first time; and, as you know, 
 having once started I have kept it up ever since, that is 
 till I came out here, I had intended to stay six months;
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 313 
 
 t have been here three years. Why have I stopped so 
 long ? Simply, child, because I have again made a fool 
 of myself. I do not think I was conscious of it for the 
 first two years, and it was only when I saw, as I thought, 
 that young Allen would win you, that I recognized that 
 a man of thirty-seven was fool enough to love a child 
 just eighteen years younger than myself. At the same 
 time I was not fool enough to think that I had the small- 
 est chance. I could not stop here and watch another 
 winning you, and at the same time I was so weak that I 
 could not go away altogether ; and so you see I compro- 
 mised matters by going away for weeks and sometimes 
 months at a time, returning with the expectation each 
 time of hearing that it was settled. Now I hear that you 
 have refused him, and just as a drowning man grasps at 
 a straw, I resolved to have my fate absolutely settled be- 
 fore I sail. Don't be afraid of saying 'no,' dear. I have 
 never for a moment looked for any other answer, but I 
 think that I would rather have the 'no' than go away 
 without it, for in after years I might be fool enough to 
 come to think that possibly, just possibly, the answer, 
 had Tasked the question, might have been 'yes.' " 
 
 He had stopped in his walk when he began to speak, 
 and stood facing Marion, who had not raised her eyas 
 while he was speaking. Then she looked frankly up in 
 his face. 
 
 "Do you think I did not know," she said softly, "and 
 didn 't you really know too ? You are not so wise a man 
 as I thought you. Why, ever since I have known you it 
 seems to me that that " 
 
 "That you have loved me, Marion; is it possible?" he 
 said, taking her hand. 
 
 "Of course it is possible," she said almost pettishly; 
 "how could I help it, I should like to know?"
 
 314 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Dinner had been waiting for some time before Mr. 
 Atherton and his companion returned from their ramble. 
 
 "Twenty minutes late !" Wilfrid shouted as they ap- 
 proached the house; "have you been losing yourselves in 
 the bush?" 
 
 "I think that it has been just the other way, Wilfrid," 
 Mr. Atherton said as he came up to the group gathered 
 in the veranda. 
 
 "How do you mean?" Wilfrid asked. 
 
 "I mean we have been finding each other." 
 
 "Finding each other," Wilfrid repeated vaguely. 
 "Why, were you both lost?" 
 
 "I was, Wilfrid. Mrs. Benshaw, I have found your 
 daughter, and am going, with your permission and that 
 of her father, to keep her. I am a good bit older than 
 she is, but as she says she does not mind that, I hope 
 that you will not, and at least I can promise to do all in 
 my power to make her happy." 
 
 "I am surprised, Mr. Atherton; surprised and glad 
 too," Mrs. Benshaw said, while Mr. Benshaw grasped 
 Mr. Atherton's hand and shook it heartily. 
 
 "My dear sir, there is no one in the world to whom I 
 could intrust Marion's happiness so gladly and heartily. 
 I own that it is a surprise to me, as well as to her 
 mother, but we are both delighted at the choice she has 
 made." 
 
 By this time Marion and her mother had gone indoors 
 together. W T ilfrid had not yet spoken; his surprise was 
 still too great for words. 
 
 "Well, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton said, turning to him, 
 "I hope your disapproval of Marion's conduct on this 
 occasion is not so great as it was when you were talking 
 to me yesterday." 
 
 "I hardly know what to say yet, you have taken me so
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 315 
 
 by surprise; but I am awfuly glad you know that don't 
 you? There is no one in the world I should like Marion 
 to marry so much, only somehow it never occurred to 
 me." 
 
 "That is natural enough, Wilfrid. However, now that 
 it has occurred to you, and you approve of it, we must 
 hope that Marion will be restored to your good graces 
 again." 
 
