CHAPTER X.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1905, 20 September 1884, Page 5

CHAPTER X.

The state of feeling at the Pine Station had undergone considerable alteration within the past twelve hours. The kind and noble conduct of the natives was being revealed, and the resistance and bravery of King Bonshaw mada many think of the justice or even expediency of retaliating every small act prejudicial to the whites with wholesale slaughter. It is true in this case the reports of the death of the Scanlans were the cause of the bloody reprisals that had been made. Old Mr. Soanlan sat moody and silent that night before retiring to bed. Hia arm was bound in a sling. He mourned the loss of his son, for although Tom was alive, -who was thought to have been dead, he had dearly loved James. He felt that his harsh system of dealing with the natives was a failure, and could not last longer. There was a balm and secret satisfaction in his invalid arm ; it was some revenge for the natives, and acted on his mind as the self-inflicted wounds of a fanatic. The same feelings in various degrees pervaded those who had been out for the day, but having too far to travel had eleoted to stay for the night. The feeling was carefully nui-sed by Mrs. and Annie Soanlan. To their sensitive minds these bntcheries of natives wore always abhorred, bat their expressions of disapproval had been received as " woman 'b fancies " and " old wives' talk," whioh would not do here. Everyone retired early to bed, tired and worn out by the exertions of the day. Not a soul in the house was awake, except Miss Soanlan, who was watching over Tom, when the murderous report bursting upon the eat in the stillness of the night awoke all with a start. Some thought it was a native attack, and came out with caution. No natives were to bo seen, only one man, and he was not a native, but in the corner they saw a small gronp. , They all stood silently around the dead ■ king, and the kneeling forms of Miss Soanlan and Amoretta, while the villain who had fired the shot stood apart. " Seize him," ofied Scanlan, "he'll play few more r » devilish tricks. Bring, a rope." "Master, you offered a reward for this. Now it's done. The reward ? " said the scoundrel, humbfy. " A rope 1 a rope 1 " " Master, listen, I have done what you astod." " A rope 1 " "Boss." "A rope." " Is this the reward for doing your wish ? " " A rope, you villain." Soanlan's brow was knit, and a resolute determination sat on his face. " Give it to me," and in the excitement of the moment he forgot his arm ; and the sling in which it rested was cast aside as he seized the rope and approached Triggs. Tfiggs, however, valued his life — perhaps the only thing he did value — and soeing it might be harshly used in the prosent temper of the time, took hold of the only ohance he had. He instantly took to his heels and made a rash for the cockatoo fence, but it was high, and, as Triggs was not so supple as he used to be, he tipped the top of the fence with his foot and rolled over on the other side. Before he could recover himself Scanlan was on him, and dealt him a blow with the butt end of Trigga' own gun, on the hip, that shattered the bone. Triggs writhed in agony, and now that all hope of esoape was gone, between his groans, he anathematised all around. His dreadful imprecations and cries of agony * were soon stopped. A few strong hands grasped him and | dragged him to the foot of an old and gigantic tree, which still reared itself erect, although its trunk was hollow and partly hurnt away. A stone was attached to the rope and thrown over one of it's lowest limbs. Triggs was hoisted in mid-air, gurgling out curses on heaven and earth ; thus Triggs bade good-bye to all things sublunary and lunary. One of the station hands had been lighting hia pipe at the foot of the tree, and carelessly threw his match into its hollow trunk. The wood, dry as tinder, caught fire and rapidly spread up the trunk. The heat in the hollow trunk caused a great draught, and the sparks came flying out at the top of the tree, and the , flames also shot out. The inside of the tree was a burning furnace, and roared hoarsely and terribly, as if in conflict with some mighty enemy. The flames from the top of the tf unk lit up the scene with a weird light, ; and the air was filled with sparks of light. All else was thrown into gloom. There was the old knotted, gnarled gum, hoary in its age and venerable in its very ruggedness, dangling aloft on one of its arms the exconvict; in a corner was the dead king stretched on the dry, parched-up ground, with two frail figures still kneeling over him, and apart stood a group of men, 3trangely viaaged in the weird light, watching the fireworks. The body of the dead king was taken care of with all respect until next day. The eastern horizon was slightly tinged with a bright red, and the moon had almost disappeared when George rose next morning. Dashing a basinful of water in his face he was as fresh as a bird, and walked round the house. There was Triggs hanging on the grand old spark-spitting eucalyptus, while a number of bullocks were looking up at the strange figure that more resembled a bundle of rags than the case of a human^ soul, not long ago fled. George mounted his horse and galloped to the site of the native camp. He found the natives already rebuilding their huts, but they were of a more temporary kind than the old substantial ones. The reception accorded George was cool and hostile — passively hostile. He told them all that had occurred on the previous night, and asked them to come down to the station and see their king buried. In returning from the camp he could not help feejing that those he had just left were comparatively helpless as a child now their great head had gone. All the natives were deeply afflicted, and seemed utterly prostrated at the news. As he descended the valley and gained the open country he heard the wailings of the grief-stricken people. A grave had beenjdug in a grove of trees by the creek, and when the fiery sun was declining in the west, the body of $he\ing was laid in jit's last reating-plaoe. The natives came in large numbers to show their respect for their late king. Many

of them were auspicious and fearful »l some treachery, but such was their love and veneration that they br&ved all clangers to look once more on the noble and well-known features. Many of the most influential of other tribes oame. Short as the time was since he had died the news spread like fire. It took all by surprise ; his very foes were staggered at the news, for although they feared and envied both the personal powers of the king and the collective power 01 his tribe, these were to them a tower of strength and security against the attaoks of the whites. That stronghold and with it their feeling of security were nowdashed to the ground in one fierce eddy of unlucky time, The. burial of the king was a strange and affecting spectacle. Side by side stood those who but yesterday had been in deadly conflict. The native in his primal simplicity and the white man of advanced civilisation met on common ground, levelled and ennobled by the same feelings of respect and reverence. As the little mound was being completed, the strange company of • mourners turned slowly one by one from it and disappeared in the gathering darkness. The figure of the murderer still dangled from the branch of the old tree, and loomed out weirdly against the western sky. The tree with its burden \wa<s avoided as a plague spot.