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Chapter VIII.

Lucy had made tea, and her father and brother who had come in from their work, had just taken their seats, when Mr Spears, announced by Betsy, popped his head in at the door.

‘Beg pardon, Mr Pemberton, for intruding, but I thought you would like to have this letter at once,’ he said, handing an official-looking envelope.‘I have sent several others of similar appearance to a number of gentlemen in our neighbourhood, and I suspect they mean something.’

Lucy observed that her father's countenance assumed a grave expression as he read the document; after requesting the bearer to sit down and take a cup of tea.

‘More disturbances among the natives?’ asked Mr Spears. ‘I hope, though, that they will keep quiet in these parts.’

‘Yes, I am sorry to say that they have risen in much greater numbers than heretofore, and matters look very serious,’ answered Mr Pemberton. The Governor has requested me to assist in organizing a page 95 body of volunteers to co-operate with the loyal natives in this district, and to keep in check any of the Maories who may be inclined to rebel, while the troops are engaged with the main body of the insurents. I am afraid this will compel me to be absent from home for some time.’

‘May I go with you?’ exclaimed Harry. ‘I should so like to have some soldiering.’

‘No, you must stay at home to take care of Lucy and the farm,’ answered Mr Pemberton. ‘Val, you are named, and though I would rather have left you in charge, we must obey the calls of public duty. Farmer Greening will assist Harry; Paul and James will probably accompany me.’

‘Put my name down as a volunteer,’ exclaimed Mr Spears. ‘I'll have my musket and cartouche box ready in a trice. I shall be proud to go out and fight my country's battles.’

‘Take my advice, Mr Spears, and stay at home to look after your shop and the settlement-some must remain behind to guard it,’ said Mr Pemberton.

‘I am ready for the field, or for garrison duty,’ answered the little man, rising, and drawing himself up, ‘I must go back with the news to the village; the people are suspecting that there is something in the wind.’

Mr Pemberton and Valentine soon made the necessary preparations for their departure, and early the next morning, in company with several page 96 other settlers, set out on their expedition. As the natives in their immediate neighbourhood had always appeared very friendly, they had no anxiety about the safety of Riverside.

Time passed on; news reached the settlement that the volunteers had on several occasions been engaged, and that the insurgents still made head against them. Lucy could not help feeling anxious at the prolonged absence of her father and brother; but as they wrote word that they were well, she kept up her spirits hoping that the natives would soon be convinced of the uselessness and folly of their rebellion, and that peace would be established. She also received visits from Mary Osburn and other friends, and Mrs Greening never failed to look in on her two or three times in the day, while her husband kept his eye on the farm, and assisted by this time Harry in managing affairs. Lucy had hoped that by this time it would be safe for Waihoura to pay her a visit, and she had sent a message inviting her to come to Riverside. In reply, Waihoura expressed her thanks for the invitation, but satted that as her father was absent with many of his people, taking a part in the war, she could not venture to quit home. She also mentioned that Hemipo was supposed to have joined the rebels, as he had not for some time been seen in the neighbourhood.

A short time after this, as Harry was standing on the bank of the river, near which his sheep were page 97 feeding, he observed a small canoe gliding down the stream. A single native was in it, who, as soon as he saw him, paddled up to where he stood. The stranger leaped on shore, and asked Harry, in Maori, pointing to the hill, whether he did not belong to that place. As Harry understood very little Maori, he could but imperfectly comprehend what the man, who appeared to be delivering a message, was saying. The stranger, perceiving this, tried to help his meaning by dumb show, and Harry heard him repeat the name of Hemipo several times. The man placed himself on the ground, and shut his eyes, as if he was asleep, then he jumped up, and, moving away, ran up to the spot, and pretended to be lifting up a person whom he carried to the canoe. He did this several times, then he flourished his arms as if engaged with a foe, leaping fiercely about from side to side, and then jumped into his canoe and began to shove it off, as if he was going to paddle up the stream. He returned, however, again coming up to Harry, and, with an inquiring look, seemed to ask whether he was understood? Harry asked him to repeat what he had said, and at length made out, as he thought, that the stranger wished to warn him that the settlement would be attacked at night, while the inhabitants were asleep, by Hemipo, whose object was to carry them off as prisoners, but when this was likely to take place he could not discover. The stranger, who was evidently in a great hurry to page 98 be off again, seemed satisfied that he was understood, and, getting into his canoe, paddled rapidly up the river.

