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

casting a vindctve glance at Tommy. That's
how Pohutu died; but the Maori here, these
Arawa, say that Pohutu's curse brought the
| 'ruption, and they think that Is why he lived
though he was buried five days. But don't
believe all that. am Ngapuhi; all the Arawa
are slaves"
In the pause that followed the fat French
creole scrubbed furiousy In corpulent note
book which all Of US knew but too we'll
mon Dieu" he said, looking up from his
writing. was It five days, Madame? Five days
he was buried?'
NO; five months" replied the Gumsucker.
Five months! C'est vrai?' began the voluble
/ Friedman. He was known as the Spout
BATH" because when turned on he emitted an
unt easing stream of false facts about every
thing He seemed to have started. The globe
trotting Britsher groaned audibly. The mild
professor raised a deprecatory hand.
Turn him off. turn him off, said the Gympie
miner in an aside to the skipper.
| Howhaia looked up.
81 vonce haird'- began the "Spouthbath."
| but she interrupted him.
THE gentlemen wishes to hear me-, she SAID,
decisively; when l am done they may hear
| you. sir"
The "spoutbaths' stubbly beard bristled. but
| he was silent
Good on the Maori" murmured the Gum
sucker"
"Ae,' said Howhaia, rolling out the full
rnouthed v,wes, II was going to tell you more
bout what happened before the ruptiOn.
1t was fourteen days before the big crash
/ was upon the lake, not the old lake that is
| gone but the you have seen. There were
| two Maori padding my canoe and one Pakeha
! European. l don't know his name but he
| had paper and paint and made pictures
1T was bout o'clock In the morning, with
blue sky and very little breath of north
wind. We had padded bout halfway down
| the lake when all sudden the water began to
go back and fore-back and fore-like this"
! She swayed from side to side, swinging wide
| her arms.
big waves came over the lake" She went
on sprngng to her feet and walking the room
! with earnest gestures and sparkling eyes Big
waves!-and the wind had dropped. 1t was still
overhead and not a cloud! There was no SOUND,
but the waves came rolling up. and the canoe
heaved and dipped. and | tell you | wondered
what was coming!'
Suddenly she stood rigid, pointing with one
| brown skinny finger across the room. and her
/ eyes were fixed and staring as if she were look
ing through the further wall.
Then | saw" she said slowly. with lowered
voice, II saw way on the far side Of the lake
great canoe shoot out from the pohutukawa
Christmas 9 trees you call then,-that grow on
the shore. 1t long way Off, bout a mile
and half. but | could 1t was a big war
canoe. There only one man In It, and he
was not padding; but it came on toward us, like
a shark. There was only one man. for we saw.
! He was very big, and he stood up in the nose
OF the canoe and danced the Ncarahu!'
! She leaped into the middle Of the room as she
spoke. and illustrated the wardance. with quiv-
ering palms and eyes rolling furiously
moi" she continued painting from her exer-
tions. there was none TO paddle 1t, but the
canoe came on straight for us. Then, as II came
nearer we could two men in 1.-THE tall man
that danced and another that padded
THE two Maoris that were with were
afraid. They said. Let US go back, this Is
devil but said No, it is all right; will not
go back So padded
1.-The war-canoe came nearer and nearer, and
il came / in il three men. then four.
I then fve"-she counted her fingers she
/ spoke-"then six. We all counted. The two
/ men that were with me were Kepa and Totaia
/ They alive. Ask them If ii is not true.
THE big canoe came on and on, and we saw
more men, more men, more men. When they
came near there were twelve padding and the
/ tall man that danced They only two hun
! dred yards away and their paddles made the
water white. but we could hear no sound. The
| big man danced and sang the war song. for his
mouth moved, and the paddles kept time to the
song but we heard nothing My word. was
afraid. But the Pakeha sat still with his paper
and things making a picture of that canoe.
! 1T came The men were all naked and
! tattooed-nOt like we tattoo now-t was the old
! tattooing our fathers had long ago. They had
angry faces painted with red clay like they
used to in the old wars. The canoe was Old too
black with oldness. 1t had a high carved
nose-what you call t?'
! "Figurehcad," suggested the skipper
"AG. That's it, The fgurehead was all carved
over with faces and great Pawa- shell eyes, with
| feathers tied upon it, The big man in the nose
| OF it a chief. He had the red kaka-feather
! belt about his waist. and in his hair the hula
/ feathers and greensboro mere in his hand
| He great chief, but chief of the dead
! Il looked, shaking And | said to myself
! What men are these? They not Of the
! tribes OF the Arawa.
"Toaa and Kepa stopped padding for fear
! These Arawa are towards. But the Pakeha
| not afraid. He went with his picture
| good picture ka pal
when the black war-canOe came to the mid
| die OF the lake bout fifty yards from us stood
up. holding the steering paddle and called "Tena
| Koutou" But those men took no heed. And we
heard nothing, not a whisper of a sound, but
| the water ripping under the steering paddle.
| The two Maoris that were with me lay in the
| bottom of the canoe making PRAYERS. The Pa