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Chapter XV. The Native Village—A Powerful Enemy—Division in the Native Camp.

It was too dark when we reached the outskirts of the village to judge of its size. We were conducted to a tolerably sized hut, which evidently stood near the centre.

Potona then left us to obtain something to eat, as our provisions were just about exhausted. He was only absent a few minutes, and returned bringing some dried fish and roasted pigeons, also a supply of fresh water in a kind of wooden basket.

After we had finished our meal he told us to go to sleep, as we should have to pay a visit to the head chief in the morning. In the meantime he would go out and learn more particulars as to the state of affairs in the village.

Early next day Potona entered the hut, and we could see by his face that matters were not as favorable as he had expected. He informed us that the white man, on hearing; of our arrival, had told the chiefs that we were bad spirits who had only come into their midst to create trouble and page 94 mischief; and was turning the tribe against us as much as possible. This surprised us not a little; and we were at a loss to understand what his motives could be in doing so.

Shortly afterwards we could hear the hum of many voices at a short distance, and Potona told us all the people were assembling to meet us.

Bye-and-bye a lad came up and spoke some words to our native companion, whereupon the latter told us to follow him, and bring our guns and weapons with us; at the same time cautioning us to keep up a brave appearance, and on no account show signs of fear.

He led the way to an open space by the side of the river; where we found at least a thousand natives congregated.

In their centre was a little hillock, with a mound of stones for seats on top. Here sat the chiefs, and beside them a white man of most forbidding aspect.

Potona introduced us to the chiefs, who motioned us to stand in front of them. We took good care to keep close together, with our guns ready, in case of emergency.

Potona then, in a long speech, related all the particulars he knew about us, dwelling especially on our kindness to himself. When he had finished, an old white-haired man called the white man to his side, and asked him some questions in a low tone; then turning to us he spoke as follows, interpreted by Potona:—

“Punilaki! (white men) I have heard your story from a man of our tribe. What he tells us would be good if it was true, but a man of your own nation (pointing to the person by his side) says your tale is false. You came to these shores to spy out the land, to see if it was good, and what the people were like; you intended to return to your people and bring great numbers back with you, and take page 95 our land from us. Have you not enough space to live upon in your own country? This man tells me that you want to bring disease amongst us; and that you have with you a deadly drink, which you would give us to kill us. Let your chief speak and answer these words.”

“Tell him first,” I said to Potona, “that we wish to hear the white man speak to us in our own language, and we will prove his double tongue.”

After this had been interpreted the chief turned to the fellow, and Pottona said he was telling him to answer us. The chief spoke again to our interpreter. “He says,” said Potona, “that the white man is not able to speak English.”

“Captain!” exclaimed Moroney to me, “as shure as I live I've seen that blackguard afore. He was thried for murther in Melbourne when I was there last; his name's Jim Days, and, he's a Yankee.”

“Try the effect of that intelligence on him, Pat,” I replied.

“Jim Days! ye murthering spalpeen yez!” cried Moroney, advancing a little in front of us. “Jim Days, I know your ugly mug, I do. It's nary a bit o' use ye thrying to tell lies about it. I saw yez tried in Mlebourne for murthering a poor harmless lad as had some silver about him. What have ye to say to that?”

The man was visibly disconcerted for a while; especially as Potona interpreted the meaning of Pat's speech to the chiefs. Soon recovering himself, however, he said with a tone of bravado—

“I rather guess what you've said is the truth, the whole truth, and not a —— thing but the truth, mate, and as your tarnation countrymen sent me to jail to die once, I rather calculate I'll do a little retaliation now. Yes, chummie, page 96 they put me into quod, and were agwine to give me an elevation, but this child declined the promotion, and made tracks. How I came to these parts is my own business, but I rather guess and calculate I'll be quits with you beef-eating, Britishers, just a few.” And he finished up with a loud guffaw.

Chief!” I said, addressing myself to the old man. “Chief! and all you men of Potona's tribe, listen to my words, for they are true.” Here I related the circumstances of our wreck, and our after adventures. “That man is bad; his talk is false; he is not of our people. If we had intended doing you harm, would we have spared your kinsman, Potona? Would we have tried to get back to our people without learning more than we did about you? If you had not taken away our boat, we should have been out of your country long ago. We are not spirits at all; we are men like yourselves. Our thunder and lightning weapons are only used in defence, or shooting birds to eat. If any harm is tried to be done us, then will we use them against you, and kill your chiefs and and great men.”

“Here Days whispered something to the chief, who spoke a few words to Potona.

“He says you must give him your guns, for he is afraid of them. When you have done so he will believe you, and let you go.”

“Tell him,” I said “that we will not give up our guns, and that they will not hurt a man of his tribe unless we are intefered with.”

