CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
SOMETHING TO DO.
"'Tarn't so bad, Mas' Don," said Jem, about a month later. "Never feltso clean before in my life. Them hot baths is lovely, and if we couldget some tea and coffee, and a bit o' new bread and fresh butter now andthen, and I could get my Sally out here, I don't know as I should muchmind stopping."
"And what about the pot, Jem?"
"Tchah! That was all gammon. I don't b'lieve they ever did anything o'the sort. When's Tomati coming back? Tomati, Jemmaree, Donni-Donni.Pretty sort of a language. Why, any one could talk New Zealandee."
"I wish I could, Jem."
"Well, so you could if you tried. All you've got to do is toriddle-me-ree the words a bit. I'm getting on first rate; and what Ilike in these people is that they never laughs at you when you makes amistake."
They had been furnished with a snug hut, close to one of theroughly-made hot water baths, and were fairly well supplied with food,which they augmented by going out in Ngati's canoe, and catchingabundance of fish, to the Maori's great delight; for he gazed withadmiration at the skilful methods adopted by Jem, who was no meanangler.
"And the best of the fun is, Mas' Don, that the fishes out here are sostupid. They take any bait a'most, and taken altogether they're notsuch bad eating. Wonder what shark would be like?"
Don shuddered, and they both decided that they would not care to try.
Ngati of the fiercely savage face and huge size proved to be one of themost amiable of men, and was after them every morning, to go out in theforest collecting fruit, or to dam up some stream to catch thefresh-water fish, or to snare birds.
"He do cap me," Jem would say. "Just look at him, Mas' Don. That therechap's six foot four at least, half as broad again across the chest as Iam, and he's got arms like a helephant, while to look at him with hisblue face you'd say he was 'bout the fiercest-looking fighting man youever see; and yet, when you come to know him inside, he's just like abig boy, and so good-tempered I could do anything with him."
"And only the other day you looked upon him as quite an enemy."
"Ay, I did, Mas' Don, but I don't now. Them there artful birds is mymortal enemies. They parrots and cockatoos is cunning and wickedenough, but them little birds is imps, that's what they are."
Jem shook his head and frowned, and no more was said then, for they werepacking up a basket, and going up into the mountains to get fruit,taking provisions enough to last them for the day.
Their hut was right in the middle of the little village, and the Maoristreated them in the most friendly manner, smiling at them in an indolentfashion as they lolled about the place, doing very little except alittle gardening; for their wants were few, and nature was kind in theabundance she gave for a little toil. This life soon had its effectsupon Jem, who began to display a disposition to idle too.
"Seems so nat'ral, Mas' Don," he would say. "I don't see why a manshould be always letting sugar-hogsheads down out of waggons, androlling 'em about and getting them into warehouses. Why can't we takeit coolly, same as they do?"
"Because we don't want to stand still, Jem," said Don quietly. "You andI are not savages."
"Well, no, Mas' Don, that's true; but it's very pleasant to take it ascoolly as they do. Why, these chaps, the whole lot of 'em, live just asif it was always holidays, and a hot water bath thrown in."
"Uncle Josiah used to say that people soon got tired of havingholidays."
"Your Uncle Josiah soon got tired o' giving holidays, Mas' Don. Inever, as you know, wanted many, but he always looked rat-traps at me ifI asked for a day. Here you can have as many as you like."
"Well, let's take one to-day, Jem," said Don. "Fill another basket withsomething to eat, take a couple of bags, and we'll go right away intothe forest, and bring back as much fruit as we can."
"I'll be all ready in no time," said Jem, cheerily; and at the end ofthree minutes he was equipped, and they started off together, to findNgati half lying on the sands in company with about a dozen more of histribe, all of whom gave the pair a friendly smile and a wondering lookat the trouble they seemed to take to obtain fruit, when some of thewomen or girls could have done the task just as well.
"They are about the idlest set of chaps I ever did see, Mas' Don," saidJem, as they trudged cautiously along through the ferny woodlands, wheretraces of volcanic action were wonderfully plentiful.
