IN THE CART.

Otago Witness, Issue 2720, 2 May 1906, Page 73

IN THE CART.

Excuse the title ; it is turf slang I know, therefore I apologise. But for the information of the uninitiated allow me to translate. To be "put in the cart," in turf vernacular, means to be swindled or robbed by unscrupulous employees or friends. The little story I am about to relate will show how Harry Rayes was "put in the cart" by one whom he considered more than a friend; rather as a bosom friend, and a particularly clcse bosom friend at that. .We were both of us employed on the Papa ranch, in the Poverty Bay district — youT humble servant as a storekeeper, bookkeeper, stockman, roughrider, tutor, and Harry Rayes as a sort of glorified cadet, whose people in England could afford to pay £150 a year to have their illustrious representative initiated into all the finer points of wool-growing and squatting on Government leasehold lands on a 999 years' lease, with a clause of renewal in case of the leaseholder pipping the eminent Methuselah on the post for the record in the All-aged Stakes. The cadet did not take kindly to the fascinating pursuit of sheep culture. He possessed a soul above the majority of the common herd. The meaner details of station labour were offensive to his finer feelings, and he let it be generally known that when he took up land on his own capital he would leave such points :is mustering and branding, etc., to the menials he would employ for those purposes, contenting himself with a lordly supervision, with hands in his pockets, jingling golden coin of the reaim, a big, fat cigar in his mouth, and ;n a costume compatible with the position of a lordly ranch owner — the said costume being always a matter of sincere regard and solicitude with Mr Rayes. " His leather putties, Bedford cord breeches, fancy waistcoats, and shooting jackets were of the very latest shape and fashion, and afforded an irfinite object of interest to all the district for 50 miles around the Papa ranch. Even in th** daily routine of station work he always turned out, regardless of expense, in immaculate habit, and looking exactly as if he had stepped out of the proverbial band -box. He imported expensive Egyptian cigarettes that gave forth a perfume that was a cross between the penetrating odour of the camel and otto of roses, and in spite of the lowbred remarks of the common station hands, who expatiated forcibly and volubly on "stinkers," the cadet always carried a silver cigarette case full of these abominations, which he consumed furiously in the drafting yards, around the dip, and in the stables. The mere menials, who showed him how the work of sheep-farm-ing had to be carried on, smoked common plug -Juno or Derby, and they puffed furiously and hard when the '"gyps" were in evidence, endeavouring to do their best, according to their lights, to drown the effluvium of the obnoxious "stinkers" ; and verily the aroma of plug tobacco was as a waft of the Hesperides compared with the penetrating hum of, the camel mixture. Among tbe ladies of the district Mr Raves was a lion. His magnificent aprsprel and Home manners held them enthralled. He himself acknowledged, with a negative semblance of mocesty. that be was a perfect don among the ladies; and truly he was in his paradise at a garden party, race meeting, or polo match. He played polo, of a sort. Modesty not being one of his strong points, he had regaled the station people with many etirring stories of polo matches at Home, at Hurlingham, Ranelagh, and in many counties. According to his narratives, he had been a member of the Crusaders P.C, also he had been one of the dashing and irresistible team of the Buccaneers' P.C. Of hot and hilarious times by flood and field he had experienced such a varied ard extensive aggregation that, after much study and mathematical computation, the writer of this came 10 the conclusion that Mr Raves must •have been born about the year 15 B.C.

Nevertheless, Mr Rayes was looked up to as a very fine gentleman. He had £200 a year pocket money, and very wealthy people at Home, and was therefore a welcome guest throughout the district. Mammas with eligible daughters invited him out persistently. As he spent his money lavishly, he was persona grata in Bporting circles : and altogether Mr Harry Rayes trod the emerald turf of the Poverty Bay district with a distinct halo around him, a sort of glorified king of sport. But there was a fly in the aromatic ointment that made up* the daily life of this sporting exquisite. Old MacNeil, who owned the Papa ranch., and who had been selected as a tutor for Mr Rayes, was a hard-headed. Puritanical old Scotchman, who, by dogged perseverance, indomitable spirit, and sheer hard graft, had attained to the position of squatter and owner of a large pastoral property. He had reached New Zealand as an emigrant, and vras proud to be numbered among the pionee.es of sheeprfarining in the -colony. The envious and ill-natured spoke of him as one of the original "Forty Thieves," but that did not trouble Sandy MacNeil. It was his happy boast to say that he had stepped on to New Zealand soil with nothing but a big heart, a strong and willing pair of hands, and feet hardened by contact with the tar of the deck of the emigrant ship that had brought him to the promised land. So it can well be imagined that such an out-and-out bounder as Harry Rayes was got but little mercy at the hands of the dour old Scotch pioneer. The first iob he j>ut bis jpupil pa $o4o 4 when

