THE LEGEND OF THE - - WANDERING LAKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 77

THE LEGEND OF THE - - - WANDERING LAKE.

Told by He Kete, 111.-THE COUNCIL-. •Twas evening, and the twilight felT, And dimmed each, distant mountain's face: Now from the fern the weifi cries tell, The wekas, from each hiding place As daylight wanes, adventure forth* To seek their evening fare: The twilight hours to them are worth. More than the day's bright glare. The songsters in the aistant grove Have now in silence sunk to sleep ; The glinting staia from heaven peep, It is' the hour of love. But far from Pare's saddened heart Such pleasant peaceful thoughts aTe gonef. Kupe will play no manly part, Sho fears, from words they spoke alone. He spake of kope that all would flee, Ani seek their safety in the wood: And wondered she should disagree, Who erst had been of tim'rous mood. She prayed that when the Council mefc No coward word* he'd speak, He answered her, still shameless yet, To urge such course he'd seek. The moo 4, with fairy-changing ray, Was silvering each rippling wave When every stalwart, Maori bravo To place of meeting took his way, Slate, or full of care: Unto the carven house that lay Hear to their chiefs: long past the day - Such errand called them there. The eaves with many a hideous face, With lolling tongue, and fierce grimace Were deeply oarven o'er; -While scroll work of a savage grace Each point of vantage bore. Within fresh, tushes strewed the floor, Mingled with sweetly-smelling grass; The moonlight, through the open door, - Shed its pale gleam, while 'red glow cane From fire or rimu bark. What scanty smoke rose from the flame Would through the open window pass: Where Pare crouched to hark. Around the hall, on woven mat, Were seated leaders of the clan, While near the fire the chieftain sat, An aged, venerable man. His white hair decked with dusky plumes, A much-prized dog3kin robe he wore, A moonbeam from the door illumes Him where he sits upon the floor. : f£h f assembled Maori, in the gloom, Are only dimly to be ssen Against the grey walls of the room; With toe reeds they're lined, I ween. When all the men were gathered in, Morea spake, and told again: The Tahu tribe, that erst had been Their deadly foe, seeking to win Fresh victories, had sent, 'twas plain, The tau» which their scout has seen;, The foe had travelled from afar, And even now was close at hand. They therefore must jrepare for war, And make onoo more a valiant stand; They must the palisade repair, And* for the coming foe prepare. If there were not so much to do To make their fenos strong and true, He'd urge they forth from the stockado Should send a party 'gainst the foe, And sudden deal unlooked-for blow Upon the fo by rapid raid.

Morea ceased; then Kupe rose, And spake as Pare feared he would:' They had not fought for many a day; That he's no coward each man knows, 'But- much he fears that little good Will come from joining in fierce fiay A foe so skilled in art of war; Who, seeking them, had come from far, All well prepared for fight. Let them retreat far up the lake, And to' the ocean their way take, And safety seek in flight. Before lie saw the foeman's smoke His wife a fearful dream had dreamed. She' dreamt from every whare broke Devouring fames, which to her seemed The pa entirely to destroy. An omen this to him 'twas plain That victory would the Tahu gain, And slaughter ever man and boy; Their wiyea, as captives, bear away, As trophies of the bloody day. As Kupe sought his seat again, A disapproving murmur broke Prom many of the younger men; But soon it ceased, and no one spokf*" Deep silence rested for a space ' On all: and every tattoed face Looked sullen, in tan gloom. Them sudden, from the smouldering fire, A flame jet burst, as though in Ire, And brightened all the room. Awhile it flared, so one might traca The scrollß in ochre red Which every beam and rafter grace Within the hall o'eriiead. The while it flared each one might mark M orea's face wore 'angry frown ; But soon the flame consumed the bark, And sudden as it rose died down. In silent expectacioi all Waited to hear the chieftain speak. At length he rose and paced the hall, As though for fitting words to seek. Like caged beast pacing in its den, Thus to and fro the old chief stalked; At first in gloomy silence 1 , then At «very turn the warrior talked. "My heart is dark" — some paces more He took along the grass-strewn floor; Then turned again, and! spoke: "That Kupe, I deemed chieftain brave, Should prove to be some changeling slave Is Fortine's foulest stroke. Moiea is fit name, indeed', To call your aged chief Shorn ia he now, in hour of neecT, Of his last branch and leaf. ■In mem'ry of my slaughtered sons I took that woeful name. I'll cast it from me, be again The lightning's vengeful flame. The blood that through my body runs, And, coursing, thrills in every vein, Tells Te Uira's still the same. I long in fight to meet the foe», To give and parry deadly blow, And bravely fight for hearth and home, 3Jet coward Kupa wand'ring roam, And seek his safety by the sea, ißut I shall fight, though all should flee, 'As for poor Pace's silly dream, That does to craven Itups seem An omen of disaster dire; •It moves not bo her aged Hire Tha fancy of a wayward girl, Whose thoughts are aye a, changeful whirl, Can surely have no meaning deep, !Not even though begot in sleep.