"But they work when there's any need for it, I daresay," said Don. "Seehow vigorously they can row, and how energetic they are when they gothrough the war-dance."
"Oh! Any stoopid could jump about and make faces," replied Jem. "Iwonder whether they really could fight if there was a row?"
"They look as if they could, Jem."
"Looks arn't much good in fighting, Mas' Don. Well, anyhow, they're bigand strong enough. Look! What a pity we haven't got a gun. Might haveshot a pig and had some pork."
He pointed to about half-a-dozen good-sized pigs, which had scurriedacross the path they followed, and then disappeared among the ferns.
"Rum thing, it always seems to me that there's nothing here except pigs.There must be, farther in the woods. Mind that hole, my lad."
Don carefully avoided stepping into a bubbling patch of hot mud right intheir path, and, wondering what would be the consequences of a step in,he went on, in and out, among dangerous water holes and mud springs.Cockatoos whistled overhead, and parrots shrieked, while every now andthen they came upon a curious-looking bird, whose covering resembledhair more than feathers, as it cocked its curved bill towards them, andthen hurriedly disappeared by diving in amongst the dense low growth.
"Look at that!" said Jem. "Ostrich?"
"Ostrich!" cried Don contemptuously. "Why, an ostrich is eight feethigh."
"Not when he's young," said Jem. "That's a little one. Shouldn'twonder if there's some more."
"You may be right, Jem, but I don't think there are ostriches here."
"Well, I like that," said Jem, "when we've just seen one. I knew itdirectly. There used to be a picture of one in my old reading-book whenI was at school."
They trudged on for some distance in silence.
"What yer thinking 'bout, Mas' Don?"
"Home," said Don, quietly.
"Oh! I say, don't think about home, Mas' Don, because if you do, Ishall too; it do make me so unked."
"I can't help it, Jem. It doesn't seem natural to settle down here, andgo on week after week. I get asking myself, what we are doing it for."
"To catch fish, and find fruit and keep ourselves alive. Say, Mas' Don,it's under them trees they digs up the big lumps of gum that they burn.Ah, there's a bit." Jem stooped and picked out from among the rottenpine needles a piece of pale yellowish-looking gum of the size of hisfist.
"That'll do for a light for us," Don said. "Take it back."
"Going to," said Jem laconically. "We may want it 'fore long."
"Here's another bit," said Don, finding a similar sized piece, andthrusting it into the basket. "Couldn't we make some matches, Jem?"
"Couldn't we make some matches? Why, of course we could. There'splenty of brimstone, I'm going to try and manage a tinder-box after atime."
They again walked on in silence, climbing higher and higher, till,coming to an opening, they both paused in silent admiration of the viewspread out before them, of river, lake, and mountain, whose topglistened like silver, where glacier and snow lay unmelted in spite ofthe summer heat.
"Wouldn't you like to go up there, Mas' Don?" said Jem, after a fewmoments' silence.
"Go? I'd give anything to climb up there, Jem. What a view it mustbe."
"Ah, it must, Mas' Don; but we won't try it to-day; and now, as we'vebeen on the tramp a good two hours, I vote we sit down and have a bit ofa peck."
Don agreed, and they sat down at the edge of the wood to partake of therather scanty fare which they spread on the ground between them.
"Yes, it would be fine," said Jem, w
ith his mouth and hands full. "Weought to go up that mountain some day. I've never been up a mountain.Hi! Wos!"
This was shouted at another of the peculiar-looking little birds whichran swiftly out of the undergrowth, gave each in turn a comical look,and then seized a good-sized piece of their provender and ran off.
"Well, I call that sarce," said Jem; "that's what I calls that. Ah, ifI'd had a stone I'd soon have made him drop that."
"Now," said Don laughing, "do you call that an ostrich?"
"To be sure I do!" cried Jem. "That proves it. I've read in a book asostriches do steal and swallow anything--nails, pocket-knives, and bitso' stone. Well! I never did!"