he had settle* 1 down at the station, was that of digging up Californian thistles, then beginning to be troublesome on the Papa run. The new chum protested indignantly, his back could rot stand the etiain, and his hands would be everlastingly ruined. But old Sandy was obdurate. He told Mr Rayes in forcible language, rendered all the more emphatic by sundry guttural Scotch descriptive adjectives, that if he didn't like it he could lump U. That as he was paid to teach the new chum sheepfarming he was going to do so thoroughly, and if Mr Rayes did not like his method of teaching he could pack up and clear out as soon as he liked. For some reason, best known to himself, Mr Rayes decid-ed to remain : but he scamped all his work most shockingly. Old Sandy, though stern, was not a hard taskmaster, and the new chuna was allowed to go his own sweet wav so long as he put in eight hours a day. He got a half-holiday on Saturdays, and all of Sunday to himself. His spiritual welfare was none of MacNeil's business.

It took a long time for Mr Eaves to accommodate himself to his surroundings, but at the end of his first year's pupilage he bad gleaned some little knowledge of his business. He could tell, in six times out of seven, a tup from a ewe, and the exact difference betw een a hogget and a wether was no longer a matter of mystery to him. The Border Leicester >vas not again described by him as a prime Southdown, and the creases on the body of a strong-wool stud merino were no more a delusion and a snare when seen alongside of a pen of Lincolns whose heavy flakes of wool cause creases upon their very heavy fleeces. Thus, by s!ow degrees. Mr Raye.i gave promise of budding forth as a millionaire sheep grower.

But during all this time his ta=te for sport had had many and various opportunities of exploiting itself. Ho hrd accumulated a stud of polo ponies, thanks to the untiring energy of your humble servant, who, by buying the raw material for a mere song, and after judicious, prompt, and severe schooling selling again to Mr Hayes at a decidedly fancy price, managed to eke out an otherwise precarious existence in the all-ab«orbing world of sport. — a world that was as of Lotusland to him. By this means Mr Rayes became possessed of four fairly •efficient polo ponies, which, when unhampered by the iron arms of their owner, whose sole idea of riding seemed to be to hang on by his double reins and Pelham bit. were able to play a fast and furious game, much to the perturbation 01 this brilliant ex-member of the invincible Buccaneers. But as autumn waned and winter shed its hoary mantle over the scene, polo ceased to be played for the time being, and an indiscriminate .and novel form of hunting took its place.