 "I have been making an ass of myself," Wilfrid said 
 penitently; "but you believe that I am awfully glad, 
 don't you? I was disappointed about Bob, but then, 
 you see, I never thought about you. Why, you must 
 know, Mr. Atherton, what I think of you and how I care 
 for you, and how I look up to you. Somehow it never 
 seemed possible to me that a man like you could fall in 
 love." 
 
 "And much more improbable still, Wilfrid, that your 
 sister would fall in love with me. I understand you, 
 lad. We have been very close friends for the last three 
 years, haven't we? I have been something like a very 
 big and very old brother to you, and now we are going 
 to be "brothers in earnest;" and their hands closed in a 
 grip that spoke volumes for the sincerity and depth of 
 their feelings. Then Wilfrid ran into the house and 
 threw his arms round his sister. "I have been an awful 
 fool, Marion," he said; "but you see, I never dreamed 
 of this." 
 
 "And are you really pleased, Wilfrid?" 
 
 "Pleased! I am delighted. Why, you know, I think 
 he is the finest fellow in the world; and has he not done 
 everything for us, and stood by me and nursed me, and 
 carried me for miles, and saved mother's life and mine? 
 But it never entered my mind that you had fallen in love 
 with each other, ' ' -
 
 316 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "I do not know why it shouldn't, Wilfrid. Why 
 shouldn't I think as much of him as you do?" 
 
 "I do not know, I am sure, Marion; but I confess I 
 never did think of it. Did you, mother?" 
 
 "Once or twice, "Wilfrid. About a year ago it did 
 cross my mind once or twice, but that was all. They say 
 mothers are keen-sighted as far as their daughters are 
 concerned; but either I am less keen-sighted than mothers 
 in general, or Marion is deeper than other girls." 
 
 "Well, mother, we shall have lots of time to talk this 
 over, " Wilfrid said. "Dinner has been waiting nearly 
 an hour, and even this wonderful business cannot have 
 taken away all our appetites. Everything is ready; 
 shall'I call them in?" Wilfrid had, however, still a few 
 minutes to wait, for the two men were engaged in earnest 
 conversation outside. 
 
 When they came in at last Mr. Renshaw kissed his 
 daughter fondly. "God bless you, my child!" he said. 
 "You have made a wise choice indeed, and I am sure 
 that you will be very happy woman." 
 
 It was a quiet meal, for all were too happy to talk 
 much. After it was over the two men strolled out to- 
 gether and renewed their conversation, and Mr. Eenshaw 
 presently called to his wife to join them. Marion had 
 gone to her room, and Wilfrid was about to start to the 
 other end of the farm when Mr. Atherton called him. 
 
 "Come and join our consultation, Wilfrid. You are as 
 much concerned in it as any of us, and I rely upon your 
 assistance to bring round these two very obstinate people 
 to my side of the question. I should say our side, for of 
 course Marion is one with me in the matter. You see, I 
 am a rich man, Wilfrid really a rich man, and I natur- 
 ally wish that Marion should be made as happy as possi- 
 ble. I do not think she would be as happy as possible if
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 317 
 
 she were in England with me, with a nice place in the 
 country, and a town-house, and most things that money 
 could bring her, if she knew that her father and mother 
 were out here living a life which, although they have 
 admirably adapted themselves to it, is yet very different 
 to that to which they have been all their lives accustomed. 
 
 "Now, owing to this absurd freak of my aunt in mak- 
 ing me her heir when my income was already five times 
 as much as I could spend, I have the nuisance of a large 
 landed estate on my hands. There is a large house upon 
 it which I suppose Marion and I will have to occupy 
 occasionally; and there is another house, which is known 
 as the dower house, arid which is a very snug and com- 
 fortable abode. Now, it is quite clear that I am the last 
 sort of a man to look after an estate. It would worry me 
 most out of my mind, and would be a perpetual annoy- 
 ance. 
 
