ADVENTURES of Kimble Bent

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 257, 3 November 1906, Page 15

ADVENTURES of Kimble Bent

[Bights oi Eeprodncfcion Reserved*] a ' , i B< ! to

The Story of a Renegade,

I r, E7 JAMES COWAN. 5 '

•Hie K«narkaWp Adrpntures of Kimble Bent, a des»*t-er the Briti-h -j ajr.onsst the rebei Hauhau !Ma.ori? of Nliw Zealand. Now for the tirst ihne told in prra'. |

wppk? later, Vrh-rn the pakehas 3gain attacked the stockade (which, in the 'neantinip, had been rppair<»d and c strengthened), this time from the rear. \ , Rariy one w-arm .ifTPrnoon. ; : thp va?t foresT lay ?teeped in .-aim. j ] ."i;l Taranjki's <pnfr\-p«Mk ros? likf a '■ , CfP:lt iviir;, te:r ,i;r of The blue ii.iZP ij tlirt! Intrhfil i?> \vnodt>il u.ise. the «n\ind I of Ut-avy i-ift*-firirij» suddenly broke 'lie! tjiiier of : 'ir wildenie.--. llii' ~'io'.s (.-iinip from i he Mouiiiain I -ide of the p«. the opposite one to Lhat i l>y wiiirji th» truopt* hail advanced on i , •'.«> rir«t (K-cajion. 'Vh* [Hcquets nf rhe | I i'LiiiiuiiN in rear of thg. fori had un- j, i"-X[iertedly Istru attacked by (.'olonel ili'Donnell awd .1 uoliimn "f A.C."- and J volnnteprs amd friendly Maoris, in all 1 I -TO men. from Waihi. The native- fell j 1 back on thru- defem-ps. the white -I'ldiers. advancing in skirmishing order, I -■•on saw heve and there through the j rrpp.- and ujidprgTowtb the irregular I ;npf nf the pi ilisade line-. Tir.oknwnru when tii Q ?hot= wptr I hranl a- the column advanced on *.lip ' ' p.i. ran to d'recf- the defence of rhe jm. >eeing B-nt fiti the marae of the j village. !t» oi Jpred him to follow his i plr'ifi rcluiv.T an old man named Te ' ! and ri'tire into the iiii-h in tin , i'thcr dirpction. until the | ncht >va> oves . >o rhp white nun and j old U'.ika and tnosr nf Th.> none roniba- j 1 rants nf tno *ia —old mm. women and : '■. i'irpn—hurrted away to 3 -hi'lt.erpd : ■ place in the of the wood?. , j .in-i remained Ihere -i.il r ~ha~ afternoon ' and Tiitr'nt. ! \\ bile Bent van busying himself in 1 putting up a ewugh wharau or rhed nf J saplings and f»rn-tree frond.- for the [

1 &APTER XT. BhUcihl t- r Hauhaii?—<"•!•! -Tac.h to th? ' Resn''.' -"I'h* , Batrlp of IV NVnt.i----,1- - :; t in -llfl'v \ on T"mp«ky ff-i' Be i; rl .. ...-.-:■ ; ■■un'U peril. llie Fun:..!■■■- •■\-'. r '-d i-y tile news 01 R .,, ]f ,-. i-.i. 'i,;; ,ii, ' -.iiiim:ir.V «f..1l- . tion \ver« t'liT--*- , \* !"- r .i '• in deuieanour. snii " ~,„,. !• ,■-■ ~.,..!■« 111-Hi, ~a n ip| dam-iuL' ■!> ; - ; "•• " '' ; - '"- h«* ; ■walk"'! in:.) "!:•■ ■. with nu.'naiinir Shouts, ■nij.h..-'-.■! I.; -ava-- tbigli j slapping, ■■piikiin.i ' >'\2. nnd grimacing with out-thni-! '• nnd ".••-. m l simibr dcmoii-tr.itions of derision I ana hatred. A council if t •'• pt-opli' v, a- held on I the niarae nn hi.- return, and The killing of Kant 1 w.i- narrati'd 1:1 min'.irp.-t and] barbaric- retail. Ihcn >evpral Hanban? m-, i". rum. airl demanded thr ! deatk ot " flnuningi." on the prin- . cipie that al I'akpliaU w.tp ;mrn'iib>. '■ aud thai i- w.i-i h f..olish poij.-y to keep. on- in thp i-amn wl.o might -oom-r nr j liter betray them. " ix , - u< lea.l him outside tho -':i :irs.i -hoot him." pmpow»rl • om- truculent young warrior oi i\\". j "Tpkaii-nin -r.i.«." "Kaari! -*\>l I'itokowani. in hi-I peat nwrin-.' ■'■:'-. ,i.« he r>i-c wivh hi-Rpcar-tar: 7 \u ::- iiaml. " " kingiriagi " j is my pakeha. 1 hay." r.ipu'd him. and I have tnlil nun '\\.\t hi- life 1- safe. If. Tfflj want '-'■ -ho;- binj—well ymi mu.-t i "kMlmp tir-r: - j Thpn. riimir-.' v t'hp wlntp man. mo! war-chief f"»k him '•>• the hand. le<l ! him to hi.> i'V.l huu.-i , . ;ind phut rhe

