FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18553, 10 November 1923, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN.

YOUNG PIONEERS. BY EDITH HOWES. ; (All Bights Beserred.) :;,;;>; • CHAPTER Vlll. f.." We've come from Otepoti," Jo explainer. \ ' >■ '■ " "Not you two children!" exclaimed the woman. >?} 'Is there -' nobody 1 with you '' ', "Nobody,at all. We are hunting the. notornis." . ::..-''•'■:•■ - * \* "Notornis! What's that? I never heard 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 the house while she talked, and was out of hearing before they had time to reply. At .he door «ho turned back and called " Have you a towel?" " Yes," they shouted. She nodded and disappeared. ' ''' The children untied their clothes from the raft, and in the warm shelter of big flax-bushes they stripped off the undergarment each had retained for tH swim, and rubbed themselves dry, Jo tossing their one towel over (he flax to Jack when she had finished with it. Then they dressed, spread the wet garments to dry, and went to the house.

The woman met them at the door. " Come in," she said hospitably, and she led them into a big Kitchen, where scones and bannocks and home-made bread and butter and cream an**" jam were set out on the table, and the kettle •was singing on the fire. In a few minutes

,the t«a was made, and the two young travellers were heartily engaged on such a meal as they had not enjoyed for sever?! days. The woman pressed tood and drink upon them, a.id talked while they ate, telling them about herself and her busband, 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- was 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 fee", sure you arc a girl. Have you disguised yourself to run away from your parents?" . .-' ■•• ■'; i .;.*.-- .;*.:•?■•.;■ The children laughed -so light-heartedly 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 I expedition in search of the Notornis. When they had finished, the kindly eyes watching them were wet with sympathy. '/ " You poor little things! You bravo little things!" she said." "But you can't f;d up into the mountains by yourselves, t is far too dangerous, 1 ou would be lost," ■•■..«:-■ :',,.,,,;; •■-.,,,.,.„,■ •',..,■': ■..,,-'■ " Not while I have my compass," cried Jack .:> .- • " Besides, we may find a notornis before we go 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 be rivers to cross," she said. "•We'll swim those as we swam this one." replied Jack. ~,» She looked at him meaningly. >( Ypu were nearly carried away in this one, she 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, to-night," she said. They agreed gladly to that, for thev were tired and the day was. now well advanced. >■ When 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 Mr. Scott more than once. "Ye re real plucky." He too tried to turn them from their"venture, but finding J hem determined to go on he gave them a great deal of excellent advice and promised to set them well on their way in the, morning, • .': ■'..'-' ' '■• ""■"'' "' . He kept his word. Bested and well-fed. the children left the "farm- next morning on horseback, Jo behind Mr. Scott. Jack behind one of the sons, their packs, swollen with good things from Mrs. Sett's cupboard, tied to the saddle of the second, son. Far over the plain with its river* and swamps thev were taken, till flax and raimo a"d" tr»i-toi wer» left 'behind, and hush and bills stood tall and green b»'«re them. Here', after promising to call at the farm on their return and ..display f-"* skin of their notornis, they bade farewell to their kindly hosts and began at once, to climb. -,; ■ •;,.-.'.;V '->:■/ , <■ : &£Ash'&% : :< " don't like it,"i said the farmer, as the horses were turned for the home lands. " They're too young to go off: lik* that. If they're not back in a „ reasonable time■ ye'U have to T'* and look for them." .-.,. But the children r ; were v not worrying. They were plodding merrily on their upward way. their hearts warmed and comforted with the kindness they had received. " What a good thing we were carried down the river Jo said. "We should never have met those nice people -f i we had gone straight across." ' From the first they had kent : watch for the notornis. but now that *hev were approaching its reputed -home f they w»r<- more alert than ever. ; ;'Their eves scanned every inch of the way. and they walked quietlv in the hop*. of stealing ''nawpres upon their prize. Oh, for the sight of the scarlet-beak and the broad breast of peacock blue ! ',/,■■• ■ '-. ;-jv\ '''~' '•"•', 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 to!* them pr the ; wild cattle that roamed the bush among these lower hills, cattle run loose from? the unfenced farm lands of the earliest settlers. " Most of them will run t from you,"; he said, " but be on the watch. There are treacherous beasts among them." Now, as they went up the narrow track, a hugo form suddenly barred the way, and

from a great white head, horned and shaggy,-* pair of fierce ■; eyes glared J at them. •■' • \ " ' . . ~ ' "A bull!" breathed Jo, and like shadows she and Jack | slipped into the undergrowth "beside '*': the 11 ;. track', < forcing their way through butties and brambles ;• and : running wherever / there was space- •to run. ;v ßut quick though they were, the bull waa quicker. With a low roar that shook the bush. he came crashing after them, trampling down with ease the „": owth th ift (hey pushed through with difficulty. Sr». J fast he can)* that t he. ; overshot his. ma :k and . passed them where they crouched bej hind the teunk of a great rata tree. Without h*i Word • they sprang for ■ the ; lower I branches of the tree, Jo on one side. Jack jon the other. Up they went; like, lightning, and by.; ; the time the ; bull 'had discovered his" mistake and came roaring 1c the tree, they were well al*>ve his reach. For some time he plunged about ■ below. but they sat safe and high in their leafy refuge, quietly eating , the . lunch .Mrs. ; Scott /had;provided. ; .When at last be ■ tramped back to the track nnrl down to the plain below, they descended and went on their way; but they journeyed no more in the cattle track. ..' / (To be Continued.) ,