THE MASSACRE AT POVERTY BAY.
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 captain 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
settlers, 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 November Mr.
Atherton was about to go up to bed when he heard a growl from a dog
chained up outside. He listened, 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. Sampson, 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
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
towards the door, while two or three shots were fired at the window. Mr.
Atherton had, however, stepped back the instant he had discharged his
rifle, and now, leaning out, discharged the chambers of his revolver in
quick succession among the natives gathered 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 this time the
settler and Wilfrid had both joined Mr. Atherton, having leapt 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?" Wilfrid asked.
"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
the 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 wood shed. The three rifles cracked out, and as many
natives fell. The farmer began to reload his rifle, while Mr. Atherton
and Wilfrid handed theirs to Mrs. Renshaw, 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 wood shed. 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 exclaimed as he
caught sight of a figure running at full speed from the shed. In another
moment he was lost in the darkness.
"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 discussion, 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."
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. Atherton 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 to the scrub for 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 roused their
suspicions, 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 arms round our necks. 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 thoroughly 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
about 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; besides, though you have done
no absolute walking, the exertion of sitting up 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 following 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 distance from any other. I rode up there just as day was
breaking and went to the wool shed. 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 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 fugitives. 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 delay," 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. "They are following us!"
he exclaimed. "There are a party of fifteen or twenty coming along the
path at a run. They are not more than a mile behind at the outside."
"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 our 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 defence, 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
molestation."
"Could I be of any use in loading the rifles, Mr. Atherton?"
"I think not, Mrs. Renshaw; it may be a long skirmish, and we shall have
plenty of time to load; and your 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 success 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 be 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 your 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 possible 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. Almost at the same instant he
levelled 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 view 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 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 despatched 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 upwards of an hour the
exchange 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 critical 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, tomahawk 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 leapt to their feet, and
the former opened 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 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 rifles in their hands. Two crashing
blows were delivered with effect, but before the settler could again
raise his weapon three Maoris were upon him. One tomahawk struck him in
the shoulder and the rifle fell from his hands. Another raised his
tomahawk to brain him, but fell with a bullet from Wilfrid'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 defence 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 superhuman, 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. Recharge your revolver, 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 look-out."
Wilfrid reloaded his pistol, and Mr. Atherton then stooped over the
fallen man.
"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.
Renshaw gave a cry of joy at seeing Wilfrid walking towards 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. Renshaw 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 your 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.
Renshaw 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."
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 journeyings about the world." Kneeling down he
carefully examined the wound.
[Illustration: MR. ATHERTON KEEPS THE MOUTH OF THE DEFILE
_Page 294_]
"It is better than I hoped, Mrs. Sampson," he said cheerfully. "I expect
the thick hat turned the tomahawk 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 starred 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 of your petticoat. You had better tear off two
slips, for his arm will require bandaging too. I will look to that as
soon as you have done his head. No," he went on, when he saw that Mrs.
Sampson's trembling fingers were quite incapable of fixing the bandage
properly, "I do not think that will do. If you will allow me I will do
it for you."
He took Mrs. Sampson's place, and while Mrs. Renshaw supported the
settler's head he wound the bandage tightly and skilfully 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 serious. I wish we had some more
water, but as we haven't we must do without it, and I daresay we shall
come across a stream soon." When the operation of bandaging 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 remained 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
was 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, bewildered way.
"It is all right, Sampson," Mr. Atherton said cheerfully; "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
tomahawk, 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 shoulders; will you take him by the feet, Mrs. Renshaw; and do you,
Mrs. Sampson, support his head? That is the way. Now, I will just roll
up my coat and put it under his head, and then I think he will do; lay
our rifles beside 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. Renshaw. 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. Renshaw. 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 been impressing upon her that her
father was hurt, and that she must be very 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 excitement 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. Atherton 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 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; besides, 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 comfortable 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. Renshaw 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 hardship 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 awoke 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 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?"