 "What I propose is that your father and mother shall 
 come home and take possession of the dower house, and 
 that your father should act as my agent. Living on the 
 spot, he would be able to keep an eye on the tenants, 
 receive rents, and that sort of thing, and still be able to 
 devote a considerable portion of his time to his favorite 
 pursuits. I should have the advantage of having an 
 agent I could absolutely rely upon, and Marion and I 
 would have the comfort of having her father and mother 
 close at hand. It would be a little lonely for you for a 
 bit, Wilfrid; but you are nearly nineteen now, and will, 
 unless I am mistaken, ere many years have passed, be 
 bringing a mistress to The Glade. I fancy you go over 
 to Mitford's a good deal oftener than there is any abso- 
 lute occasion for, and although Kate is only sixteen yet, 
 I have a shrewd suspicion that you have both pretty well 
 made up your minds about the future."
 
 318 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 "Wilfrid colored and laughed. "I don't know that we 
 are as far advanced as that; but I do hope that some day 
 it may be as you say. But about this other affair. 
 "What do my father and mother say? It seems to me it 
 would be a splendid arrangement." 
 
 "Of course it would, "Wilfrid; a splendid arrangement, 
 for Marion and me especially. That is what I am trying 
 to persuade them ; but your mother has developed quite 
 a new line of obstinacy, and your father is just as bad." 
 
 "Don't you see, "Wilfrid," Mrs. Renshaw said with 
 tears in her eyes, "it is only an excuse or Mr. Ather- 
 ton's " 
 
 "Harry, my dear madam, Harry," Mr. Atherton inter- 
 rupted. "We have arranged it is to be Harry in future. " 
 
 "On Harry's part, " Mrs. Eenshaw went on, "to pro- 
 vide an income for us." 
 
 "But I have got to provide an income for some one," 
 Mr. Atherton said. "There must be an agent to look 
 after the property for me ; necessarily that agent must 
 have a salary ; and why in the name of good sense should 
 not your husband be that agent as well as any one else?" 
 
 "But you are offering a great deal too high a salary," 
 Mr. Renshaw urged. "You could get an excellent agent 
 for less than half the sum you are talking about." 
 
 "Not at all," Mr. Atherton replied; "I must have a 
 gentleman, both for my own sake and that of the ten- 
 ants, and to get a gentleman of high character and per- 
 fectly trustworthy, I must necessarily pay him a good 
 salary- I shall be a good deal in town, and my repre- 
 sentative must therefore be able to occupy a good posi- 
 tion in the county; besides, as I have told you, my in- 
 come now, with this absurd addition, amounts to some- 
 thing like six thousand a year. Why, in the name of 
 goodness, should I not be allowed, if I choose, to pay
 
 MAORI ANb SETTLER. 319 
 
 two or three hundred a year over market price to my 
 agent -when it will afford my wife the gratification of 
 having her parents near her, and me the pleasure of hav- 
 ing two dear friends as my next neighbors. Beside, 
 The Glade will not be a bit too large for you when you 
 marry, "Wilfrid, and in that case either you will have to 
 start in a fresh place and begin all your work over again, 
 or your father would have to turn out to make room for 
 you. I consider it preposterous. What do you say, 
 "Wilfrid?" 
 
 "I do think it would be a splendid arrangement, 
 mother," Wilfrid answered. "You know well enough 
 that I shall be very sorry to lose you and father ; but it 
 would be awfully nice for Marion, and I do think that 
 though, as Mr. Athertou says, you and father have fallen 
 in splendidly with your life here, the other would be in 
 every way better suited to you. I can understand your 
 feelings in the matter; but the same time I think that 
 after Mr. Atherton having saved your life and mine, his 
 feelings and wishes should influence you very much." 
 
 "If you hesitate any longer," Mr. Atherton said, "I 
 shall go in and fetch Marion out. I have not told her 
 about my plan yet, for in fact we had other things to 
 talk about ; but when I tell her, and she adds hei voice 
 to ours, I am sure you will not be able to refuse any 
 longer. ' ' 
 
 "Mrs. Renshaw exchanged a look with her husband. 
 "It is not necessary," she said in a broken voice. "We 
 accept, Harry." 
 
