PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1922, Page 9

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

THE KAITAKI PAH. HOW IT WAS TAKEN. (By “Juvenis.”) . Th® Kaitaki pah, or what remains of it, is situated on. the ranges near Koru, and is one of the most picturesque and commanding in Taranaki. The story of how it was taken by our forces is related by one of the old hands in the News of long ago. Let the hardy old soldier tell ita in his own way: 4t Y® s . I was in old Corbett’s company of military settlers; that was before they kicked me out. We were stationed at Pa Hitiri, the advance post. Whenever there was a move we were shoved in front, and we liked it because we were not interfered with so much. Col- °, ne l Warre made two attempts to take Kaitaki. and failed. He called it reconnoitering. At last he .came to inspect our camp.

The inspection was not much; he leaned over the parapet yarning with the officers, looking occasionally at Kaitaki through a binocular, while one of the officers was explaining his mode of attack,. drawing a plan of the position with*a stick on the ground. The Colonel left, saying he would think it over. In about a week after there was a grand attack made. A large party of troops, under command of Major Butler, advanced in front. Captain Short’s company were sent through the bush in the rear. The fight was short and sharp. The troops in front advanced, keeping up a heavy fire of shot and shell until they were within a short distance of the palisading. The Maoris returned the. fire from their numerous rifle pits with such telling effect that several soldiers bit the dust. Major Butler saw it was a hopeless case and retired. I AN ABORTIVE REAR ATTACK. In the meantime Captain Short, V.C., ■ was m the bush struggling manfully to I get in rear of the position, but was discovered by an outlying sentry and retired. It was a work soldiers were not competent to perform, owing to want of experience in bush travelling. After this affair was over our officers were sent for, and the colonel agreed to have another try. He-ordered Atkinson to take his bushrangers through the bush to the rear, a very severe march. Captain Corbett and Lieutenant Kelly, with thirty mtn each, were sent as the forlorn hope to storm the two pahs simultaneously on the top of the spur forming the right flank of the position. It was one of the most daring and successful charges during the war in New Zealand, although little was said about it. -

We mustered after dark and started for our destination. The country was in its wild state. Then high tutu scrub and fern covered the land from Pahitiri right up the spur on which the pahs were situated. As there was no road or track of any description, we had to make a bee line for it, and overcome difficulties as we met them. At times we had to creep on our hands and knees for 200 or 300 yards to get through scrub and fern that was too high to get over and too low to walk through, down into dark, impenetrable depths, climbing and struggling all through the night. Just before break of day we hit the bottom of the spur leading up to the pahs. It was covered with high fern, and very steep. By this time we had found out the quickest way of getting on. One man went in front breaking down a track; when exhausted he rolled into the fern and let the next man take his place. By this means fresh men were always struggling or making very good progress. A PROUD IRISHMAN. The time of attack was kept very quiet, and when the sergeant read out the names of the attacking party, about dusk, it was a surprise to the company, more especially to a stalwart Irishman, whose name was left out. “Shure, sergeant, ye have made a big mistake; just look at the shlip of paper again, and ye’ll see Mick’s name there in black and white.” The sergeant read over the names again with the same “Boys,” says Mick, “I’ll give any of

yes a poun’ note to let me go.” “Done,” says one; and Mick was marched into the camp. Mick soon explained the position. The captain said, “Why, Mick, you ought to be glad to be left out; you might get shot—it will be warm work.” “Whist, captain, dear, the divil a bullit was ever made that will penethrate meself; an’ if ye’ll just let me go with the boys I’ll be for ever beholden to ye; an’ captain. I’ll have the worth of me money before I’ll come back, no ■fear.” “All right, put him down, sergeant.” Mick seemed to grow several inches. He brought his fist down on the table with startling force, and said, “The devil a prouder man stands in Taranaki this blessed minnit than Mick Doolan.” We had not risen the spur very far when it came to Mick's turn to the front. “Give us room boys,” said Mick, and he went at the high matted fern like a young bull in fly time, leaping and struggling and jumping, throwing himself at full length and crushing the fern down with his weight. Mick got on famously; those near him could hear Iris heavy breathing, but Mick struggled on. at last utterly exhausted he rolled into the fern and said, “Boys, I’m bate, but 1 towld the Captain that I would have the worth of me money, and I have.” On we went, the day was breaking fast and we had to hurry or to get into position without being discovered. At last we arrived high enough to await events. Ir a short time the big guns commenced operations from the flat below. We crept on to within about 50 yards of the pah, and concealed ourselves in a patch of corn without having been detected by the natives.

