New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-21

ton, and the crashing OF the trees was all
mixed till you'd think the world had split and
the stars were FALLING.
1.-THE mud and stones were coming down, ana
hail and rain mixed with them. 1t was bitter
cold. The wind cut like knife, and was shiv-
ering with chill and fright Away behind we
could see the big trees waving like grass against
the red cloud above Tarawera; and then the
lightning would come, 'whi-whi,' like a blue eel
across the blackness, and rip through the trees
and send the branches flying There was a
smell like sulphur in the wind, and the air was
full of things spinning stick, and stones and
mud and hail. My word. we couldn't see the
track nor each other. But We went tumblins
among the mud and fallen trees holding on 70
one another, and crying like Children LORD!
don't know how came out alive
but we walked and prayed all we knew,
and al last we came through to the open hills.
There was a little light, like the rainy dawn,
and we could see only gray mud gray mu1.
everywhere. There was no road and the country
seemed all new. We come on wide cracks In the
ground that went away down to the belly OF
the earth, and at the bottom we could hear the
'ruption rumbling along like great pul'ock
team sort Of dust falling even the re
There wasn't a green thing 10 be seen on all 10
hills and the cold wind howled across the say
mud like the dead on the road TO night UNI
my Lordp'
For q full second the woman stood staring
straight before her and her eyes were "lds
with the reflection Of past fear Ihefe "aS d.
lence till she spoke again.
"About shutdown we got Ohinemutu
Down by the lake IT light hut BEHIND US
was the darkness full OF sounds 80 we ca''i1 -
Ohnemutu and rested there. The people ,r una.
came with me are most or them ah'e' '"''
live down there by the lake" q,
She stopped abruptly. and squat'ed down In
her corner again. . - ,x, 10
And do YOU believe dat it all so happen pc
m nee Won saw dat so schrecklich boat upon nei
lake? ?" asked the sugar-man, who was py ha'uio
sceptical and phosophic. or 40 M,
mo replied Howhaia, graVely; 40 hoe
COW tho 'runtion came because OF the biacH
canoe I say the canoe came because Vi '"'
'ruption 1t was a warning - ,,o,no "a
but IL you knew something was going I'd ~
bust why didn't you pack your ''aP" ~
clear?" asked the "Gumsucker .,., ,,,o :.
because" answered she. solemniy' now was
we TO know? It might have been worse " ~
than stav. The mountain had stood toreve.'
h ,vv couId we tell il would change? IL was peI-
fer to STAY by our whares ana pray ~
Then the room grew very quiet put Ior .n7
rustic Of the leaves OF the Spou, Uses across
hook Outside there were welrd ioises a.. /,
tho Yellow road where the mud vo 'canoes etun :
ard plop among the tree niue ~ nv, 80
whined at the open window ana set 'ne s'"'A'
wreaths rolling back. ,,o.
Time for the moe (sieep)' sa'u '''e
| taking out his watch ,,,,, roarv.
| The "Gumsucker" yawned. walk We,
veorv-valk-ah" he said solemnly' whicn "a.
W. -; IA yor mir, some occult reference 10
10 Iocality that afforded him much simple en-
| joyment I'LL, oooa NIGHT and
So the company babe itself good-nE tsnt anu y,
broke up. and went us ways ""i'
| Thomas Cook, decreed.
Nearly twelve months after that story was
! ,oid and forgotten | was in Southern to"L
T tnow a man there who talks OF the ouuu.ns
q - ~ tho colony" and who buys local WORK ~.
( tho Measure of himself and the encouraeenen'
of the colony aforesaid ne mas Ina ,nSics upon his
| friends They call him a bore, but oelne .
| moneved bore, they bear with MN anu ~, ~ ~
hobby. He showed me his COLLECTION anu ie' VA
M WbiIe he was talking and was attending less
TO his words than to his pictures TWO she.cn is
caught my eye. They were not IKE tne ihaJo' -
| 80 tho collection but showed pOiuness Va
| touch and sense Of color very retreshlus W Nv
sight after the endless colonial "potoouers'
with their cake-icing mountains ana cAs'0' VA
lakes. NJ. a,,,.o re
I ond seemed 10 me good but II was the lai 81
sketch that interested me. II was "ater-co'oi'
twenty inches by fourteen, OF a lake scene .
! A hug. cared war-canoe, win Dach, pe
! feathered fgurehead seemed TO come straight
for one out OF the frame The pear -sheh eyeS
OF the carvings stared straight a. pne1 -
looked very eerie. Twelve men paddie1 tne
canoe and in the bows a naked giant 49, -,
dished greensboro club hot. sleepy -looh.us
haze seemed TO simmer along the laAe, aiu , - ~,
line of brown faces and raised paddies luhcu p.i
into this haze and gave the thing ghostiS ,ooA'
Through the body of the last padder could see
the dim outline OF the further shore' a. -
through veil Of brown smoke. anu s uana
enough though the feathers or the hsuIen :.
stood straight upright, anu 'hciN -.
Wind the lake was covered with waves THAI
broke in foam from the bow Of the canoe. As
looked at that picture | felt my flesh creep as
a lizard were crawling down my spine
Then | saw in the corner OF the sketch' III Ieo
ink the words ~
''Tarawera, May %. 1886"
and the initials j. NJ"
And suddenly Howhaia's tale returned 10 tne,
and with an uneasy creeping sensation ! turned
to ask my friend where he got the pictures
II got those two" ne said. five or six years
| Aanfa Ennu M no 4 a
curious story. man came to me one Day looh-
ing half starved and very shabby. He SAID ne