shelter of him»ijlf and some of his com- j Damons his fetow-pakehas were in dcs- ; Before 'bey wild reach thp stookade ' ■1 •••rrihl" •'n- was nil at onrp opened i upon them by invisible eneraii>. j Th" Haulmus had taken to rheir trpp , - 1 . : : ■ •doub;.-. F.\ t-ry lare» r-ata and piika- i , : tPil 'hat jjrew about the pa hold its , littl» L'trri-on of savasre Bushmen— ( I -orn° en.-ooP'ipd within the hollow j ,| r runk«. standing on roujrh -t.i^f , - and ; [pvoiiirii: thpir ifiins thronsh the loop- . I lio'ips they had flit: som. l perohfd up [ in imp forks of thp prrar rroofcpd 1 liraiifhe-. ihplterwl by the And , nearlx LiU-n'iina in i-olmir \sirh the tre»Tiii< trpe-tops -pat leaden d«ath. Thp . ' "".'sir* , men. assailed by -o Uor. j. tire ; frojii 3ii<-h. Tvell-hidderj were bp-wiUl<»ri-iI. Then, they took cover. I :;fhl dodged from tree to trpe. tiring" at anything that miffht indir-it* , a, TLiuhan. iht'V i-auglit iMimpsps hpre and therp j <■{ brnwn figures riittins like forest- ' ilprcon- froru covpr to cover clo-,. to the ?toekading. and here and there a naked brown limb shovvinjr in a rrpet'ork. as some incautious Hauhau mo- ■ mentarilr pxpoaed himself. 1 I'pon the-ie trees some of the veteran '. bush-fighters under McDonnell and \ on j Tempsky clirw'ted their return fire, and j an occasional dpad or vronnded Hanhau. his »nn ilroppiniT from hi? hand, came . j trvpplino , to thp ground. <~>ne yonns ■' A.C. officer »hot two ny thr' j r Miioi-i- ----. in the one trve. Tup Hauhau -nip<=r- -p«med to .=pe<i--1 ;iil\- single ouf the white officers, who .'were conspicuous in their silver-lacpd ■ i :ip> 1 mi- of Titokowa.ru's lieutenant-. ■ -I mnn mirnpd Wairau. i- rriPiitionpd .y t r Maoris as having careftiUy reservpri '■ i< fire, from hi« post in a hu:re old ■ j rata-trep. for the officers. of the ofrieprs wisheil to :<torm " "ip pn. hut McDonnell, weiujj the ' >trPnath of the position, refused, and I 1 procei'Jed to extract his otir-maaoeu- ■ I vrp-il men as bpst he could, from the " I trap into which tlipy had fallen. ' Hip iniirk-men in the rata-trees fired ; «"ith'<ui yelling or war-cries, -and in 1 I :noit fherp wa.s little to indicate '; their position but the puffy cloud? of : "=Taokp. that him;; about their leafy re- ' doubts. I Rut loud shout.- and '-all- of en--o;ir- " s 1 aaempnt fro.m the chiefs came from the ' stoi-kadp. behind which many of th" ■Tekau-ma-nia" had taken post. ;ind were throwing bullets into the white I rank< a- fa-t as thpy c.-ufr! fire and ' j r.-load. in hand. Yon Tcrap-ky. thp 'doyen of foresr-ranrrers. steppe.t out of rovpr to cut away sum* , brushwood in ijrder to 'J"et v dear view of the pu. when !..■ re!l. dxit dead by a Hauhau j hidden 111 a ratn. Hero nf half-a-dozen c:ampaij»ns. this picturesque soldier of i I fortune was the inntral tisrnre in count- ' I [ess stories ~t daring and adventure, the ' adored of hi- vpnran bushwhackers. and the terror of the Maoris—to whom i he was known as "Manorau." and who ' '■ Sold ivondroue talcs ~f his prowess with ' ! his thro-s _ an<l his long crooked 1 I •••word. He had begun soldiering , life Mas ;] Prussiu-n Chasseur, had -erved unI j the Emperor Maximilian in Mexico. 1 J and in sundry Central American wnrs. r I as well as the Waikato campaiarn (ieneral Cameron: he was a clever artist. 1 an.i .1 travel-writer little less than brilliant—and he fell at hist to the bullet, of ? a naked sarapre pprrhed Like a monkey '" I in a tree, above a- Maori bush--tookade. 1 Ot'.it'i officers dropped, and the. re- ■ I treat begun. With appailin? yells the Hauh.ius rushed from their pa and ' ! their tree-torts ;l .nd pursued the retiring ' ! whites, who itiide their way slowly off the field, encumbered with inanv wound- ■ : n<l. The 'lead had to be ]pfi where they : iVil. ' : Tile story of that terrible retreat r ' J through the forest by night has been 1 ': told by many survivors, some of whom i now farm their peaceful lands almost ! 1 withiu view of the historic battlp- * ! ground of Te N"srutu-o-t.e-manu. <Jne or these is Mr. James Livingstone, of the Wai-npronaroro. who in Captain 1 Roberts' anllant little rear-gnard helped 1 : to hold thp pursuing Hauha'US in check. 1 and whenever a man fell near him, ' i smashed his against a tre«. so " ; 'hat it. wnu:i 1-e .i.nr-erriceable to the '■ eneroy. ' • Twenty-ffiir of tb" colonial soldiers - j —live of ti!".n officers—were killed and twenty-si* wounded in this fatal attack t on th" "Bird's-BeaJt" pa. c In '.he parly morning after the battle.

