The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 9 (December 1, 1938)
The Robe of Love
The Robe of Love.
Mair solemnly inspected the guard of honour, and then Te Kooti approached him with a fine korowai flax cloak, and placed it around his one-time enemy's shoulders.
“This garment,” he said, “is my token of regard for you, Tawa, from whom I escaped only by the breadth of the black of my finger nail” (Maori idiom for “by the skin of my teeth”). “Wear this korowai in memory of me, and if it be not large enough to cover you, let me clothe you with my love.”
So saying he gave the orders, “Tei-hana! Pai ia rewhi!” (Attention! By your left!“) and quick-marched his men back to the kainga.
“He clothed me with his aroha!” said my friend. “Pretty good for the old war-horse, that bit of sentiment, wasn't it?”
Later on in the day a messenger from the kainga came to the Horse Shoe Inn with a request from Te Kooti. Would his fighting friend the captain be good enough to send him a bottle of rum? Mair sent it, and thus did the two old warriors exchange their pledges of aroha.