 "That is right," Mr. Atherton said as he wrung Mr. 
 Renshaw 's hand warmly, and then affectionately kissed 
 Mrs. Renshaw. "Now we are going to be a very happy 
 and united family. Now, go in and tell Marion." 
 
 "Tell her yourself," Mrs. Renshaw smiled, wiping her 
 eyes ; and Mr. Atherton took his way to the house.
 
 320 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 Marion was indeed delighted with the news. The' 
 thought of leaving ber mother and father behind had 
 been the one drawback to her happiness. She had been 
 her mother's right -hand and her father's companion. 
 She had thought how terribly they would miss her, and 
 how, as years went on, they would, far more than now, 
 feel the difference between their present life and that 
 they had formerly led. The news that they would be 
 always near her and settled in a comfortable home filled 
 her with delight. A few minutes after Mr. Atherton 
 entered the house she ran out to her father and mother 
 and threw her arms fondly around them. "Is it not 
 happiness, mother," she cried, "to think that we shall 
 still be together?" 
 
 "If you are not a happy woman, child, it will be your 
 own fault," her father said. "I consider you a marvel- 
 ously lucky girl." 
 
 "As if I 'did not know that!" she replied, laughing 
 through her tears. 
 
 Mr. Atherton did not sail quite as soon as he had in- 
 tended. A church had recently been erected at the cen- 
 tral settlement, and a clergyman established there, and 
 a month after matters were settled between him and 
 Marion their wedding was celebrated, almost every set- 
 tler on the Mohaka being present. The newly-married 
 couple returned to The Glade for a week, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Benshaw and Wilfrid remaining as the guests of Mr. 
 Mitford. At the end of that time they returned, and 
 with Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw sailed for Napier, where 
 they took ship for England. 
 
 "What would you have done if I had sailed away for 
 England without ever mustering up courage to speak to 
 you, Marion?" Mr. Atherton said as he stood by the bul- 
 wark with her that evening taking their last look at New 
 Zealand.
 
 MAORI AND SETTLER. 321 
 
 "I should not have let you go, sir," his wife said 
 eaucily ; "didn't I know that you cared for me, and had 
 I not refused all sorts of offers for your sake? I don't 
 know what I should have done, or what I should have said, 
 but I am quite sure I should not have let you go unless 
 I found that I had been making a mistake all along. It 
 would have been ridiculous indeed to have sacrificed the 
 happiness of two lives merely because you had some 
 absurd ideas about your age." 
 
 "I never thought you cared for me, Marion, never." 
 
 "That is because you never took the trouble to find 
 out," his wife retorted. "Men are foolish creatures 
 sometimes, even the wisest of them." 
 
 Marion Atherton's life was one of almost perfect hap- 
 piness. Mr. Atherton entirely gave up his wanderings 
 abroad, and by dint of devotion to racquets and tennis in 
 summer, and of hunting and shooting in winter, he kept 
 down his tendency toward corpulence. He was an ener- 
 getic magistrate, and one of the most popular men in the 
 country- Mr. Eenshaw resumed his former studies in 
 archaeology, but they were now the amusement instead 
 of being the object of his life, and he made an excellent 
 agent to his son-in-law. Standing in the relation he did 
 to Mr. and ^Mrs. Atherton, he and Mrs. Renshaw shared 
 in their popularity, and occupied a good position in the 
 county. 
 