Jem snatched off his cap and sent it spinning after another rail whichhad run up and seized a fruit from their basket, and skimmed off withits legs forming a misty appearance like the spokes of a rapidly turningwheel.
"Sarce is nothing to it, Mas' Don. Why, that little beggar's ten timesworse than the old magpie we used to have in the yard. They're soquick, too. Now, just look at that."
Either the same or another of the little birds came out of theundergrowth, peering about in the most eccentric manner, and withoutdisplaying the least alarm.
"Just look at him, Jem."
"Look at him, Mas' Don? I am a-looking at him with all my eyes. He's abeauty, he is. Why, if I was a bird like that with such a shabby, dingylooking, sooty suit o' clothes, I know what I'd do."
"What would you do?"
"Why, I'd moult at once. Look at the rum little beggar. Arn't hecomic? Why, he arn't got no wings and no tail. Hi! Cocky, how did youget your beak bent that way? Look as if you'd had it caught in a gate.Have another?"
Jem took up a large raspberry-like fruit that he had picked some timebefore, and held it out to the bird, which stopped short, and held itshead down comically, looking first at Jem, and then at the berry. Witha rapid twist it turned its head on the other side, and performed thesame operation with the left eye.
"Well, he is a rum un!" cried Jem, laughing. "Look! Mas' Don, look!"
Don was watching the eccentric-looking little creature, which ranforward rapidly, and then paused.
"Why, 'tarn't a wild bird at all!" cried Jem. "It's one of the `mypakeha' chap's cocks an' hens. Well, I ham blessed!"
For rapid almost as thought, and before Jem could recover from hissurprise, the bird had darted forward, seized the fruit, and was off adozen yards before he had darted out his hand after it.
"Too late, Jem."
"Yes, Mas' Don, too late that time; but I mean to ketch that chap, justto show him he arn't so clever as he thinks. You sit still, and go oneating, and don't take no notice, and look out--look out."
"Oh!" ejaculated Don. For at that moment one of the birds had come upbehind him, and almost before he had heard Jem's warning cry, he wasmade aware of the bird's presence by a sharp dig of its beak in the handholding a portion of his dinner, which was carried rapidly away.
"Magpies is nothing to 'em," cried Jem. "But wait a bit, my finefellows, and you shall see what you shall see. Pass that there basket,Mas' Don. Ah! That's a good bait for my gentleman. Look at 'em. Ican see three peeping out of the bushes. They're a-watching to see whatI'm going to do."
"Three! I can see four, Jem."
"More for me to ketch, Mas' Don. Wonder whether they're good to eat? Isay, do you think they can understand English?"
Don laughed, and went on with his dinner, as Jem began to play fox, byputting a tempting-looking berry in his hand, stretching it out to thefull extent of his arm, and then lying back among the ferns.
"Now then, don't take no notice, Mas' Don. Let you an' me keep onfeeding, and that'll 'tract 'em out."
Don was already quietly "feeding," and he rested his back against apiece of stone, watching intently all the while.
Two of the birds began to approach directly, while the others looked onas if deeply interested.
The approach of the advance force was particularly curious, for theycame on picking here and picking there, as if they had not the slightestintention of going near the fruit in Jem's hand; but in spite of severalfeints of going right away, always getting nearer, while Jem munchedaway, using his left hand, and keeping his eyes half shut.
They had not long to wait, for one of the birds manoeuvred until it wasa few feet away, then made a rush, caught the berry from Jem's hand,which closed with a snap, the second bird made a dart and caught theberry from the first bird's beak, and Jem sat up holding a few feathers,staring after the birds, one of which cried out in a shrill piping tone.
"Yes, I'll give you pepper next time, my fine fellow!" cried Jem."Nearly had you. My word, Mas' Don, they are quick. Give's anotherberry."
Jem baited his natural trap again, and went on with his meal; but he hadscared away the birds for the time being, and they came no more.
"The worst of eating, Jem, is that it makes you lazy."
"And not want to move, Mas' Don. Yes, it do. But it's my 'pinion asthis was meant for a lazy country, else the water wouldn't be always onthe bile, ready for use."