‘I wish that I understood the Maori better,’ thought Harry, ‘I should not then be in doubt about the matter; however, it will be as well to be prepared. We will fortify our house, and keep a bright look out, and I'll tell the other people to be on the watch.’

He soon after met Toby, and telling him to look to the sheep, hurried homewards. Lucy listened calmly to his account

‘There is, I fear, no doubt that some harm is intended us,’ she observed. ‘But we must pray that it may be averted, and do what we can to guard against it. I think our six native labourers are faithful, and we must place three of them in the house, and send the other three out as scouts to give us notice of the approach of an enemy, I propose also that we have a large pile of firewood made above the house, that, as soon as danger threatens it may be lighted as a signal to our friends in the neighbourhood. You must tell them of our intention, and ask them to come to our assistance as soon as they see the fire blazing up.’

‘You ought to have been a man, and you would have made a first-rate soldier,’ exclaimed Harry, delighted at Lucy's idea. ‘It is the wisest thing that could be done; I'll tell everybody you thought of it, and I am sure they will be ready to help us.’

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‘But perhaps they will think that the whole place is to be attacked, and if so, the men will not be willing to leave their own homes and families,’ observed Lucy.

‘Oh, but I am sure the Maori intended to warn us especially, for he pointed to our hill while he was speaking,’ said Harry. ‘Then he mentioned Hemipo, who probably has a spite against us for rescuing Waihoura from him. However, there's no time to be lost. I'll tell the men to cut the wood for the bonfire, and go on to let Mr Osburn and our other friends know about the matter.’

Having charged Lucy and Betsy to close the doors and windows, and not to go out of the house, he went to tell the other people. The farmer was out, but he told Mrs Greening what he had heard.

‘Oh, it would be terrible if any harm was to happen to Miss Lucy, and the Squire and Master Val away,’ exclaimed the good woman; ‘I'd sooner our place were all burned down than that—I'll go round to her and persuade her to come here—then, if the savages go to your house they will not find her, and if they come here, the farmer and Tobias, I'll warrant, will fight for her as long as they have got a bullet or a charge of powder remaining.’

Harry warmly thanked Mrs Greening for her generous intentions, thouh he doubted very much whether Lucy would consent to leave the house. He then hurried on to the village.

Mr Spears, at whose house he first called, was page 100 thrown into a great state of agitation on hearing of his apprehensions.

‘I'll go round and tell all the other people, and we will see what can be done,’ he exclaimed, getting down his musket. ‘We will fight bravely for our homes and hearths; but dear me, I wish all the people who are away would come back. These savages are terrible fellows, and if they were to come suddenly upon us at night, as you fancy they will, we may find ourselves in a very unpleasant predicament.’

While Mr Spears went off in one direction, Harry continued on to the house of their friend Mr Osburn, which was at no great distance. He, though expressing a hope that the stranger had been amusing himself at Harry's expense, undertook to collect the rest of the neighbours, and to make preparations to go to his assistance should the signal fire give them notice that the house had been attacked.

‘I would offer at once to go up and assist in guarding you,’ he said. ‘But I am afraid that our other friends will not be willing to leave their own cottages undefended; indeed, I think we shall more effectually assist you by following the plan you propose. Still, I would advise you not to be over anxious about the matter, though you will do wisely to take the precautions you propose.’

Harry, feeling somewhat proud of himself, and tolerably well satisfied with the arrangements he page 101 had made, returned home. He found the farmer and Mr Greening at the house. They had in vain attempted to persuade Lucy to pass the night at their house—she would not leave Harry, who said that, as he had charge of the place, nothing would induce him to desert his post, and they hoped, with the precautions taken, they might escape the threatened danger.

‘Depend upon it, if the savages really come and find us prepared they will not venture to attack the house,’ said Harry.

‘Well, well, I like your spirit, Master Harry,’ said the farmer. ‘I'll be on the watch, and if I hear the sound of a musket I shall know what it means, and will be quickly round with my four natives.’

At length the farmer and Mrs Greening took their departure. Harry had spoken to the native servants, who seemed fully to understand what was expected of them, and promised to be vigilant. Betsy had undertaken to keep a lantern burning, and to run out at the back-door at the first signal of danger, and light the bonfire. Harry tried to persuade Lucy to go to bed.