 Three years after their return to England they re- 
 ceived the news that Kate Mitford had changed her 
 name, and was installed as mistress at The Glade. Every 
 five years Wilfrid and his wife, and as time went on his 
 family, paid a visit to England. He became one of the 
 leading men of the colony. A few years after his mar- 
 riage Mr. and Mrs. Mitford had returned to England for 
 good, and James Allen and "Wilfrid succeeded to his
 
 322 MAORI AND SETTLER. 
 
 business as a trader, and carried it on with energy and 
 success, Mr. Atherton advancing Wilfrid sufficient capi- 
 tal to enable them to extend their business largely. In 
 time The Glade became Wilfrid's summer residence only, 
 the headquarters of the firm being established at Napier. 
 It is now conducted by his sons, he himself having re- 
 turned home with his wife and daughters with a fortune 
 amply sufficient to enable them to live at ease. Marion 
 was pleased when, two years after her arrival in England, 
 she heard from Wilfrid that Bob Allen had married the 
 daughter of an officer settled on the Mohaka. The Grim- 
 stones both did well, and became prosperous farmers. 
 Jack remained in Wilfrid's service until he left the 
 colony, and is now a trusted agent of his sons in their 
 dealings with the natives. 
 
 TBB
 
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 Two books that everybody 
 should read. One is a splendid 
 story of adventure at sea, when 
 American ships were in every 
 port in the world, and the 
 other tell a of adventures while 
 the first railway in the Andes 
 Mountains was being built. 
 
 Boys in the Forecastle. 
 Old Man of the Mountain. 
 
 WILLIAM DALTON. 
 
 Three stories by one of the 
 very greatest writers for boys. 
 The stories deal with boys' ad- 
 ventures in India, China and 
 Abyssinia. These books are 
 strongly recommended for boys' 
 reading, as they contain a large 
 amount of historical informa- 
 tion. 
 
 Tiger Prince. 
 War Tiger. 
 White Elephant. 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS. 
 
 These books are considered 
 the best works this well-known 
 writer ever produced. The sale 
 is very large and they are al- 
 ways in demand. 
 
 Arthur Helmuth. 
 Check Number 2134. 
 From Tent to White House. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 i V OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 liound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 Golden Rock. 
 
 Land of Mystery. 
 
 On the Trail of Geronimo. 
 
 Perils of the Jungle. 
 
 White Mustang. 
 
 GEORGE MANVILLE FENN 
 
 The boys' books by this well- 
 known English author are al- 
 most as popular as Henty's. 
 For the past fifty years Mr. 
 Fenn has been writing books 
 for boys and popular fiction. 
 His books are in demand 
 throughout the English-speak- 
 ing world. We publish the 
 following select list of his boys' 
 books, as we consider them the 
 best he ever wrote. 
 
 Commodore Junk. 
 Dingo Boys. 
 Golden Magnet. 
 
 Grand Chaco. 
 
 In the Wilds of New Mexico. 
 
 Weathercock. 
 
 ENSIGN CLARK FITCH, 
 
 U. S. N. 
 
 A graduate of the U. S. 
 Naval Academy at Annapolis, 
 and thoroughly familiar with 
 all naval matters, Mr. Fitch has 
 devoted himself to literature 
 and has written a series of 
 books for boys that every 
 young American should read. 
 His stories are full of very in- 
 teresting information about the 
 Navy, training ships, etc. 
 
 Bound for Annapolis. 
 Cliff, the Naval Cadet. 
 Cruise of the Training Ship. 
 From Port to Port. 
 Strange Cruise, A. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 BOYS' OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 Bound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 WILLIAM MURRAY GRAY- 
 DON. 
 
 An author of world-wide 
 popularity, Mr. Graydon is 
 essentially a friend of young 
 people, and we offer herewith 
 eleven of his best works, 
 wherein he relates a great 
 diversity of interesting adven- 
 tures in various parts of the 
 world, combined with accurate 
 historical data. 
 
 Butcher of Cawnpore, The. 
 Camp in the Snow, The. 
 Campaigning with Braddock. 
 Cryptogram, The. 
 From Lake to Wilderness. 
 In Barracks and Wigwam. 
 In Fort and Prison. 
 Jungles and Traitors. 
 
 Rajah's Fortress, The. 
 White King of Africa, The. 
 With Boer and Britisher. 
 
