CHAPTER FORTY SIX.
AN UNTIRING ENEMY.
Jem kept careful watch and ward as he stood leaning on his spear. Hewas very weary, and could not help feeling envious of those who weresleeping so well. But he heard no sound of pursuit, and after a timethe wondrous beauty of the glen in which they had halted, with itsrushing waters and green lacing ferns, had so composing an effect uponhis spirits, that he began to take an interest in the flowers that hunghere and there, while the song of a finch sounded pleasant and homelike.Then the delicious melody of the bell-bird fell upon his ear; and whilehe was listening to this, he became interested in a beautiful blackbird,which came and hopped about him.
Jem laughed, for his visitor had some white feathers just below thebeak, and they suggested an idea to him as the bird bobbed and bowed andchattered.
"Well," he said, "if I was naming birds, I should call you the parson,for you look like one, with that white thing about your neck."
The bird looked at him knowingly, and flitted away. Directly after, ashe turned his eyes in the direction where the uneaten fruit was lying,he saw that they had a visitor in the shape of one of the curious rails.The bird was already investigating the fruit, and after satisfyingitself that the berries were of the kind that it could find for itselfin the bush, it came running towards Jem, staring up at him, and as heextended the spear handle, instead of being frightened away, it peckedat the butt and then came nearer.
"Well, you are a rum little beggar," said Jem, stroking the bird's backwith the end of the spear. "I should just like to have you at home torun in and out among the sugar-barrels. I'd--Hah!"
He turned round sharply, and levelled his spear at a great Maori, whoseshadow had been cast across him, and who seemed to have sprung out ofthe bush.
"Why, I thought it was one o' they cannibals," said Jem, lowering thespear. "Good job it wasn't dark, old chap, or I should have given you adig. What d'yer want?"
"Sleep," said Ngati laconically, and, taking Jem's spear, he pointed towhere Don was lying.
"Me? What, already? Lie down?"
"Sleep," said Ngati again; and he patted Jem on the shoulder.
"All right, I'll go. Didn't think I'd been watching so long." Henodded and walked away. "Wish he wouldn't pat me on the back that way.It makes me feel suspicious. It's just as if he wanted to feel if I wasgetting fat enough."
Don was sleeping peacefully as Jem lay down and uttered a faint groan,for his left shoulder was very painful and stiff.
"Wonder how long wounds take to heal," he said softly. "Cuts arn't muchmore than a week. Heigh-ho-hum! I'm very tired, but I sha'n't be ableto go to--"
He was asleep almost as soon as he lay down, and directly after, as itseemed to him, he started into wakefulness, to find Ngati standing a fewyards away, shading his eyes and gazing down the gully, and Don pokinghim with his spear.
"All right, Sally, I'll get up. I--Oh, it's you, Mas' Don."
"Quick, Jem! The Maoris are coming."
Jem sprang to his feet and seized the spear offered to him, as Ngaticame forward, brushed the ferns about so as to destroy the traces oftheir bivouac, and then, holding up his hand for silence, he stoodlistening.
A faint shout was heard, followed by another, nearer; and signing themto follow, the Maori went along up the gully, with the stream on theirright.
It was arduous work, for the ground was rapidly rising; but they wereforced to hurry along, for every time they halted, they could hear theshouts of their pursuers, who seemed to be coming on with a pertinacitythat there was no shaking off.
It was hot in the extreme, but a crisp, cool air was blowing to refreshthem, and, of its kind, there was plenty of food, Ngati cautiouslypicking and breaking in places where the disarrangement was not likelyto be seen. Every now and then, too, they saw him make quite an eagerdash on one side and return with eggs, which he carefully placed in thewoven bag he had made.
This went on till he had nearly a couple of dozen, at which, as hetrudged along, Jem kept casting longing eyes.
In spite of the danger and weariness, Don could not help admiring thebeauty of the scene, as, from time to time, the gully opened outsufficiently for him to see that they were steadily rising toward a finecone, which stood up high above a cluster of mountains, the silverycloud that floated from its summit telling plainly of its volcanicnature.
"_Tapu_! _tapu_!" Ngati said, every time he saw Don gazing at themountain; but it was not till long after that he comprehended themeaning of the chiefs words, that the place was "tapu," or sacred, andthat it would act as a refuge for them, could they reach it, as theordinary Maoris would not dare to follow them there.
Higher up the valley, where the waters were dashing furiously down inmany a cascade, Don began to realise that they were following the bed ofa river, whose source was somewhere high up the mountain he kept onseeing from time to time, while, after several hours' climbing, oftenover the most arduous, rocky ground, he saw that they were once moreentering upon a volcanic district. Pillars of steam rose here andthere, and all at once he started aside as a gurgling noise arose frombeyond a patch of vivid green which covered the edges of a mud-pool, sohot that it was painful to the hand.
From time to time Ngati had stopped to listen, the shouts growingfainter each time, while, as they progressed, a heavy thunderous roargrew louder, died away, and grew louder again.
Don looked inquiringly at Jem.
"It's the big chimney of that mountain drawing, Mas' Don."
"Nonsense!"
"Nay, that's what it is; and what I say is this. It's all wery wellgetting away from them cannibals, but don't let's let old Ngati--"
The chief looked sharply round.