“The chief says in reply to that,” said Potona, “that the guns are your bad spirits, and that they must be burnt,”

“Look here boys,” said Jim Days, addressing us, “you had better give up your guns quietly; and I will do my page 97 best for you. You aren't bad chaps for Britishers, after all. If you don't, you must take the consequences.”

He evidently wanted to get our fire-arms into his own possession; for once without them we should be almost helpless. After a consultation among themselves, another native rose and spoke in a haughty and commanding way to Potona.

“What's up now?” I asked the latter.

“He says if you don't give way, they will kill me.”

“Don't be alarmed,” I replied, “we will stick to you whatever happens. Have you no friends here to take your part?” I enquired. “I thought you told us you were a chief yourself.”

“So I am,” he replied, “but my family and friends are absent at present. My father is second head chief, and if he was here you would be safe.”

“Every day,” he replied, “and they dare not harm me without his consent; but they will try to kill you.”

“Who is the chief who has just threantened you?” we enquired.

“His name is Hetarpopo, and he is the son of Noettani, who spoke first, and who is the head of our nation. We must gain time until my father returns.”

“Well, Potona,” I exclaimed, “you may trust to our keeping you out of harm's way as much as possible. And now ask the chief if they have anything more to say to us.”

On this question being put, Hetarpopo rose and said:

“If you do not give up your fire pieces we will kill you, for we will not trust them; you killed two of our young men with them; and unless you burn them or hand them over to page 98 us, we must protect ourselves by putting you all to death, Go, now, and give us your reply in the morning.”

“Thin, bedad, how will ye get thim same guns if ye are afraid to go near thim?” muttered Pat, under his breath.

Potona advised us to return for the present to the hut in which we had spent the night. On the way we had a good view of the village, which consisted of at least five or six hundred huts, built without regard to any order, on an open space between the river and a high hill behind it, and very close to the sea beach.

Returned to our dwelling, we discussed our position and the events of the morning.

“Seems to me,” said Harry, “that we've got into a precious fix; and the sooner we get out of this place the better.”

“All very good,” said I, “but the question is, how?”

“Wait,” said Potona, “few days; we watched close, now; no escape; wait till my father come, then be right.”

“But you told us they intended killing us,” exclaimed Harry.

“Keep eyes open, no sleep; not kill if not sleep; much fraid thunder, and lightning.”

“Arrah, thin! does ye mane we're niver to slape agin, until yer father returns?” asked Moroney.

“One watch, others sleep,” returned Potona.

“Ah, now I understands ye,” answered Pat. “I'm moighty toired now, an' if I'll be kilt when I falls asleep I'm done fur intirely.”

Potona now informed us he must go and see about our dinner; advising us not to leave the hut, and if we did, on no account to get separated. At present we felt no inclination to ramble, so stayed where we were.

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Hardly had our companion left us, than who should enter but the Yankee. “Waal, friends,” he began in his drawling voice, “how do you feel by this period?” As no one answered him, he continued: “Down on your luck, by snakes; waal, yer might have the perliteness to tell a feller to take a seat,” and suiting the action to the word he stretched himself at full length on the ground.

“Now listen to me, chummies,” he resumed,” you're in a tarnation fix, I guess; and you'll never get out of it without the help of Jim Days. You're surrounded by the niggers, who will watch yer every movement, and see you don't make tracks. Guess yer doesn't close a peeper without their knowledge. Now, chummies, I guess if it suits this child to help you, he'll do it; and I calculate if it don't, he won't; and here yer British carcases will jist remain, that's a fact. Now Colonel,” addressing himself to me, “what says you? Will yer make terms or not?”

Up to this time we had preserved a dignified silence, and let him talk away; however, I thought we might as well hear what he had to say, so I said—

“Let's hear your proposition first?”

“Waal, Captin, it's this, yer see I intend to locate hereabouts, for a while. Now I want some persuasive way of making myself boss among these here niggers; and the persuation I reckon on is your guns. You hand them over to me, and Jim Days will see you out of this business. Guess it's fair trading, that, Captin?”

“But what guarantee have we that you will keep your word, even supposing you have influence enough to carry out your promises?”

“You just trust to Jim Days, he'll find away to circumwent the natives, and nary a party be the wuss for it.”

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“Come again to-morrow morning before we meet the chiefs,” I replied, “and we will give you an answer then.”

“Guess you're darned civil and sensible for Britishers arter all. Waal, bye-bye, gentlemen; and Jim Days', best respects to you all.”

Exit Jim Days.

“Do yez see any grane in the white o' me eye?” muttered Pat, as the Yankee disappeared. “Divil a gun will we be after lettin' ye have, ye blackguard.”

“I suppose there is but one opinion amongst us,” I said, “and that is not to trust him.”

“I for one,” remarked Hunter, “will not part with my gun on any account. So long as we retain our fire-arms we have got a hold on the natives; they are too frightened of them to attack us.”

Our dinner, in the shape of fish and a sort of coarse bread, was brought to us by a native woman, who retired without speaking a word. Late at night Potona returned to us. The first words he said were, “What white man want here?” We related the particulars of our interview with that individual.