 LIEUT. FREDERICK GAR- 
 RISON, U.S.A. 
 
 Every American boy takes a 
 keen interest in the affairs of 
 West Point. No more capable 
 writer on this popular subject 
 could be found than Lieut. 
 Garrison, who vividly describes 
 the life, adventures and unique 
 incidents that have occurred 
 in that great institution in 
 these famous West Point 
 stories. 
 
 Cadet's Honor, A. 
 
 Off for West Point. 
 
 On Guard. 
 
 West Point Treasure, The. 
 
 West Point Rivals, The. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 BOYS* OWN LIBRARY-Continued. 
 
 Bound In Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 HEADON HILL. 
 
 The hunt for gold has always 
 been a popular subject for con- 
 sideration, and Mr. Hill has 
 added a splendid story on the 
 subject in this romance of the 
 Klondyke. 
 
 Spectre Gold. 
 
 W. H. G. KINGSTON. 
 
 An extremely popular writer 
 of sea stories for boys, with 
 an occasional ' ' land " story of 
 equal interest. These four 
 books are probably his most 
 entertaining and instructive 
 works. 
 
 Hendricks, the Hunter. 
 
 Mark Seaworth's Voyage on 
 the Indian Ocean. 
 
 Peter Trawl, 
 
 The Midshipman^ Marmaduke 
 Merry. 
 
 HENRY HARRISON LEWIS 
 
 Mr. Lewis is a graduate of 
 the Naval Academy at Annap- 
 olis, and has written a great 
 many books for boys. Among 
 his best works are the follow- 
 ing titles. The subjects in- 
 clude a vast series of adven- 
 tures in all parts of the world. 
 The historical data is correct, 
 and these books should be read 
 by all boys, for the excellent 
 information they contain. 
 
 Centerboard Jim. 
 Ensign Merrill. 
 King of the Island. 
 Midshipman Merrill. 
 Sword and Pen. 
 Valley of Mystery, The. 
 Yankee Boys in Japan. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 BOYS' OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 Hound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 LIEUT. LIONEL LOUNS- 
 BERRY. 
 
 A series of books embracing 
 many adventures under our 
 famous naval commanders, and 
 with our army during the War 
 of 1812 and the Civil War. 
 Founded on sound history, 
 these books are written for 
 boys, with the idea of com- 
 bining pleasure with profit ; to 
 cultivate a fondness for study 
 especially of what has been 
 accomplished by our army 
 and navy. 
 
 Cadet Kit Carey. 
 
 Capt. Carey. 
 
 Kit Carey's Protege. 
 
 Lieut. Carey's Luck. 
 
 Out with Commodore Decatur. 
 
 Randy, the Pilot. 
 
 Tom Truxton's Ocean Trip, 
 
 Tom Truxton's School Days. 
 
 Treasure of the Golden Crater. 
 Won at West Point. 
 
 BROOKS McCORMICK. 
 
 Four splendid books of ad- 
 venture on sea and land, by this 
 well-known English writer for 
 boys. Originally published 
 about fifteen years ago, these 
 books are in steady demand to- 
 day. 
 
 Giant Islanders, The. 
 How He Won. 
 Nature's Young Noblemen. 
 Rival Battalions. 
 
 WALTER MORRIS. 
 
 This charming story contains 
 thirty-two chapters of just the 
 sort of school-life that charms 
 the boy readers. 
 
 Bob Porter at Lakeview Acad- 
 emy. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 BOYS' OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 Bound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 STANLEY NORRIS. 
 
 Mr. Norris is without a 
 rival as a writer of "Circus 
 Stories " for boys. These four 
 books are full of thrilling ad- 
 ventures, but such as any boy 
 may read of to advantage. 
 
 Phil, the Showman. 
 
 Young Showman's Rivals, The . 
 
 Young Showman's Pluck, The. 
 
 Young Showman's Triumph, 
 The. 
 