pprjple out. lie told •' " that. in the present tcra['-r <i thn tribesmen he hud better remain ;'- much as he i-niild in the whari'. nr"! that, at any rate, he not vpneurp Mr f-.-ni rh , dour unles= ho. Tin Is.'/. « < • ■' v. ah iiiui. or in riew, -raw day- later. " 1' i imirir-i." im.ii:iniog from th- nmrn -fttle-.l nn.i paciti'ittituilp of 'iie Haiiliiiii' that ho no ran any risk in taking hi- walks abroad, wandered a distance out aide :K- -t.j.-kjde in., the forest, and. tPiitinu bmi-oit -n a fiillea trep-tnink. HIM hi- pipe for a .|uiet s m nke. suddenly lie heard ii cough. He looked about him. hut -a'\ no one. •Who's there? ■" he call.-I out. ivoiif ab'.ve him and '['lire i-I"?e. replied. " It : .- I—Hakupa,. ' "Bingirinsri ~ looke.l m< ijuii-k'y. .and s'.w Mi ■'!•/ tattooed man namert Ha\.\.\v.,;,. per.-he<l on die Innea! branck vii 1 spreading rata tree, with a douU.e-biineWeil ci'n ii hi- hand. 11.<.-----kiipa 'Ms ,1 ta'.'i. -"t-.ii_''.i: old fellow. ... fetsran of the ancient fisrhtinif type. Bent hid a ihi>r'iu-_'h admiration tor him as a man ■•; courage, without the > .■:' th- ynuni "toas"; Elakopa had for a lonjr time exhibited a kindly leanini: towards the white man. and had been n tirni friend ef Ms all throush 'be troubled days in tin 1 pa. '■Quick, lie »aid in ;' low i-a.a-----tioD? Tore's. "• Hk!» yourself. Riugi! When yon walkpd out of the p:i 1 hennl two men who wer» v ; 111 ! 11 nu r yi>u say that they would foilov\ yoa up and kill youasthpy hiul !>i'lp<i Kan.' Fliey w-n-----to their »br- for their «oapon>: And I foUoweil you ijui ki\ to udrn you. [ saw you standing there ami climbed <m this branch to see what those men are doinj. X tama! CoTi'-eal yourself. They iro coming." The white? man hastily =plet-ted a hidiiiff-pla'f , . 1 iosp t'j the rata-tree was a jreat jungly ina-s of pprinsy mangemange creepers, and thorny " bu-hhiw-Jer." sruwinir close t" the fprnmai'.ed giound. Throwing himself on hi- face. lip crawled undprueath the brambly shelter. disrenrardin.tr many .1 ->-ratch from tin , prickly ■■ lawyer " »v bare limbs. Hardly 'i,ad he" reached "hi- jila.-e r>f Cfiiitealmen' than two \"i]l;ur.i>Ujj-vi-~aLr p d iijiuiia v- walked '|iii'-.kly along dm track from the [ja-jfatpway. Both swmjoj tomahawk- a- they finie. and one earrieil ar hi- girdle a revolvertrophy tak-11 from -<jme -lain vvhiw olliepr. Hnkopa d.'S.-endinu from his tfp-perrh. they >rnpped and asked: 'Wher- ia the paJich.iV Did .1 -cc lim pass., ' "Why do yon ask' , " -vi 1 : he old man. "We liaTi. roaif to kill him." replied *ne of the men. "Where i- he ' ' Hakopa instantly j.i:' hi- ■ 0.-ke.l "tupara" to \\\~ -hoiiidr-'r and It-veileil it At the- ForeraosT ~f the llauhan-. the man with the revolver. "Ha<re .i".!i'" he nnlere-d. "'lo! Leave this -p"- at oru-e or f will -hoot. J o, '- 'Ringirinai' is my friend." The uld fellow's il<»t,»rti"'ineil air ((iiite evetawerj i ; .. r,: ; -'inrrr'■:--. and r'ley •nikily and -I'-n" , .- se'-unwl tn the pa. ■Tittih wjti-hed "them otl". and when . white niiin ii.id crawie,l out again from hj. hi linj \A,ur hf i»-.-nrti'd hi 11 Wfc to r!iP pa.' nalkin; in front ■■;" dim with his <tug ■-0.-k.-d. on the alert f °r any atra-k o U Lis protein-. He f°ok "Rinsirinai" "■• hi= hiu--. and then ttfonnetj Titok.-iwa.ru ..f the incj.lent. Tne thief showed ?-n anyer. Hi? isspmbleri the Jnri -ternly "rdered them to mole-r f hf white man no more. -It you harm him." he said. shall leave tiie pa. and return to my ''*n villa--. Lis-t'-n'. -Riniririniri' is "enceforth i h \ iirok-Tunii- mv -r.mdchild—an.i [ ~.,u . ,;,-,. i lin ; ~,,,-:„■■• » a «ne,thH name of ..n"- of n,y a * mini,, is now Tv ri-ii-;i-ni. a." Thereafter I'.eni '.vent ;ibou" in ?» f ety. under the -maiu" nf l*S and hi- old name of Ungirin-ji" was hear i no more Oarinjr the month n< Aujust. when and most of r> FLjuhaus were the pa. The Bird's Beak" 2*« d a .urpri**. vi,it from the colo- **[ soldiery, fninpi MeDonneU and «jora \o n Tempsk-y and Hunter led a J K p - of two bunderd men—Armed Wellington and frn , Iton Rifles—through the forest J* Waihi. rushed sfocka.ie. rlrovP t .he defPD.ler-. footing several of and burn,- e , jnle of S t h e whirM ,fld Palisading. }° Ww «, was ; , jU?h: hpre Abont tbrpe