‘Of course I shall sit up myself and keep watch for anything that happens,’ he said; ‘and if you fall asleep, Lucy, I'll awaken you if necessary.’

After commending themselves to the care of God, and reading together, as usual, a chapter in the Bible, the two young people sat down with their books before them to wait the issue of events page 102 Harry, however, every now and then got up and ran to the door to listen, fancying he heard some sounds in the distance. Hour after hour passed by, and neither foe nor friend appeared. The night seemed very long, but at length the morning light streamed through the openings above the shutters. Harry opened the door, the air was pure and fresh, and the scene before him appeared so calm and peaceful, that he felt much inclined to laugh at his own fears. The native servants, who had been on the watch, came in also, and declared that they had seen no one, nor heard the slightest sound during the night to alarm them. In a short time farmer Greening arrived, and expressed his satisfaction at finding that they had had no cause for alarm.

‘Perhaps after all, Master Harry, the man was only passing a joke on you, though it was as well to be on the safe side, and to be prepared.’

Lucy had several visitors during the day, who appeared much inclined to consider they had been unnecessarily alarmed.

‘We may or may not have been,’ observed Harry, ‘but I intend to keep the same look out tonight as before.’

The second night passed over like the former, and Harry himself now owned that unless the stranger purposely intended to deceive him, he must have misunderstood his meaning.

The evening came on, the cows had been page 103 milked, the pigs and poultry fed, and other duties attended to. They were in their sitting-room reading, when Betsy came in and announced Mr Spears.

‘I hope I don't intrude, Miss Lucy,’ he said, putting his head in at the doorway in his usual half-hesitating manner, ‘but I could not shut up my house for the night without coming to inquire how you are getting on. Well, Master Harry, the Maories who were to attack us have turned out to be phantoms after all, pleasanter foes to fight with than real savages. However, you behaved very well, my young friend, and I hope you will get a quiet night's rest, and sleep free from alarm.’

‘Thank you for your kind wishes,’ answered Lucy, ‘but still I hope that you and our other friends will be on the watch, for I cannot feel altogether secure till our father and brother return.’

‘Never fear, Miss Lucy, we will be ready if your phantom foes come. Pardon me, Master Harry, for calling them phantom foes, but such they are, I suspect. Ah! ah! ah!’ and Mr Spears laughed at his own conceit. As Lucy did not wish to encourage the little man, she did not invite him to sit down, and, somewhat to her relief, he soon went away.

Mr Spears had reached home, and was shutting up his cottage, when, looking towards the hill, he saw the beacon fire blazing up. He rushed back for his musket, and began to load it in great haste; but in vain he pulled the trigger, it would not go page 104 off—no wonder, for he had forgotten to put on a cap. Not discovering this, having knocked at the doors of his immediate neighbours, and told them that the settlement was attacked, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to Mr Osburn. Though that gentleman turned out immediately, it was sometime before he could collect the rest of the inhabitants, when some with firearms, and otheres with pitchforks, or any weapons they could lay hands on, rushed up the hill towards Mr Pemberton's farm. They were joined on the way by farmer Greening and Tobias. All round the house seemed quiet, and not a sign of a Maori could be discovered.

‘There's been some trick played,’ said farmer Greening, for all my servants went off this evening, and I should not be surprised that Mr Pemberton's have done the same; but I hope Master Harry has kept the door shut, and not let the enemy inside.’

As may be supposed, on reaching the house, their consternation and grief was very great when they discovered that the inmates had gone; and from the overturned chairs, and the back and front doors being open, their alarm for the safety of their young friends was greatly increased.

‘The savages have undoubtedly come and carried them off, but we may yet be is time to overtake them, if we can ascertain in what direction hey have gone,’ said Mr Osburn.

‘See, the orchard gate is open,’ said farmer Greening. ‘They must have gone this way, by the page 105 path which leads to the river.’ They went on a little further, when Tobias picked up a handkerchief.

‘That must be Miss Lucy's,’ he exclaimed, ‘and probably dropped on purpose,’ observed Mr Osburn.

On reaching the river, no signs, however, of the savages nor their captives were to be seen; and though they hurried along the bank for some distance, they were at length compelled to return, in a state of increased anxiety for their young friends, to the settlement.