A HOT TIME. The troops were shelling the pah with a smooth bore. The shooting was the worst I ever saw; sometimes the shell would burst 100 feet in the air, sometimes we could hear the thud in the earth beneath our feet; again 500 yards beyond, over the range; then close jn front, scattering the fragments right among us. It was getting too hot. Whatever glory and honor there might be in being shot by the enemy, there is none in being shot by our friends, so we were on the point of moving out of danger when we heard a sharp ring, different to the loud boom of the howitzer, and a shell bursts right inside the pah. Shell after shell from the two Armstrong's 1500 yards away on the plain below burst with unerring accuracy, until one of the whares caught fire’ The troops below gave three cheers, which we took as a hint to charge, and off we went. THE MAORIS SURPRISED. We knew thtfre were about 600 men in the position. We had counted the

Kapa Maoris every morning for weeks, and could calculate to a nicety. Atkinson was in the ranges, and on account ■of the difficulty of the ground he had to “traverse there was no telling when he might arrive; the troops in front could not support us in any reasonable time, on account of the difficulty in breaking through the fern. We were on our own hook, and we knew it. We went at the two pahs at our best speed, and in a moment we were swarming over the palisading and through every crevice. The thing was done so quietly that the natives in the rifle pits, whose attention was taken up by the movements of the troops below, had no time to resist.

A volley and a few straggling shots was all they gave us as they bounded over the steep bank on which the pahs were built. Now we had breathing time to look round and see what was going on. We were on one horn of the crescent considerably elevated, so that we could see with what consummate skill the natives had fortified the position. Both horns of the crescent were connected by rifle pits, and double palisading the' rifle pits running up each spur to about the height of where we stood, leaving a large hollow in tne range completely secure from attack, save the point we had so successfully carried. It was no wonder the troops were so often driven home.

In a few moments we saw Atkinson emerge from the upper clearing and join us. The natives were in full Retreat. It took them some time to empty the rifle pits notwithstanding the volleys we poured on their devoted heads. About this time one of those scenes that bring out the native characteristic in bold relief occurred. A STRANGE INCIDENT. Two mounted men, Latten and Brooking, were w’orking their way up the opposite spur when they were startled by a shot close by. They made for the place, and soon received another. Then commenced a running fight in the high fern. Crack, crack, goes the revolver; boom goes the Maori smooth boref We could see the three performers from where we stood perfectly. They were often hidden from each other by the dense fern; they ail struggled manfully. The Maori had no notion of running, and the pakehas were determined to have a nigger, dead or alive. They dodged and struggled, and fired. At last one of the pakehas got on higher ground and caught sight of the Maori. With a bound he was on top of him, and a fierce struggle ensued. Maori and pakeover over down the steep hillside in deadly embrace. At last they came to a stop. The pakeha managed to stick to his revolver, and now for the first time he had a chance. Did he shoot? Not he; in true John Bull stvle he brought the chambers down on the skull of his opponent with all his force five or six times. “Kati, kati!” gasped the Maori, “all very fine say,” (the pakeha perspiring with exertion) “all

very fine. Look here,” pointing to a hole in his coat blown out by a Maori shot, “you might have shot me.” “Well,” said the Maori, “what had I a gun in my hand for but to shoot with. Besides, look here,” pointing to his dilapidated head where the<?skin had been chipped off in various* places. There was nothing for it but to make the best of matters, so they all sat down side by side, lit their pipes, the Maori helping himself out of the pakeha’s pouch and lighting with a pakeha match. After resting a time the three men were seen marching along cheek by chowl towards the storming party. A proposition was made by some excited soldiers who gathered round the little party to shoot the .rebel. One of the captors said “Look here, my lads, if you want a nigger to shoot, just go’ and catch one for yourselves, like we did There are any amount in the bush.” After that they were allowed to proceed in peace. A RAGGED CROWD.

We remained on the ground long enough to see all preparations made for retaining possession of the stronghold. It would do our young men in smart uniforms and polished boots, good to see a facsimile of our party as we marched back to camp. •Sir John Falstaff’s ragged regiment would have hidden their diminished heads and taken a back seat had they caught sight of us. All the devices natural to inventive genius were adopted to keep our fluttering rags from parting company.

When we were fallen in, the colonel, who was in high good humor, rode up to address us in flattering terms for our share in the success of the day. The sight was too much for him. He roared with laughter, while he jerked out short sentences of unqualified praise. Amid a storm of laughter and goodhumored chaff on both sides, we marched off to our little stronghold at Pahitiri, after our night and day’s incessant toil, to sleep the sleep of the just.