I a messenger from the village sought out i Bent and his companions in their ! forest-refuge, and informed them that the pakehas had been beaten off. -with great loss. All hurried back to the pa. j The white man found the bush-village in a fearful state of excitement —a delirium of triumphant savagery. Yelling ' like furies, shouting ferocious battle- I j songs, waving Their weapons in the j : air. dancing haka-. the whole of tne ; victorious Ha.uhau were there, with ! their spoils of war—carbines, swords. I revolvers, soldiers' caps and belts. i And. most frightful scene of all. in i I the rontrp of the marae were laid in a row the bodies of many white men. stripped naked—the fallen heroee of the ff-rutu-o-te-manu. CHAPTER XII. The -«word of 'MaDonni'" —The ( annil.uN iif the Cu-ii. A Soldier's Body ICat«:n —Why T tikowa.ni Revived i annihalisrr: —A story of the First Maori King. Immediately Kimble Bent entered the gateway ct the '"Bird's tSeai" pa tv.n or three of the "Tekau-ma-rua" warriors irnk charge of him. and march pc him to n sruull thatched hut on one aide of the marai , . shut him iv by h mseii, and fii-tfri'Ml the door on t!if> mitside. for .1 little while the white man -at in i h<- "-loom ut the windowles.-i whar-.. to i h.' licmoniac shouts of the Kauhaiia i)Ut--*ui«*, .m I wondering what would i-DUii , next—whether, indeed, hid own body would Hot shortly bo add. v t.i tlw terrible pil** o£ pakeha soldiers on the rnarai , . At last, hearing Titikowaru's sreat vo;i*e rut-oil in .nmiiiandinir tune?. Bent"-= nnngird curiosity and rear impelled liim to search for a loop-hole from w'.iirh hi? could ?ee what was going ou. Discoverins .1 small ere\"ice in the nikal-leaf walls of the hut. lie enlarged i r - sufnciently to stain n view iof the assemblage en the village square. ' The whole of the inhabitant." "t the ' bush-pa, n-cre there, nien. somen, and 'children, their i.w°~ smudged eha'poal or r p d "chre the paint of the war path. Th«"\ r-quattod on the ground In a srrpat lialf-<irc|e. fa.ing the nude ' ~orp--P« r-.f rh' , vh t:> nffiiors and men. Thi , frightful clamour nf tho sijvage.- ---! had Liven phu'p with »trangr' suddenI yi,;-s in a dfad -il'-nrf\ ;i- they listened I :,-, 1 h*>ir wur-ihicf'-i harangue, unc i wau-h«l him qiiii-kly pacing to am:

