The Mystery of Smoking Mountain

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22355, 19 March 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Mystery of Smoking Mountain

CHAPTER VIII The Car in the Night

As soon as they were well away Gol started, “Prospecting : indeed! Who ever heard of gold being found on a volcano? It is always found in fold mountains, not just in lumps in the lava. The chap must be a fool not to be able to think of a better one, than that.” “Gosh, I never thought of that,” Will’s enthusiasm yvss quickly damped. . ' “If we stick round, and pretend to believe them and help, we may find out something," suggested Dan. .“You bet we will,” agreed Col.

, ‘‘Meanwhile, let’s go down and have our lunch at the creek, and then go and see Wiremu on our way home.” - “A good idea, too,” approved Dan and Will together. “We’ll see if he has any more ghost stories to tell us,” laughed Dan. .

-They : stopped at the swimming

pool, and spent half an hour playing in 1 the water, diving, ducking, and splashing. Then when they were really hungry, they climbed out and lay sunbathing while they ; ate their lunch. “One advantage of bathing in the river, compared with bathing in the sea,” began Col in his most orator-

ical tones, “is the fast that one does not have to consume several ounces of sand with one’s lunch.” “Quite so,” ..replied Dan. “Here, one has the flavours of nature added to one’s food, free of charge,” and

he pointed to a big fat spider on the sandwich that Col was Just raising to his mouth. There was no further speech; from Col for some .time. ■ ‘

Will, 'however, was still annoyed about his innocence in believing gold prospectors. “You know, I’d like to have seen what was in those boxes that he reckoned contained scientific instruments,” he said suddenly. “By jove, yes. That’s an idea!” replied Col. “Well, we go to-night, so we’Jl go as early 'j»s we can tomorrow morning and investigate," Dan planned, as they packed up their haversacks’, and set off along the bush track to .Wiremu’s whare. It was 2 o’clock by the time they reached the glade, and made their ’.way through the long grass to the porch. “Hello, Wiremu,” shouted Dan cheerily. There was no They called again, but “*at last decided that he could not be home.

“Well, shall we wait?” asked Dan

“Yes, do," begged Will, “we won’t ■go in, we’ll just sit here in the shade. I don’t suppose he’ll be very tong,” Will went on, for he had Slept very little the previous nights They, were all very nearly asleep when voices were heard across the clearing. , Will and Dan remained dozing, : but Col was awake, and looking out, he saw Wiremu coming ’across the clearing with another man. As they drew nearer, he saw that Wiremu’s companion was a

villainous-looking, Maori, his sly, evil face contrasting strpngly with the friendly face of Wiremu. Even Wiremu’s face, however, was at the moment grave and worried. “Yes.” he was paying, “I tried to stop them, but it was‘no good, they would go,” “Oh, I’ll fix them,” replied the’ other, and his laughter did not sound at all amusing to Col. Just then the other two Kowhai Kids awoke, and Col, pretending he had been asleep, too,'rose with them, yawniftg, to meet Wiremu. “Tenakoe!” said Wifamu, after stopping suddenly-in surprise. Then he came forward quickly. “You have been waiting for me?” he said. “Forgive me, please, I have been to see my friend' here, Ranaha.- His little daughter is a great friend of my grandchildren. They play always together.” Then gravely he introduced the boys to Ranaha, who was quite friendly and polite. “Did you want to tell me anything?” asked Wiremu, “or did you come just to pay,me a visit?” “We wanted to hear another of your stories, Wiremu,” smiled Dan. “Yes, we’ve never had a chance to hear stories like yours before," Col assured him.

“You tell them so beautifully, and you know so much about, all the places,” begged Will. “Do tell us another about Smoking Mountain.” “You see how they flatter me,” laughed Wiremu, good-naturedly, turning to Ranaha. Then he became serious.

“Very well, boys, I will tell you a, story. Although it is about Smoking Mountain it is not a, fairy story. It is not an old legend, like the others I have told you, but is the

tale of what happened the night before last.” “Oh, good, go on” urged Wul eargerly. .••Well, I was on my way over-to Ranaha’s home to call for my young grandchildren, who had been to - a party with his daughter. You may remember that it was a very cloudy night, and very dark, as dark as u 'the chieftain Te Rauparaha had thrown his heavy cloak over the earth. Ranaha lives , just this side of the crossroads, where the road leads up the mountain. I had come in sight of the lights through the windows, when I heard a low.drone like an aeroplane.” Col did not move, but Will and Dan glanced at each other. “It was coming closer, and I stopped to listen. Suddenly I realised that it couldn’t be ah aeroplane, for it was too low- It must have been a car with an engine like an aeroplane’s. It came closer and. closer and yet I could not see the glare of the lights through the. trees. Then it seemed to get fainter, but not for long. In a minute or two it roared out again, but it was getting further away. It had turned up the mysterious road. I listened in amazement, and suddenly the roar ceased completely. r I told Ranaha about it, and, he said he had hot heard it because of the noise the children had been making, but he said he would listen for it to go back.” , ■ “Yes, and when did it go back?” Dan interrupted excitedly. “It didn’t go back!” replied Wiremu.