"Yes, I'm a-talking about you, old chap. I say, you're not to take usright up that mountain, and into a place where we shall tumble in."
"_Tapu_! _tapu_!" said Ngati, nodding his head, and pointing toward thesteaming cloud above the mountain.
"Oh, you aggrawating savage!" cried Jem.
Ngati took it as a compliment, and smiled. Then, pointing to a clusterof rocks where a jet of steam was being forced out violently, he led theway there, when they had to pass over a tiny stream of hot water, and afew yards farther on, they came to its source, a beautiful bright fountof the loveliest sapphire blue, with an edge that looked like a marblebath of a roseate tint, fringed every here and there with crystals ofsulphur.
"Let's have a bathe!" cried Jem eagerly. "Is there time?"
He stepped forward, and was about to plunge in his hand, when Ngatiseized his shoulders and dragged him back.
"What yer doing that for?" cried Jem.
The Maori stepped forward, and made as if to dip in one of his feet, butsnatched it back as if in pain. Then, smiling, he twisted some strandsof grass into a band, fastened the end to the palm basket, and gentlylowered it, full of eggs, into the sapphire depths, a jet of steam and aseries of bubbles rising to the surface as the basket sank.
"Why, Jem," said Don laughing, "you wanted to bathe in the big copper."
"How was I to know that this was a foreign out-door kitchen?" repliedJem laughing.
"And the water's boiling hot," added Don. "You can see it bubbling justat this end."
"Think o' that now!" said Jem. "I say, what a big fire there must besomewhere down b'low. Strikes me, Mas' Don, that when I makes myfortun' and buys an estate I sha'n't settle here."
"No, Jem. `There's no place like home.'"
"Well, home's where you settle, arn't it? But this won't do for me.It's dangerous to be safe."
Meanwhile, Ngati was listening intently, but, save the hissing of steam,the gurgling of boiling water, and the softened roar that seemed nowdistant, now close at hand, there was nothing to be heard, so he signedto them to sit down and rest.
He set the example, and Don followed, to lie upon his back, restfullygazing up at the blue sky above, when Jem, who had been more particularabout the choice of a place, slowly sat down, r
emained stationary for afew moments, and then sprang up, uttering a cry of pain.
"Why, that stone's red hot!" he cried.
This was not the truth, but it was quite hot enough to make it a painfulseat, and he chose another.
"Well, of all the rum places, Mas' Don!"
He said no more on the subject, for just then Ngati rose, and carefullydrew the bag of eggs from the boiling pool.
"And I called him a pig!" said Jem, self-reproachfully.
"No: no pig," said Ngati, who caught the word.
"Well, I didn't say there was, obstinit," said Jem. "Here, give us anegg. Fruit and young wood's all werry well; but there's no spoons andno salt!"
In spite of these drawbacks, and amid a series of remarks on theconvenience of cooking cauldrons all over the place, Jem made a heartymeal of new laid eggs, which they had just finished when Ngati looked upand seized his spear.
"What's the matter?" cried Don listening.
Ngati pointed, and bent down, holding his hand to his ear.
"I can hear nothing," said Jem.
Ngati pointed down the ravine again, his keen sense having detected thesound of voices inaudible to his companions. Then carefully gatheringup the egg shells, so as to leave no traces, he took the bag with therest of the eggs, and led the way onward at a rapid rate.
The path grew more wild and rugged, and the roar increased as theyascended, till, after turning an angle in the winding gully, the soundcame continuously with a deep-toned, thunderous bellow.
"There, what did I tell you?" said Jem, as the top of the mountain wasplainly in view, emitting steam, and about a mile distant. "That's thechimney roaring."
"It's a great waterfall somewhere on ahead," replied Don; and a fewyards farther on they came once more upon the edge of the river, whichhere ran foaming along at the bottom of what was a mere jagged crackstretching down from high up the mountain, and with precipitous walls, acouple of hundred feet down.
Ngati seemed more satisfied after a while, and they sat down in a narrowvalley they were ascending to finish the eggs, whose shells were throwninto the torrent.
"I should like to know where he's going to take us," said Jem, all atonce.
"It does not matter, so long as it is into safety," said Don. "For mypart, I--Lie down, quick!"
Jem obeyed, and bending low, Don seized the Maori's arm, pointing thewhile down the way they had come at a couple of naked savages, leapingfrom stone to stone, spear armed, and each wearing the white-tipped tailfeathers of a bird in his hair.
Ngati saw the danger instantly, fell flat on his breast, and signing tohis companions to follow, began to crawl in and out among the rocks andbushes, making for every point likely to afford shelter, while, in anagony of apprehension as to whether they had been seen, Don and Jemfollowed painfully, till the chief halted to reconnoitre and make someplan of escape.
It was quite time, for the Maoris had either seen them or some of thetraces they had left behind; and, carefully examining every foot of thenarrow valley shelf along which they had climbed, were coming rapidlyon.
Don's heart sank, for it seemed to him that they were in a trap. On hisright was the wall-like side of the gully they ascended; on his left thesheer precipice down to the awful torrent; before them the sound of amighty cataract; and behind the enemy, coming quickly and stealthily on.