VI.

Late after noon it was, when tired the pair
Returning to their starting point, once more
Beside the mighty geyser stood
That flings a panting column high in air—
'Ohápu'—' Fountain of the dreadful Roar.'

Their fancy sated with the sight of fear,
They sate upon the hill above
That cauldron, in the shade of rocky wood
By bursting spring and boiling flood
Distorted—sate in lounging mood
In careless converse, to themselves how dear!
(Is any talk too trifling for true love?)
Where still the geysers' raging they could hear.

"This loitering through the land on foot,
Now slow, now faster, as may suit
One's humour best, I do enjoy
So thoroughly—did always from a boy!"—
Said Ranolf, as himself he threw
Upon the stunted fern—" Do you?"

"On foot!" said Amo, "how else could you go?
Though in your land, I've heard, indeed,
That travellers sometimes go at greater speed
In strangest style—I ne'er believed it, though."
page 282 "What did you hear, my Amo?"

"It was he
E Ruka, who had sailed beyond the sea;
But he so many monstrous stones told
With face so true, by young and old
'Kai-tito-nui' he was named,
'The big lie-swallower;' 'pumpkin-headed' too,
To take whate'er he heard for true—
They called him. I should be ashamed
His silly solemn stories to repeat."

"But let me hear about the travelling, sweet!"
"Well, promise not to laugh—at least, not laugh
Too much at me. 1 did not credit half
The story, mind. He said, your people use
To travel in, great land-canoes,
Dragged by enormous dogs as tall
As men, or taller; nay, more strange—
A thing that had to do with travel,
Though how, I couldI not quite unravel—
That beasts about your country range
To which the mighty Moas were small
Our songs make mention of; that these
Gigantic monsters, each and all
Have double heads and shoulders double,
Six legs or so; and therefore go
Swift as the wind; then without trouble
Can split in two whene'er they please,
And both the fragments when they sever,
Can run about as well as ever!—
page 283 Nay, now, but I will hold your lips—
You are not to laugh so—understand;
I will not take away my hand,
Kiss as you may my finger-tips."

The fact explained to her well nigh
As wondrous as the fiction seemed:
What 1 get astride those "beasts and fly!
'Twas like what Maui did or schemed,
Who fished the Isles up—almost hitched.
The Sun into his noose, and then.
Had freed the happy sons of men From
Night—Death—every denizen
Of Darkness—all the evil crew
Of powers bewitching or bewitched.

"My Child—but these are trifles to
The wondrous things our people do.—
"He pointed toward the place where bellowing, crashing,
That fierce terrific Hotspring raged;
With monstrous head in furious foam upsoaring,
And boiling billows round the crater dashing—
Its crusted soot-brown sides, like demons lashing;
Or if a moment from its maddest mood
The lapsing Geyser seemed to sink assuaged,
Mounting again amid the ceaseless roaring,
Like hissing Cobra with inflated hood
Upswelling swift—its reeking rush renewing,
With force and frenzy evermore accruing!

"You hear," he said, "that hell-pool dread:
What would you think if I should say
page 284 My people have the skill to yoke
The fiercest whirls of steam that ever broke
From that tremendous pit of wrath, and tether
As many moving houses gay
Behind it as would all your tribe contain;
Then make it whisk them o'er the plain,
Aye! all your Tribe at once together,
As smoothly, rapidly as flew
The Kingfisher the other day
With chestnut breast and back so blue
That round out heads came swooping, screaming,
Because we chanced to saunter near
The barkless twisted tree-trunk (gleaming
In sunshine silver-sharp and clear
Against far purple hills) that hid
The nest wherein his young ones lay?"

"Well, but if such a word you spoke
I could but think, I could but say,
'Twas my Ranoro's whim to joke;
And on her fond reliance play
Who takes and trusts his every word,
As if an Atua's voice she heard."

"Nay; pretty one! 'tis simple fact—
No silly jest, but truth exact."

"Well then, my Chief, my Master dear
Shall do as I, his handmaid, bid,
And let me all the wonder hear."

"Your language has no words, I fear—"
page 285 "Ah, we poor Maori 1 worthless still,
In deeds and words, no power, no skill!—
But tell me—that tremendous flying
Is it not something dreadful, frightful
Your people tremble at, while trying?"

