Waihoura, the Maori Girl

by William Henry Giles Kingston

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 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 stated 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 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 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.”

“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.”