"Think that's fire?" said Don, after a dreamy pause, during which he hadlain back gazing at the brilliant silver-tipped mountain, above whichfloated a cloud.
"No," said Jem. "I should say as there's a big hot water place upyonder, and that there's steam. Yes, one do feel lazy here; but itdon't matter, Mas' Don; there's no bosun, and no master and lufftenantand captain to order you about. I rather likes it, only I seem to wantmy Sally here. Wonder what she'd say to it?"
"We must get away from it, Jem."
"But we arn't got no boat, and it takes pretty nigh a hunderd men to rowone of them canoes."
"We must make a long journey through the country, Jem, right beyondthose mountains, and sooner or later we shall come to a place wherethere are Englishmen, who will help us to get a passage in a ship."
Jem shook his head.
"I don't believe there's any Englishmen here, Mas' Don."
"I do. I think I've read that there are; and if we do not find any, weshall have seen the place, and can come back here."
"He talks just like as if he was going for a ride to Exeter by theBristol waggon! Ah, well, just as you like, Mas' Don, only don't let'sgo this afternoon, it's all too nice and comfortable. I don't want tomove. Say, wonder whether there's any fish in that lake?"
"Sure to be, Jem, and hundreds of wonders to see if we journey on."
"Dessay, my lad, dessay; but it's werry wonderful here. Look along thathollow place where the big fir trees is growing."
"Lovely, Jem. What a beautiful home it would make."
"Say, Mas' Don, let's make our fortunes."
"How?"
"Let's set up in trade, and deal in wood. Lookye yonder, there's firtrees there, that if we cut 'em down and trimmed 'em, they'd be worth noend o' money in Bristol, for ships' masts."
"Yes, Jem," said Don drily; "and how are you going to get them there?"
"Ah!" said Jem, scratching his head. "Never thought of that."
There was half an hour's drowsy silence. The sun shone down withglorious power, and the lizards rustled among the large stones. Fromthe forest behind there came the buzz of insects, and the occasional cryof some parrot. Save for these sounds all was wonderfully still.
And they sat there gazing before them at the hundreds of acres ofuncultivated land, rich in its wild beauty, unwilling to move, till Donsaid suddenly,--
"Yes, Jem; this is a lazy land. Let's be up and doing."
"Yes, Mas' Don. What?"
"I don't know, Jem; something useful."
"But there arn't nothing useful to do. I couldn't make a boat, but Ithink I could make a hogshead after a fashion; but if I did, there arn'tno sugar to put in it, and--"
"Look, Jem!"
"What at, Mas' Don? Eh?" he continued as he followed his companion'spointing hand. "Why, I thought you said there was no beasts here."
"And there are n
one."
"Well, if that arn't a drove o' cattle coming down that mountain side,I'm a Dutchman."
"It does look like it, Jem," said Don. "It seems strange."
"Look like it, Mas' Don? Why, it is. Brown cattle, and you can see ifyou look at the sun shining on their horns."
"Horns! Jem!" cried Don, excitedly; "they're spears!"
"What?"
"And those are savages."
"So they are!" cried Jem. "Why, Mas' Don, that there don't mean afight, do it?"
"I don't know, Jem. But they can't see us, can they?"
"No. These here bushes shades us. Let's creep back through the wood,and go and tell 'em down below. They don't know, p'r'aps, and we mayget there first."
"We must," said Don quickly. "Jem, I'm sure of it. You can see thespears quite plainly, and perhaps it's a war-party out from some othertribe. Quick, lad, quick! We can get there first."
"And if it's a false alarm, they'll laugh at us, Mas' Don."
"Let them. They won't laugh if there's danger in the way."
Don caught up the basket and backed into the shelter of the trees,keeping in a stooping position, while Jem followed, and now, with allthe sensation of indolence gone, they hurried along the rugged anddangerous path, to spread the alarm in the village far below, where theyhad left the inmates dreaming away their existence in happy ignorance ofthe danger so close at hand.