Little Folk

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 126, 24 November 1923, Page 15

Little Folk

(All Right* Reserved.)

No. 8.

YOUNG PIONEERS

(Written for "The Post" by Edith Howes.)

CHAPTER VIII,

"We've come from Otepoti," Jo explained. "Not you two children!" exclaimed the woman. "Is there nobody with you ?" "Nobody at ali. We are hunting the notornis." "Notornis! What's that? I never heard 6f it. I believe you're runaways. Never mind, pull off those wet things and dress yourselves and come into the house. I'll go and put the kettle on to boil and you shall have a cup of hot tea. You'll need it after that swim. I saw you from a window just as you were landing. Why didn't you cooee from the other side? I would have come over for you in the boat."

She was walking . towards ilie house while she talked, and was r»ut of hearing before they had time to reply. At the door sh-e turned back and called: "Have you a towel?" '"Yes, ' they shouted. She nodded and disappeared. The children r.ntied their clothes from the raft, and in the warm shelter of big flax bushes they stripped off the undergarment ea-ch had retained for the swim, and rubbed themselves dry, Jo tossing their ov a towel over the flax to Jack when she had finished with it. Than they dressed, spread the wet garments to dry, and went to the he-use.

The' woman mat them at thw door. "Come in," she said hospitably, and she led them into a big kitchen where .scones and bannocks and home-rnado bTead and butter and cream and jam were sot out on the table, and the kettle was singing on the fire. In a few minutes the tea was made, and the two young traveller? were heartily engaged in such a meal as they had not enjoyed for several days. The woman presised food and drinks upon them, and talked while they ate, telling them about herself'and her husband, Donald Scott, and her two big sons, and about the hard work of breaking up new land and making a farm of it. Presently, when she saw that their hunger wa3 well satisfied, she paused in her talk and shot a keen look at« Jo. "You look like a boy in those clothes, but you can t fool me," she said, "I feel sure you are a girl. Have you disguised yourself to run away from your parents ?''

The children laughed so light-hearted-ly at the novel idea that Mrs. Scott saw' that they had nothing to conceal. "I am a girl," said Jo, "but I am not running . away from anyone." Between them they told her the whole story—their father's death, their poverty, the birds, and this expedition in search of the notornis. When they had finished, the kindly eyes watching them were wet with sympathy. ..^.P** little things! You brave htHe things! she said. "But you can't fo ur> into the mountains by yourselves, t is far too dangerous. You would be lost.

"Not while I have my compass," cried Jack.

Besides, we may find a notornis be- ■ jj 7 9 ?o far into the mountains," Jo added. Perhaps one will come down on to the plain. .You never know-" Mrs. Scott shook her head. "There will bo rivers to cross," she said. ' We'll swim those as we swam this one, replied Jack. She looked at him meaningly "You were nearly carried away .in this one," • shf, reminded him. "You told me so " We are going on," both children said resolutely: and she could not shake their determination. "At any rate, stay here iv'W sl? e 8^ d- T^ a^ y g ia ed ly to that, for they were tired and the day was now well advanced. without entering upon contentions poliWhen the three men came home and the story was retold by Mrs. Scott, the children found themselves the- heroes of the evening. "Ye're a plucky pair'" exclaimed Scott more thin once. ies real plucky." He too tried to turn them from their venture, but finding them determined to go on he gave them, a great deal of excellent acfvice and promised to set them well on their way in the morning. He kept his word. Rested and wellfed, the children left the farm next morning on a.bullock dray,.their packs on its floor behind them, swollen good things from Mrs. Scott's cupboard Far over the plain with its rivers and swamps they were taken, till flax and raupo and toi-toi were left behind and bush and hills stood tall and green beif wl m-, Here- after Promising to call at the farm on their return and display the skin of their notornis, they bade farewell to their kindly hosts and becan at once to climb

I don t like it," said the farmer as the horses were turned for the home I- at- T ,? I f, theyre not b»dt in reasonable tune I lThave to go and look for them. 11 But the children were not worrying. They were plodding merrily on their upward way, their learts warmed and comforted with tho kindness they had received "What a good thing we were earned down the river !"■ Jo said. "We should never have met those nice people H we had gone straight across." From the first they had kept good watch for the notornis but now that they were approaching its reputed home they were more alert than ever. Their eyes scanned every inch of the way and they walked quietly in,the hope of stealing unawares upon their prize. Oh for the sight of the scarlet beak and the broad breast of peacock blue! They followed a narrow and somewhat muddy track that led through thick bush up the side of a hill. A cattle track, plainly. Mr. Scott had told them of the wild cattle that roamed the bush among these lower hills, oattle run loose from the unfenced farm lands of the earliest settlers. "Most of them will run from you,' h» said, "but be on the watch. There are treacherous beasts among them. ' Now as they went up the narrow track a huge form suddenly barred the way, and from a great white head, horned and shaggy, a pair of fierce eyes glared at them.

"A bull!" breathed Jo, and like shadows she and Jack slipped into the undergrowth beside the track forcing their way through bushes and brambles and running wherever there was space to run»

But quick though they were, the bull was quicker. With a low roar that shook tnr, oush he came crashing after them, trampling down with ease the jrrowth that they pushed through v;ith difficulty, bo' fast he came that he overshot his mark andi passed them where they crouched behind the trunk of a great rata tree. Without a word they sprane for the lower branches of the tree Jo on one side, Jack on the other. Up they went |jk« j'ghting, and by the time the bull had discovered his mistake and came roaring to the tree they were well above his reach. For some time he pluneed about below, but they sat safe and nijrh in their leafy refuM, quietly eating.the lunch Mil, Scott iad pro-

vided.v When at last he tramped back to the track and down to the nkin below, they descended and w.ent o£ their way; but they journeyed no more in the cattle track.

(To be continued.^