"EHAFFOR HIM?"

Otaki Mail, 10 May 1922, Page 1

"EHAFFOR HIM?"

MAORI AND THE BULLDOG

A PIG HUNTING INCIDENT

The Mokau correspondent of the Taranaki Herald is something of a wit, and his weekly letters usually contain a humorous description of some local incident. The following is culled from last week’s letter:

Speaking of pigs, the Maoris asked' the new chum if he would like to go out for a day's pig hunting with them., He said ho would —very much. They , said: "You gotta dog?" ‘‘Oh yes, I gotta dog," was the reply. "Allr-i, you bring," they said. So in the morning, he brought his dog along to the pah—a real bulldog, with a head such at some of you in New Plymouth may have noticed on a bottle of Guinness"' stout; compact head, with a nose crushed flat and turned up. The Maoris looked at it—long and intently. They said to the new chum "Whaffor him?” "Oh!" the new chum said, "anything." The chief of the tribe then put in a word. He said: "That dog, he no good for pigs; to flat in the ' nose, no can smell good; better tie up, and we take our dogs." ‘‘Eight you , are." said the new chum, "anything 1 for a quiet life. You catch my dog and tie him up. ’ ’ But there was some--1 thing uninviting about the look of that • bulldog, and the chief, after noting its strong teeth and determined eye;. | thought perhaps it might be easier to let it join the expedition than to catch and tie it up. tso the bulldog went. ' No sooner had the party got into the . bush than the yelping of the dogs an.j nouneed the discovery of pigs- The j bulldog, working on his own, laid out I four; the other six dogs working toge- ’ ther had only one to- their credit at the end of the day. In due course the party arrived at the pah bearing the ■ -spoils of the chase, nothing being said about the respective merits of the dogs. A couple of days afterwards, however, the new chum happened >o be passing along the road outside the pah. He heard a fearful howling of dogs. "Wondering what on earth could be the j cause, he praeeeded to investigate. He | had not gone far before he found a row of six dogs with their heads through and jammed tight between the stabs of j a fence, and the Maori chief on the other side with another stab, and wir--1 ing into them for ail he was worth. . "Hey there!" shouted the new cnuni. k "What's that you’re up to?” The ■ chief paused in his labour, and when the new chum got close enough he said, ‘ 1 Py korry. you got et fine pig dog. Him nose flat. My doge, all te noses too much point. X make ’em flat like yours!"—and he commenced again—- ‘ biff! bang! bash! Semonetrance was ia vain, and the new chum got over vu

- fence in time to escape a blow that | would have flattened his own nose had j it been in the road.