TALES OF THE WILD= ERNESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1348, 27 January 1912, Page 6

TALES OF THE WILD= ERNESS.

THE BROWN INVADER,

(Hy Will Lawson.)

(All Rights Reserved.)

The i.~lanil sfcod in deep water at a distance of about four hundred yards Ik-mi the mainland, and wa.- girt by a rough, rocky beach. Weather-stained vegetation, gra-s and wire-grasa spread i'r<;«i the beach to life hill-rJopes lh.it were clothed in where the Iwi'c rock diil not. r,r ilru'dc. II did not look inviting, but it was nevertheless a wonderfully sheltered s[X)t. because within the circle of low hills iv hie li sliul the sea winds out was a. long gully, where a .-treani ran down to the .-en, starling with great speed and determination, and languishing as it progressed. Native bush clothed the hillsides, while rwds and raupo and tlax grew in the wet land adjoining I lie stream, and small lagoon it formed in its sljnv course near the sea. The islairi wa.s a sanctuary for many birds, and a few of the smalt native rats, which were so timid that they never vent ired beyond the petty thieving of unprotected eggs. Tete tne Grey Teal, Pateke tho Brown Duck, and Parero the Grey Duck were the common people of that peaceful ■.'(immunity. Putaiig'. the Paradise Dick was the aristocrat there, whilo Kar.ika.hia the White-winged ami Whio the Blue Duck, Kaha the Crested Grobe, and Weweia tho Little Grebe, constituted tho mi Idle class. The native rats dwelt in.the scrub and dry grass, and ran hither and thither all night long and half the day, but did the birds no harm. It was a veritable island of dreams, where no mail ever set his foot and no marauders came by swimming, for in the deep channel between it and the mainland, Taniwha tho Shark and other sca-mo'usters loitered, and' the tide sucked and swirled as it ebbed and flowed. True, Koukou tho Owl brought death and terror to the songsters of the bush when ho came' to dwell among tlicm, and Kahu the Harrier was a, nienaco to the small birds, 100. But among the swamp and river people there -peace till' the Brown Invaaor came.: .'

One moonlight night, when the tide was at. slack water and the • sea shone like polished stone, he came down to the .beach of .the mainland, and looked with longing toward the island. A .very small fellow he-was, this Brown Invader, just eight inches long, with a little lurry body, filled with tremendous courage, and equipped with muscles of iron, and nerves ol toughened steel. The wide channel lay between' him and his. dpsire—a channel that no dog had ever attempted to'swim, nor rat nor cat. But. the Brown Invader sensed food on the .island, ho was very hungry, and lie was an English weasel. Quietly he slid into the water.' and swimming with only his small head above water he pushed off for the island. When he was Jess than a third of the way across, a,lazy eddy of the tide spun him to the right-about, and for a space swept him awav to the right of his course. He did not struggle, just let himself go, and presently the tide went to sleep again. \Vharchou the Fish swam close past the Brown Invader to see what creature of the sea ho was. The .English ' weasel went straight on, and Wharehou slipped like a .shadow into the shadows again. Taniwha the Shark and the other monsters did not notice tho little animal that swam so bravely and cooliy across the deep, dark channel. A cloud had come over the moon when he reached the island. Very wearily he scrambled over the loose stone and shingle. Seeking a place to rest, ho made for a clump of wire-grass. As he reached it, a small rat ran out of it, playfully darting hero and there in • the dim light. In an instant the 'Brown Invader pounced upon him, and slew him -and presently ate him. Then the newcomer went to sleep in the warm nest in the wire-grass which had been prepared for the young that were yet to be born. And thus a period of great unrest came to the dwellers in the Island of Dreams. Tho Brown Invader first made war upon the rats, varying his campaign with raids upon the eggs and young of the bush birds, and sometimes, though; seldom', by attacks upon tho parent birds themselves.

One day, Whio the Blue Duck, returning to her nest in the bank of the stream, where it leaped down the hillside, met the Brown Invader. Treating him as she would a rat, she struck at him with her bill as he passed. But this was where she misjudged her opponent. Ho ran at her with his ears laid back on his low head, and teeth showing. Whio called her mate, a powerful drake. Together they beat tho Brown Invader back, following until ho was clear of their nest and its precincts. When he had at length disappeared, they talked the matter over. In their hearts a new fear dwelt, because of this new factor in their daily lives.

ICoukou the Owl hovered over the in the moonlight when the rats came out to play, and many a plump youngster thus met a sudden end. The Brown Invader was abroad on such nights, too, and it was not strange that, boldly traversing, respectively, the air anil the earth these two should meet. Ivoukou, taking him for- a rat, attacked the Brown Invader, awl would have borne him away, but for the slash of white teeth which met in his shoulder, tearing ihe muscles anil making somo feathers fly. Koukou's huge eyes were alight with surprise and horror, yet he fought well in tho hopeless fight. The weasel, nearly mad with rage, fought, like a demon until Ivoukou, crippled and unable to escape, could only peck feeblv and hiss viciously until his fife had run ont with his blood, and ho lay a soft, inert heap of feathers. The rats, watching from their shelters, came out when the Brown Invader had gone, and ate their aforetime tyrant, Koukou the Owl. Through the length and breadth of the valley and swamp, the wave of uneasiness passed.' All the birds grew wary, not knowing when or where they might meet this . Brown Terror that had come amongst them. Yet he never attacked the laTge birds, only the wrens and fernbirds and fan T tails. Often he raided an unprotected nest, even those uf I'utangi the aristocrat and of Kahu the coward. With good living and warm weather, the Brown Invader was very happv on the Island of Dreams. Yet there is an end of all things. Heavily "orged, on a warm day, the Brown Invader was curled up on the fern, sound asleep. Kahu tho Harrier saw him there, and passed and repassed, full of fear, yet desirous of doing great deeds, if only no risks were run. Suddenly and swiftly he swooped, shot past tho 'sleeper, then turning, sharply struck his talons into the flosh and tur and soared again, bearing tho weasel with him. Then commenced a fierce fight in the . air. . Though his body was held in a grip like a vice, the Browu invader's teeth were free, and he made the Harrier's fiisht difficult and painful. Finally Kahu dropped him. The rush of the" air in .fhe■ weasel's ears stunnul him, but.he had swift return to his normal senses' when , he. fell splashing into the middle of the channel that cut off the island from the niaiuland. Kahu had carried him off th« island, arid when he released him they had -been poised above the sea. Rising from his plunge, the Brown Invader struck out for the nearest. shore, which happened to be that of the mainland. He crept out on the beach wlienee he had fared forth on that moonlit night some weeks • before. A weary, aching creature, glad to be on the warm earth again, he shook the water from his ears. In the sky he saw Kahu hovering about the island, ldiere life had run so smoothly. But lie turned away from the sea and plunged into the bush beyond the beach. And peace! reigned again on the island. " '