CHAPTER V.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1634, 23 December 1882, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHAPTER Y.

Henry Maitland's property adjoined Bargooma. The two homesteads were about iivo miles apai t. Maitland was not much of a sportsman himself — he was too keen and too eager in Ins pursuits of wealth to indulge in such frivolities ; but, with his usual cunning, he pretended an enthusiasm which he did not feel for sport, in order to keep up his assumed character of bluff carelessness and good nature. On lus property, however, were many places famous as the favourite haunts of snipe. The first shooting of the season was generally to be obtained along the duck-haunted creeks, and round the edges of the rich swamps of Yainbaar, which was the name of his station. Since the death of Walter Maitland there were strange whispers as to the peculiar life led by the present proprietor, Henry Maitland. Although, when he mixed with the 'neighbours, or when his business took him into the neatest township, theie was no apparent difference in the man, it was rumoured' that he shut himself up peiiodically. and had prolonged bouts of solitary drinking. One day, about a fortnight after the arrival of Victor and Lucy at Bargooma, Henry Maitland rode over, to invite Mr. Campbell and his friends to a days Bnipe-shooting. Lucy had no suspicion that he was her father's murderer; but she knew the part he had acted after her father's deatl}, and she shuddered as lie insisted upon shaking hands with her, after the formal ceremony of introduction. Victor Levison and Detective Smith had their own reasons for appearing on friendly terms with the man whose crimes they were endeavouring to trace. They did not wish to arouse his suspicions, and therefore they accepted his invitation with apparent pleasure. " You will bring the ladies too, Campbell," said Maitland, in parting, "we will make a regular p}c-nic of it. It is not often that I have the pleasure of acting as host to fair ladies."Tlius saying he doffed his hat with the grace of a cavalier, and cantered, off, the beau ideal of a good-natured, jovial, countiy gentleman. . " What a consummate hypocrite the man must be," said Victor. " But he deceives nobody, quietly remarked the host, " he cannot constantly wear the mask, and every now and then the veil ia lifted, by some slight expression, a look, a word, tb,e turn of a sentence, which reveals the ljid.den thought ; he is most disliked by those who kno>4 him best." " I suppose we will go over to Xambaar to-morrow?" " I think so ; we may possibly hear something, and, in any case, you can have some good sport, while the ladies will enjoy the drive." Next morning the four-in-hand drove up to the door, and soon the party were seated in the drag. It was a glorious October morning. A sHght shower the previpus night made the "air appear

lilSfenaei'-the^a^daour; wafted" fi'om.the feKgardoi,' proclaimed theT«iSence of to •wj&%s<inted Do'ronia,"'6verpowering its more aen-> cd& 'neighbour, the Daphne. ' . " AS far as the eye could reach, a rich mantle of emerald green spread out in gentle undulations, while grouped about in pleasing irregularity, tlie •graceful lightwood added a charm of its own to, the landscape. At varying distances, and in every direction, the gleam of water caught the eye, as little lakes of fantastic shapes, some of which were of great depth, and others merely shallow depressions, received the rays of the rising anon, and reflected them to the eye of the observer. The leaves of the tall white gums, sparkled like diamond-studded trees of fairyland, as the slight breeze made the leaves quiver, and the adherent rain-drops also caught the white sun-rays, and reflected them back in the many-coloured hues of the rainbow. The air was vibrating with the various sounds, and heavy with the exquisite odours of a Spring morning in the Australian bush. The musical note of the magpie reverberated from every tree, and the daring songster only stopped his sweet note occasionally, while he made a savage dart at anyone who dared to come near the nest where his mate was attending to her young brood. At a safe distance, groups of solemn-looking native companion!! could be seen, engaged in picking up the early worm, while every now and again they would sound a note of alarm, and then set to partners and chasse, to teach each other, like amiable lunatics, dancing, on attenuated stilts. In the meantime the bays were going along in fine style, and their regular patter patter on the turf made a joyous music, which chimed in with ill the surroundings of a glorious morning, and sent the life-blood of old and young bounding through the veins like quicksilver. Henry Maitland met them at the door of his house, but the party did not enter. The happy hunting grounds were further on, so they immediately made a start for the Warraiukk swamp. There was a tent already pitched, and the ladies were left to sketch and amuse themselves, while the sportsmen proceeded to tho spot whsro the snipe weie seen. It looked a very likely spot indeed. A rich, black swamp with plenty of cover. Here and there were clumps of acacia, while round the edge of the swamp, giant red-gums spoke of continuous moistiue. Presently, Maifcland's dog— a good-enough-looking pointer, but badly broken — blundered ahead, and startled a couple of brace of snipe, which rose with a whirr out of range, and made straight for the other end of the swamp. Maitland called in his dog with a curse ; and he put his gun suddenly to his shoulder, as if to bhoot the animal, bnt thought better of it, and contented himself with throwing a stone at him. Presently, the snipe began to rise in ones and twos, and the puns were banging away merrily. Victor was a good shot, and made some brilliant execution with his right and left ban-el; but, for steady and unerring precision, he had to yield to Campbell, who never missed with his right, and rarely with his left. Maitland shot fairly, in his turn beating Detective Smith, whose shooting evidently indicated want of practice. The snipe were now rising thick and fast, and there was an almost continuous fusillade, which at length ceased, as the birds that remained took flight for another swamp about two miles distant. Before returning to the ladies, the sportsmen sat down to indulge m a smoke and to count the game in their bags. There was the usual sporting talk, largely egotistical, and wonderfully imaginative as to remarkable shots, which appears to be a necessity on these occasions ; but with this we will not trouble the reader. Henry Maitland seemed in no very amiable mood. The conversation had turned into a channel which did not please him. It hinged upon the wonderful way in which murder is brought to light. Detective Smith was ,full of pleasing anecdotes as to the fortuitous way in which evidence is sometimes forthcoming. He instanced a case where a nephew had murdeied his uncle because the old man was too long in dying. The uncle had apparently been killed by falling down a well. The nephew was his heir, and assumed such a natural appearance of chastened grief , that no suspicion of foul play arose, and the old man was buried. But the nephew seemed haunted with some kind of horrid fascination m talking about the death of his uncle— and in combatting an idea which nobody but himself had entertained, that his death Was other than accidental. Then the nephew began to drink, and strange expressions fell from his lips while half maudlin. Public suspicion was aroused, the whole of the surroundings of the aflair were minutely examined. Faint links of evidence were accumulated, all pointing in the one direction; at length the body was disinterred. Clutched in the hands of the dead man were discovered a few hairs, which a microscopic examination proved to belong to the nephew. This was tlie last link in the chain. " Bali ] " bioke in Maitland with a curse ; " this is the old goody-goody story of the nursery, under a new form. Of course the nephew committed suicide, and then lived long enough to confess. I know all about it." " No, my dear sir," contined Smith, quietly, "he did not commit suicide and confess. He was found guilty and hanged." Mailtand rose with a muttered imprecation, and stiode towards his gun, which had left leaning against a tree. In his way he came within reach of his unfortunate dog, and he vented his wrath upon the animal by giving it a vicious kick. The poor brute, with a yelp of agony, rushed away ; and, in Ms night, knocked over Ms master's gun, wMch, exploding as it fell, the chaige struck Maitland in the head, and he fell to the ground appaiently a lifeless corpse.