 OLIVER OPTIC. 
 
 William Taylor Adams 
 (Oliver Optic) has devoted a 
 lifetime to writing literature 
 for young people and requires 
 no introduction to the reading 
 public. Of the hundred or 
 more stories from his pen, we 
 offer six of the best. 
 
 All Aboard (Sequel to 
 Club.") 
 
 ; Boat 
 
 Boat Club, The. 
 Little by Little. 
 Now or Never. 
 Poor and Proud. 
 Try Again. 
 
 LIEUT. JAMES K. ORION. 
 
 When a boy has read one of 
 Lieut. Orton's thrilling books, 
 it requires no urging to induce 
 him to read the others. They 
 are all very interesting stories. 
 Not a dull page in any of them. 
 
 Beach Boy Joe. 
 Last Chance Mine. 
 Secret Chart, The. 
 
 Tom Havens with the White 
 Squadron. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 BOYS' OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 Bound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 JAMES OTIS. 
 
 Mr. James Otis Kaler is one 
 of the best known American 
 writers of stories for boys. 
 His works are in great de- 
 mand and are issued by a num- 
 ber of publishers. "W e control 
 the following titles. They are 
 the best stories he has written 
 for boys. 
 
 Chased Through Norway. 
 Inland Waterways. 
 
 Reuben Green's Adventures 
 at Yale. 
 
 Unprovoked Mutiny, An. 
 "Wheeling for Fortune. 
 
 GILBERT PATTEN. 
 
 The works of Mr. Patten are 
 usuall y published at $ 1 . 50. He 
 has had the distinction of hav- 
 ing his books adopted by the 
 U. S. Government for all naval 
 libraries on board our war 
 
 ships. We publish what are 
 justly considered his best books 
 for boys. 
 
 Boy Boomers. 
 Boy Cattle King. 
 Boy from the West. 
 Don Kirk's Mine. 
 Jud and Joe. 
 
 ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE. 
 
 Mr. Rathborne's stories for 
 boys have the peculiar charm 
 of dealing with localities and 
 conditions with which he is 
 thoroughly familiar. The 
 scenes of these excellent stories 
 are along the Florida coast and 
 on the western prairies. 
 
 Canoe and Camp Fire. 
 Chums of the Prairie. 
 Gulf Cruisers, The. 
 
 For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price 
 by the publishers, The Federal Book Company, New York,
 
 BOYS' OWN LIBRARY Continued. 
 
 Bound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. 
 
 Paddling Under Palmettos. 
 Rival Canoe Boys. 
 Shifting Winds. 
 Sunset Ranch. 
 Young Range Riders. 
 
 CAPT. MAYNE REID. 
 
 A good list of boys' books 
 would hardly seem complete 
 vdthont some works of Capt. 
 J.Iayne Reid. We offer here- 
 with one each of his best land 
 and sea stories. 
 
 Lone Ranch, The. 
 Ran Away to Sea, 
 
 ARTHUR SEWELL, 
 
 An American story by an 
 American author. It relates 
 how a Yankee boy overcame 
 many obstacles in school and 
 out. There is nothing of 
 
 school routine work in this 
 book. It is an entertaining 
 story throughout. 
 
 Gay Dashleigh's Academy Days 
 
 CAPT. DAVID SOUTHWICK 
 
 An exceptionally good story 
 of frontier life among the In- 
 dians in the Far West, during 
 the early settlement period. 
 
 Jack Wheeler. 
 
 GORDON STABLES. 
 
 Mr. Stables has written a 
 number of excellent sea stories 
 for boys, which are replete 
 with interesting incidents and 
 useful information, especially 
 the two offered here. 
 
 Life at Sea. 
 
 Young Explorer, The. 
 
 For sale by aU booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on rpceipt of price 
 i-Sj The Federal Book Company, New York.
 
 UNIV. OF CALIF. LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES
 
 A 000 1 24 860