“Bad! much bad,” exclaimed Potona. He then informed us he had just overheard a conversation between Jim Days and the two principal chiefs then at the village. Days had offered to deliver us safely into their hands, and obtain our guns, provided he received the old chief Noettani's daughter to wife, and was promoted to a position second to Noettani himself, and his son Hetarpopo. After some discussion his terms were agreed to, and Days informed them of the plan by which he was to get possession of our guns, and leave us defenceless in the hands of the natives.

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We thanked our friend most heartily for his kindness, and the zeal he showed in our welfare.

Potona further informed us that the two chiefs had made a great mistake in consenting to Days' request that he should be made second to them, for in doing so they would virtually overthrow Matapere, who had a very powerful interest in the tribe; and his friends at present in the village, whatever feeling they had against us, would never allow his father to be supplanted by a white man.

On the death of Noettani, his son. Hetarpopo, would succeed as head chief, and on the death of Matapere, Potona would become second in rank to Hetarpopo.

He went on to say that Days had acquired very great influence during his father's absence, and his friends being greatly in the minority had had to give away; but he felt assured that once his father returned everything would be right. Before Hetarpopo could put Days into the position of second chief, Potona and his father would have to be disposed of.

That night we took it in turns to keep watch, in case of any attempt at foul play.

Next morning, early, Days paid us a visit, and by his looks he had evidently made up his mind that we would knuckle under to him without further trouble.

“Mornin', Captin, mornin', gentlemen. Hope I see you all frisky as kittens. Waall, I rather guess as how I've made it square with the chiefs,” (yes, you have, thought we,) “and when you've given up your fire-irons, you're free as if you were in the States.

“Jim Days!” I exclaimed, springing to my feet, and seizing him by the collar, “Jim Days! you're a liar and a page 102 scoundrel; you would betray men of your own race into the hands of a set of savages, just to suit your own villainous ends, and secure your promotion. If you want our guns you'll have to take them by force, not by palavering.”

“Now jist don't,” Captin, he exclaimed, trying to free himself from my grip, “don't you go and fluster yourself like that. There's no occasion for yer to git yer dander up. Look'ee here, strangers, I'm acting fairly and honestly by yer, as I'm a living man.”

“Go! I yelled, giving him a push that sent him sprawling on the ground outside the hut. “Go, you lying villain you! and at the first attempt of treachery towards us, you'll get an ounce of lead in your head.”

Picking himself up, he turned to us, and shaking his fist said, “I'll make yer suffer for this. I'll bile yer, roast yer, and skin yer alive, every man of yer. I'll teach yer what it is to make an enemy of Jim Days.” So saying he turned on his heel, and strode off to the chiefs' huts.

An hour later we were again summoned before the council. Jim Days was standing beside the chiefs, and glared at us as we advanced, with a fiendish look of hate and exultation.

“Keep close together,” I whispered to my companions, “and be ready to defend yourselves at a moment's warning.”

This time we were not questioned at all; but Hetarpopo sprang to his feet immediately on our appearance, gesticulating in a most excited and furious manner, calling us all the epithets his language could command, and wound up by informing us we were to die, as soon as preparations were completed for our torture.

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As long as he confined himself to us not a word was heard; but when after a while he began abusing Potona, Matapere, and all their relations, a murmur of disapprobation was heard. This only made Hetarpopo worse; he stormed, he danced, he foamed, until we thought he would have gone into convulsions.

When he had quite finished, Potona stepped forward and made a telling address. He twitted Hetarpopo with being jealous of his (Potona's) influence in the tribe, and because he possessed such powerful allies as ourselves. He told Hetarpopo that if his father Matapere and people were there he dared not have said a word against him or his friends. He dared him to lay a finger on any of us; he told him of the treachery he was practising in trying to put Days in Matapere's place. Loud murmurs of approbation arose as he ended by challenging his adversary to single combat there and then. Hetarpopo however was not inclined to submit his pretensions to any such test. He warned us once again that we were to die, and after a scowling glance at Potona, arose and stalked to his hut.

All this while we had preserved a perfectly calm and collected appearance, not showing the slightest signs of alarm at any of Hetarpopo's threats. Seeing there was no use in staying any longer, we returned quite unmolested to the hut.

We consulted Potona as to there being any chance of escape. He said we were completely surrounded, and our every movement watched. All the canoes had been removed to prevent our making off in them, and even if we did get out of the village by land, the country was so rough and barren in all directions, and every inch known so well to the natives, that we should soon be overtaken and overpowered by page 104 numbers. So long as we remained where we were, with clear ground to fight on and use our guns with effect, the natives were too much afraid of our fire-arms to attack us, but should they once surround us in rough country, they would have us at a disadvantage.

He counselled us to wait until his father returned, when all difficulty would be swept away.