DARING ADVENTURE

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 146, 30 October 1863, Page 4

DARING ADVENTURE

[From the Correspondent of the New Zealander']. Monday Oct. 19. Last Tuesday evening Mr. Von Tempsky, of the bushrangers, and Mr. M’Donnell, of the defence corps, started on a secret expedition to the front; they stayed the following day at Wangamariuo and its neighborhood, viewing as much of the countrv as possible from the high ground in the vicinity of that post; and when darkness had settled over the face of nature, turning their steps towards Paparata, they proceeded cautiously along, so as to leave no track, if possible. There are two strips of bush on either hand of the hill on which the pa is situated. It was the intention of these two hold adventurers to have proceeded straight to one of these and there lie hid, but fortunately for them, as it afterwards proved, they changed their minds, and lay in the flax swamp by the side of the footway. Here, from 3 a.m., all the next day until dark again shielded

them, they lay hid by the flax, mereljflj&eeping a sharp look-out on the track whugh the loopholes in the hushes. At early dawn five armed natives were noticed coming along the track in the same direction, and as if following on their tracks. The two adventurers lay every moment expecting to he obligated to use revolver and knife in self-de-fence, hut the “five” passed on their way to Paparata. Next came a rider on a grey horse from the pa and galloped along the road to Meremere, carrying despatches for the commander of the native forces ; this individual was booked for capture on his return. Now became manifest the lucky chance which deterred our two heroes from entering the be-fore-mentioned strip of bush, for a large party of the enemy were there engaged pigeonshooting for a considerable portion of the day; this bush was but a few yards from the spot where Messrs. Yon Tempsky and MacDonnell were lying, and all their conversation could be overheard. The last-named gentleman, who is thoroughly acquainted with both the ways and the language of the natives, estimated that there could not be less than several hundreds of the enemy—literally filling the strip of bush; fortunate indeed it was for them that they had not chosen that spot for their hiding-place, for at present they were quite safe, as the pigeons would not be likely to take shelter in a flax swamp. But now the yelp of dogs was heard, and the grunt of a pig which they had started, and our two adventurers found themselves in a peculiarly uncomfortable position not at all to be envied by the most ardent lover of excitement—a position in which they were constrained to continue in anxious suspense until the danger should be literally upon them. Knives were drawn ready to finish any intruding dog who should have taken the first scent, without allowing it time to give the alarm—when down pours the rain 1 Never before had the prospect of a downright good soaking been so welcome perhaps as now it was to those two dangerously-situ-ated men, for they knew that the natives would prefer the shelter of their huts to even pig-hunting. Down came the rain, all the afternoon—still steadily it poured down, and at dark when our adventurers started cn their return, it will not be surprising that they felt cold, stiff, and hungry.

Where the track to Wangamarino diverges from the Meremere track they again lay hid waiting for the man on the grey horse whom they expected to return -with despatches. The plan was all arranged—Mr. M’Donnell was to hail the horseman in the native language, which would cause him to stop and then both were to leap out, one dispose of the horse and the other of the rider, but he came not—more than an hour they waited, and then thinking he perhaps might not come at all they continued on their way and arrived at the Waugamarino stockade, where they were most hospitably received by all the officers stationed there, who had sat up in expection of their return, and after doing justice to a hot supper in waiting, then turned in.