J frn. with h.- i-acred "taiaha" in 1.'.- ---: hanil. now rarr>"injfWt at t!v tra. 1 in ■ the "taki" attitude, imw dangling it hijarii lin the H;r as he broke into .1 chant jto 'nis battle-god I'emiku. '•Bring ou; the pakcha." Titokovaru I fr>fJ. « h»n lie had rnded his --p^pch. A Maori rosp. and. unfastening the wharf door. led Bent out on to the ,i.~>pmbly-£rrounil. ll.' \% a r.ikr-n i;p m th" corpus <"-t I the -Iniii soldier , -, mid one of the Hi»:i j hiiu fhiots a<«ked [lira it' ':■• '.n-w an;. Tn ,j nnlv body Bent rould idenrin I was that ot Major \~><r\ Temp-kv. lyinp i [hern nak-d with tlip nThers. i Before di~< !•)-!!]_' hi- rppi'jrnit'ou <;■■ .' rhf white warrior- remain-, he tu.Tiei Co thp people, and asked it any of therr had tuk"n from .1 puk.ehu nffiiir 1 «»vitn with an nnu*ual cnrve in it. and .1 i-a( b->und with a hra." band. A Hauhau ramc forward. and =,i.d. "Ye-. I have them." "Show mc which pak'"ha yon tooi thpm from." -aid Rent. The Maori, with Yon Tompoby sword in his hand. pointi'J tv th" Ma jor'* corpse. ■"Well." naid Bent, "that thp bod , of Manorau. whom the pa.keh.a-* mllei Yon Ternpsky. and that is hi- ■'word. , A great "Ah-h" wont up from thp peo pie. and thp exultant possessor of "Mario rau's" sword of wondrous "mana." ! bounding down the marup rta-diing th I weapon above his head, turning His pair.r ■ ■ r<l fare from side to *ide in th" hideou ■ 'izrim.-ii-e- of thp "pukana." 'and thrusrin • lout fiia tonjrae to an I'xtraordinar; : length. I : The Umihau? yttp in a t'rpnzr of p\ ■ i'ir,. m «>nt wh'Tl they realised that th , renowned "Manorau" was indeed lyin ■'dead hpforp th»m. Some of thi-m pn 1 ,posed tn drnjf the body oik mid cook i [in the lianiri. *o that they micrht hay . thp satisfaction of devouring their nio« " ! dreaded enemy. I But Titokowaru. raising hi- "taiaha. [-aid. '"No—l< j t us wait a while: there i mo n°fil for «uch haste." '- ; 1 To bp Continued on Saturday Xext.i 1 ! :