"Yes. Very nearly got Rewi, as he was crossing the mound. Strictly impartial."
"And a most pathetic sight it was" said Massinger, "when they were crossing the mound at the other side of the swamp. I saw the column file by—men, women, and children, all as serious as a funeral, and as cool as if they were going to market. I hadn't the heart to fire another shot. Every now and then I could hear a woman's voice—not complaining, far from it—urging on the men to keep going and to shoot when they saw a chance."
"Warwick says you had a close shave. So much for not minding your business. Thinking about Erena Mannering. Soldiers no right to have feelings. Harass the enemy, sink, burn, kill, destroy. Navy regulations; army too."
"Certainly a bullet did hit the tree I was leaning against, close to my head. Queer thing, too; it came from the friendly side. I distinctly saw the smoke from the bush, where our natives were."
"You must have been in the line of fire."
"Nothing of the sort. It was a side shot."
"Any one cherishing ill feeling that you know of?"
"Well—no. Now I come to think, there was an ill-looking dog of a Ngapuhi with us at Rotorua, that was turned out of the party by me and bullied by the chief. His name was Ngarara."
"Wh—ew! I've heard the reptile's name before. Cousin or something of your Zenobia—admirer probably. Acute attack jealousy."
"Might have been. After he went I didn't trouble my head about him. I had a great mind to give him a thrashing, but Warwick said it might cause trouble."