"Know Te Uira vision saw, From which may tremblers courage draw. S its t night, within naj; whare long,

I lay and heard the night wind's moan And wail upon the restless lake; When, sudden, whare all was gone: In my canoe I lay alone, And saw a. strange and wondrous sight, For snowy seabirds, a great flight, Came winging ewiftly to the lake. They ware the takapu, which make Those prized plumes we love to wear, Plumca of the gannet white and rare. But as those strangers circled round, All e'er the lake, I heard a sound Of duck and grebe and every bird Calling as though some fear had stirred Each feathered bosom: after, soon, I saw beneath the pale, cold moon The lake birds hieing to the placer Where takapu sweep o'er the face Of this their own far-wand'ring lake a And fearless all their way they take Past the canoe wherein I lay And just a little space away They formed in order as for fight: Then with loud cry they winged their flight Straight at the stranger gannet crew. The strong-billed seabirds well I knew Would vanquish quick the lake bird throng; The fight, I felt, would not b« long. I thought to share the gannet's spoil, Gain many birds with little toil; Yet as I gazed with watchful eyes I saw, but with a great surprise, The warlike seabirds driven away: The peaceful lake-birds gained the day. I marked a wounded gannet fall ; 'To gain it I resolved ; when all The birds and lake passed from my rieif, And I within my whare knew Naught but a vision it had been. And who can say but it must mean We'll rout our Tahu fc«. A lucky omen 'tis, I w«en: We'll gain the day, I know." Uira paused, l»ut still he strode, Restlesa, amid, the expectant throng 1 , For still his look and mien forbode, He'll speak to th»ni again ere long. His mere in his hand he bears, Wielded by hiw> in many a fight. Though old he's grown and white his hairs, His eyes glare fierce and bright. Forgetful of the Council all, And of the carven Council hall, He deems he's met coming foe. He plucks his tao from the ground, And in defiance lets thsm knowThat here no craven foe they've found. Then, to inspire his men to fight, He chants to them, to rouse their might: "Sons of the mighty, Sons of the strong. Sons of the valiant, To you will belong The spoil and the vict'ry to-day. "Up, then, ye mighty, Vp, then, ye strong, „ Up, then, ye valiant, The foe that ye long To meet stands there ready for fray. "Rush forth, ye mighty, Bush forth, ye brave, Rush forth, ye valiant, Let every one crave The first of the foemen to slay. "Kill, then, ye mighty, Kill, then, ye brave, Kill, then, ye valiant, Kill, and ne'er save The hfe of a foreman to-day.'*

The aged chief sank to his place, And after silence reigned a space Te Wera spoke: "The words are good, Our fathers have the foe withstood. We'll fight, as they have fought of yore, We'll fight, and we'll again restore The prestige once they lost, When far tlufy fled the foe before, Like spray by wild winds toss'd." Then Kupe gruffly answered: "Ay, Or once more 'fore the foe be driven; If all will fight and none -will fly, My aid, my life shall, too, be given. I only feared our younger men, Unused to war, might craven be 1 , Or boastful meet the foe, and then^, In hour of danger, turn and flee. But if each calmly thinks of all The risk and danger of the war, That he i» fight may lifeless fall, Or gain some fearful wound or scar, And still decides the foe to meet, Nor thinks of safety in retreat, Then we may hope that he will fighfl As well as man of proved might. Counting the cost, then let us stand/ And meet our foemen hand to hand, And fight till we a vict'ry gain, Or till our warriors all are slain."

Soms others rose, and every one Approved the words Uira spoke, A.nd. urged that work should be begun To-morrow, -when the daylight broke, To make their pa. secure; And naught- bo left by them undoaa Their vict'ry to ensure. Then, to their whares they retire " * "With resolution high, r$ To valiant deeds they all aspire^ „'.■? And wish the fos were nigh. - ]*?,'

(To be continued.)