"Not dreadful, dearest, but delightful—"
And then with her request complying,
"See—" he went on, as best he could, constraining
Strange words and strange ideas to fit—
Though all the interruptions we omit
Where foreign thought or phrase required explaining:—
"See! all in order ranged at hand
The moving houses ready stand;
Your tribe all ranged in order too,
Inside them sit—imagine how;
We take our places, I and you-—"
(" Yes—were I close to you as now!"—)
"Impatient frets the giant, Steam,—
You hear liis wild complaining scream;
You hear him hissing ere he Start
Like pinned-down Snake that strives to dart;
Then off at once! in perfect row
Swift as a lance your warriors throw,
Men, houses, all, away we go!—
Give place! give place! in silent race
The distant woods each other chase!
Trees, hedges, hamlets—far and wide,
They reel and spin, they shift and slide!
The dim horizon all alive—
Hills, plains and forests, how they drive!
Determined to keep up and see
They shoot ahead as fast as we;
page 286 But nearer objects, soon as spied,
Detach themselves and backward glide;
Behind us drifting one by one,
Wink past the others and are gone!
See! parallel field-furrows broad,
That lie right-angled to the road,
Like swiftly-turning wheel-spokes play—
Tum—open—float and flit away!
More speed—more speed! and shriller cries!
The panting road begins to rise,
And like a whirling grindstone flies!
The fields close by can scarce be seen,
A swift continuous stream of green!—
—But fix upon the scene around
A steadier glance—in how profound
A stillness seems that hamlet bound:
How solemn, in secluded meadows
Those oak trees standing on their shadows;
That church-tower wrapt in ivy-fleece,
How sacred its inviolate peace!
The riot of our wild career
Seems rushing through a land asleep
Where all things rapt—entranced, appear,
Or if they move, can only creep;
The lightest car, the heaviest wain—
(Those land-canoes, you know, we use)
And walking men whose figures plain
A moment on the eye remain,
Seem toiling backwards, all in vain!—
Then sudden—close—ere you can think,
The blackest blinding midnight seems
To make your very eyeballs shrink;
The air is dank—a hollow roar
page 287 And deeper, harsher than before
Is mingled with the Giant's screams,
As—all the houses in a row—
Right through a Mountain's heart we go!
But swiftly from the jaws of night
Emerging, screeching with delight,
Outcomes with unabated might
The Monster and pursues his fight!
In sable stream thick issuing flies
His furious breath across the skies:
Each laborer as the ponderous whirr,
The hammer-beats, incessant, strong
And fast as flap of flying bird,
The monster's eager pulse, are heard,
Suspends the busy fork or prong
And turns to look, but scarce can see
The phantom, ere the rush and stir,
Men, monster, long-linked houses, we—
All smoothly thundering, tearing on,
A human hurricane—are gone!"—

She listened with rapt lips asunder,
And rounded eyes of brilliant wonder:
Love lent her Faith—nor could she draw
Distinctions nice between what broke
Or did not break, the natural law;
But could she, 'twould have been the same;
Not what was said, but he who spoke,
Made what she heard as what she saw.
That cloudy madness chained and curbed—
And all her Tribe turned undisturbed
Into a screeching bird that flew
Unchecked the yielding Mountains through!—
page 288 What myth could daunt her after that?
What miracle could Superstition name
Were not beside it commonplace and flat—
To stagger her belief, too tame?—
"These foreigners," she smiled, "'tis true,
Whate'er they wish, their Atuas do! "

"An Atua—yes! divine not dread—"
(But this was rather thought than said) "
Could I but make her understand
How this benignant Genie grand,
In form so fierce, in deeds so bland,
Is toiling still o'er sea aud land
With might unwearied and unworn
By slow degrees to raise Mankind;
Bestowing god-like powers, designed
For mightier millions yet unborn,
To wrest her plenteous treasure-horn
From Nature's wise reluctant hand;
Consigning so to second place
The Body's too absorbing claims;
Clearing the ground for higher aims;
Wiping the tears from Man's sad face;
Amalgamating every race—
Creating Time—destroying Space."