The Poverty Bay Hunt Club met regularly twice a week, and followed the questionable pleasures of a drag over some really fine galloping country. The mee^ were practically point-to-point steeplechases, with the additional d-elight of following the dogs — then thousand pardons ! — I should say the hounds. The first ■meet of the season was held at MacNeil's, and Mr Rayes. mounted upon his hardiest polo pony, had the pleasure of caieering over the gaps in sundry gorse fences, stone walls, post and rails, and mud banka under the guidance of tbe narrator, mounted on a serviceable old buggy maie. True, the old veteran did her best to emulate the performing horses in the travelling circus by standing faiily on her head at nearly eveiy obstacle, but a merciful Providence, in view of the extreme desire for piety displayed by the old slave. guided her frail understandings in these slippery places, and it was only at the very last fence of tEe run that she succeeded in turning a clean somersault over a rickety post and rails. Mr Rayes, riding — much against his own inclinations — very close behind, came over the gap on his pony's neck, and landed in a heap on top of the old mare. Baning sundry scratches and an equal distribution of gravel rash, neither riders nor their horses were hurt. After Mr Rayes had disencumbered his mouth of several clod* of ;arth and a stone or two he went into ecstatic raptures on the joys of the chase. He had never so much enjoyed a hunt, even in the shires. A day with the Pytchley (by the way, he called them the Pitchley) was not to be compared with a day with the Poverty Bay! It had simply been, too splendid altogether, and he announced his intention of at once, if not sooner, buying a tip-top hunter and of becoming a member of the P.B.H. And it was owing to this resolution that Harry Rayes got "put in the cart." The pony he had been riding — a hardy, handy cob. nearly 14.2 — I explained to him was good enough for all the hunting that he would get in Poverty Bay. I Had schooled the pony in jumping myself, and I knew his. powers. But, nothing would suit Mr Rayes but a tip-top hunter, 16 hands or ovei . up to any weight, and a perfect jumper. It was a matter of deep regret to me that I could not, at that precise moment, see my way to provide for Mr Raves's wants. I had no hunter of my own. Arnold screw had hitherto "done me proud" by carryine me across country after the P.B.H. with a limited number of tosses and the maximum amount of galloping that I could get out of them. "Go fast at your fences, and keep your mounts head straight, and you are both bound to get over, no matter how." This trite maxim had enabled me to participate in many an acrobatic performance in view of the whole of the P.8.H.. who thorough! v enjoyed being provided with' such excellent amusement, free, gratis, and for nothing. * Therefore a sadness possessed me. I saw no way of converting a tenpound hack into a forty-guinea hunter, and I rode home, accompanied by Mr Rayes, who was bubbling over with ambition to become immediately possessed of a read^-made hunter, Now, withia easy

riding, distance of MacNeil's were several i Maori pas. Some of these kaingr.s belonged to really affluent Natives, and many of them were the most hospitable of hosts. The hands on the Papa lanch and on other stations in the distuct were always welcome guests at the big kaingae, , and many a big tangi, dance, and sports j meeting was provided for the amusement of the pakehas. The chiefs were jovial and fine entertainers, the wahines were some handsome, and mostly pretty : all of them weie good company ; and the pakehas were constant visitors to the kaingas within easy riding range. Some four miles from the Papa run was a pa ruled over by one Paul Tainawhitu. a delightful man to meet anywhere. He spoke English well, having been educated at Te Aute College, and was a great and popular chief with the Europeans. Paul's kainga was Liberty Hall, and any pakeha was always welcome and certain of a nip of whisky and a feed when he called. The pa was a big one, and one of the wealthiest in the district, and scarcely a night passed without some uf the men on the Papa run riding over and spending a few hours with the Maoris there. In Paul's tribe were a brother and sister, both of high birth, who were orphans. They lived in a house with an old Maori lady who had acted as a mother to them ever since the death of their parents. The brother, by name Akuhata, was the elder. He had succeeded to his patrimony, and had pretty well dissipated it all by fast living, gambling. and drinking.' In squandering his fortune he had acquired all the vices of the European racing men of the lower classes, with whom he had associated for years : so that when he found he had to battle for his living he adopted all the cunning and chicanery that ho had been the victim of when the pakeha trainers, jockeys, and turf '"spielers" were relieving him of his wealth. His '•ister Marahine was a beautiful girl of 17. cleansouled and good, the very opposite of her brother, whom she loved with her whole savage nature as the only thing left her in the world to love. Her share of the paternal acres was safe and intact, and no Maori Land Court had been asked to give her power to sell. On the produce of these acres Mamhine and her brother lived. She gave him practically every penny that she got, and Mr Akuhata did well on his sister's income, assisted by some three or four racehorses that he kept in training for the small country meetings. Marahine was the undoubted belle of the district, and many suitors, both European and Maoii. laid siege to her virgin heart. The modest Mr Rayes. in spite of his great popularity with thb European ladies of the district, was scon struck with the beraity and charm of the Maori girl. He became a constant visitor to Paul's kainga, and all his time there was devoted to the pursuit of Marahine. He com ted her assiduotisly. made her presents of chocolates and caramels, and endeavoured by every seductive wile to enslave the heart of the beautiful Manri maiden. On her part. Marahine accepted the attentions of Mr Raves with a ceitain amount of pleasure. It gratified her vanity (of which every woman has her share) to have the popular idol of the district at her feet. She rode with him. daneid with him. and cano?d with him on the big lakes adjoin-n-.g the pa very frequently and without a chaperon. Though the young Maori men grew jealou«. not a word was said against Marabine. Like C;esar's wife, she wa.< above suspicion. Harry Rayes. however, made the mistake of stating in public m his own lordly way. that though he might aniuse ' himself with Marahine he could never dream of marrying her. There are just as great gossips in the bush as in the towns, and this lemark of Mr Rayes scon reached Paul's pa and the ears of Akuhata. who had a soul-to-soul talk with his sister. Their proud and fiery blood was justly hurt, and Akuhata "had his knife into" Mr Harry Rayes for the insult put upon his sister. She betrayed no sign of any change in her feelings towards Raves, and that gentleman trod the halcyon path of courtship unmindful of his doom.

