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Chapter XXVI.

“You know,” began the Colonel, “that the Maoris are very fond of making speeches: ‘orating,’ as the Americans call it. —And, by-the-way, our American friends have sometimes been very happy in the coinage of new words. —This council was a fine opportunity for Taonui, who, I have no doubt, is, like many of his countrymen, an eloquent man. All were dressed in their best mats and feathers for the occasion, for it was looked upon as an important one. Sitting is, with the Maoris, the attitude of respect; and so all the chiefs sat in a circle upon the ground, in a quiet spot in the forest, and smoked their pipes in silence, waiting for the King to speak. Taonui related his tale, beginning from the first performances of the flute, when he first heard the war-march of Pomare in the solitudes of the forest, going on until he told what had taken place at the tomb of the dead King. The chiefs looked at each other in a significant way, which caused Taonui to stop. page 243 After a silence one of the chiefs suggested that the King should play upon the flute, that they all might hear what would follow. He did so; and, as he heard it, the warmarch followed; but no one else heard a sound. He played again, with the same result: the spectral music was for his ear alone. Then, indignantly—for he saw the looks of suspicion which were interchanged—Taonui, in a torrent of words, described the blowing of the battle-trumpet in the pah.”

“I wish I had heard his speech,” said Jack.

“Yes, I dare say it was worth hearing,” the Colonel answered.

“I remember you mentioned the trumpet in the pah,” said Bernard. “I wish you would tell us more about it, sir.”

“In the fortified villages of New Zealand,” answered Colonel Bradshaw, “there is a fence surrounding the whole area; to this fence is hung a war-trumpet: it is a very large wooden tube, and the natives carve it appropriately so as to make it ornamental. This is, of course, only blown in time of danger, as a sort of signal to arms; so that when Taonui heard it he was naturally startled, thinking that some attack was meditated, or that some news of war had been heard.”

“Thank you, sir. And now to the story,” said Jack.

“Just as the King of Mokau had arrived at that point where he related the sounding of the trumpet,” resumed Colonel Bradshaw, “to the consternation of the whole page 244 council, the pah trumpet really broke upon the air. It was too real to be a subject of question, and all rose from their sitting position and rushed into the village. The reason of the commotion—which was communicated by about fifty people at once—was, that a lot of kangaroos which belonged to the King had escaped, and were now leaping over the country.”

“Are there kangaroos in New Zealand, then?” said Jack: “that's capital. I should like uncommonly to join in a kangaroo hunt: I have read that it is fine fun.”

“I don't know about the fun of it, Jack,” the Colonel answered. “I have hunted them in Australia, and I never wish to do so again. There is something repugnant in hunting such defenceless creatures as kangaroos. Although it is very exciting at the time, one feels ashamed of oneself afterwards for a bully. No: there are no kangaroos in New Zealand to hunt. These I speak of were some that had been sent to the King as a present, and which he very much valued, as he hoped that they might breed and become naturalized to the climate. Here was an end to the council and the speculations about the supernatural agencies at work against the King. A hunting party was made up at once, and all the men of the settlement set off in pursuit of the kangaroos.”

“Rather difficult hunting kangaroos in such a country as this, I should think,” observed Bernard.

“So our friends found it: they very soon lost sight of the kangaroos. It so happened that the animals leapt page 245 their way to the very place where Waipata, the King's son, was staying; he, you remember, having been banished from his father's house. At the time, Waipata and some of his friends were out hunting, and, knowing nothing of their history and ignorant of what sort of creatures they were, they shot the kangaroos. Just as all the kangaroos were dead, Taonui and his companions arrived on the spot.”

“I expect Waipata caught it pretty roundly from his papa,” said Jack Stanley.

“No: the King was too much staggered to say anything. In vain Waipata apologized; the King kept silence. He felt more than ever convinced that he was bewitched. He remained the whole night brooding gloomily over whathad happened. Waipata, like a Christian man as he was, sent a Maori to light a pipe for his father, and to place a bottle of rum near him; for he feared he might catch cold and die. Taonui, after awhile, fell asleep and dreamed. He dreamt that the kangaroos rose up to life again, and that he was compelled to hunt them. Then one of the beasts turned and confronted him, and as it did so, it was transformed into a warrior dressed in armour.”

“In armour! did the Maoris ever wear armour?”

“No, no; this was a suit given by one of the King Georges of England to a Maori chief, Chongi by name. It was celebrated over the district. It had played a conspicuous part, I now remember, in the original quarrel between Taonui and Pomare. Pomare had taken possession page 246 of it in some fight, and I think afterwards returned it to its owner: anyhow, it was a cause of contention, and I suppose it dwelt in the thoughts of Taonui, as he invested the kangaroo of his dream in it.”

“I beg your pardon for the interruption,” said Jack. “Please go on.”

“What follows is very shadowy, and I think must be looked upon as a dream of the King.

“He supposed that he went through an interview with an ancient idol of his people, —for no doubt, at some remote time, the Maoris must have worshipped idols, although they do not do so now, by the remains that have been found of their temples, —which idol led him to a council of great men or chiefs, whom he recognized as those who had fallen in battle with the King Pomare. Preparations were made for a cannibal feast by these shadowy gentlemen, and Taonui discovered that he was expected in person to furnish the table.”

“I hope he felt then how disagreeable it is to be eaten,” said Jack.

“He submitted to his fate with his customary courage; only before his expected death, he defied all the powers of witchcraft, and cursed the idols of his people and the priests or tohungas. Then he imagined or dreamt that he was impaled upon a stake to be roasted, when there came to his rescue the shadow of Pomare with Tedra. At their coming, the idol, the fire, and the shadowy chief passed away; and Taonui lost consciousness.”

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“Poor fellow! one cannot help pitying him to a certain extent,” said Bernard. “Do you think he was mad?”

“I cannot say,” answered Colonel Bradshaw: “that is an easy way of escaping from things which are above our comprehension. Taonui's subsequent conduct shows no sign of madness; and as the result of all these supposed visions was one of very great importance to the man himself, of vital importance I may say, it is best not to be rash in ascribing causes.”

“What was the result, sir?” asked Jack.

“That the King of Mokau was completely subdued by the contrast between his conduct and that of Pomare: that his proud heart gave in. He sent to the missionary station where Waipata was living, and was reconciled to his son, and sanctioned his marriage with Tedra. Then he assembled all the chiefs together, and told them he had been in the wrong.”

“He became a Christian, then, sir?” said Bernard.

“At any rate he abjured idolatry and the worship of devils, and submitted to be taught a better faith, which does not allow of vindictiveness and revenge. The whole story, however much of it is true, contains a wonderful moral.”

“It does indeed, sir,” said Bernard. “It draws a very strong contrast between the impulses of human nature untaught by God and the influence of the Gospel.”

But Jack Stanley said nothing.