So the hunting season passed. Rayes, after consulting, me, purchased a fine, "upstanding gelding, from Akuhata, who had made a grand hunter of the horse.

I knew him to be the best of the Maori horses in the district, and had often admired the calm and judicious way in which Akuhata put him over big wire fence* and sliprails over sft hiijh. The Maori was a plucky and determined rider, and this horse of his had learned to clear anything he could get his head over. Rayes got him for £45. and. clad in resplendent hunting costume, he led the P.B.H. over all their finest jumping countiy. The horse was very quiet, and soon learned to t.ike the bit between his, teeth and save his tender mouth from the severe attentions of his rider. He also acquired a most praiseworthy habit of throwing up his head after negotiating his fences, whereby Mr Rayes, who usually found himself on his hunter's neck after a jump, was cleverly thrown back into the saddle and saved many a toss.

Time wore on. The hunting season ueared its close, and thf Hunt Club racewere advertised as a fitting termination to a very successful season. The piece dc resistance was. of course, the Hunt Club Cup. a lace of three miles over natural country. There were &om<± 15 entries for the ra-ce, but all the members knew that the race would bo a cake-wplk for Union Jack, Mr Raves's hunter, if that gentleman would only allow some seasoned veteran to pilot his horse in the race. And ev?n ,vitl> Rayes up himself, Union Jack would be very hard to beat. Consequently Rayes found himself the possessor of the absolute first favourite for the Hunt Club Cup, and he had the greatest difficulty in booking a wager of an even pony (£25) about his horse's chance. Eventually he found a taker, no less a person than 7 Mr Akuhata^ who accepted

the wagei- on condition that Rayes would ride his own horse. This, Harry Rayes declared, he most certainly intended to do, and he ordered racing colours— yellow :uid pink hoops, sky-blue cap — for himself to be made in Gisborne. Akuhata had a horse also entered foi the Cup. It was one he had ridden pretty regularly since the sale of Union Jack. No one. except Mr Akuhata, fancied his chance, but that astute gentleman secured a bet of £E0 to £5 against his horse from Mr Rayes.

As the day of tbe Hunt Club races approached Union Jack, in spite of the negative virtue of his owner's piloting, became a more pronounced favourite than ever, and his price came to one of odds on, prospective takers asking 7 to 4 and 2 to 1 on.

The evening before tho ■ *cc meeting Mr Rayes rode over to Paul's kainea in order to spend a couple of horns basking in the beauty of Marahine. She was very gracious to him, and dtiring a tender conversation Rayes whispered in her ear a sentence it had taken him six months to get by heart.

"Kanui taku aroha kia koe." (I love you desperately.)

Marahine laughed . delightedly. The European's Maori sounded quaint in her ears.

The moon was shining in all its glory, and the reflection of its rays made the lake by which they were walking a sea of silver.

"Ahei kauhoe koe?" asked Marahine in her soft drawl as she paused by a canoe made fast to a stake on the bank of the lake. "No savvy, Marahine, darling," answered

Raves, grinning,

"You swim?" she interpreted.

"Like a stone !" answered Rayes promptly. "It is about the only accomplishment j. do not possess. Can you?"

"Like te hi — Fiss !" murmured Marahin?. "Come !" She pointed to the canoe.

Rayes was quickly seated in the stern, facing the Maori beauty. With supple body swaying rhythmically to every lip of the paddle, Marahine drove the canoe, through the placid waters, and Rayes told her in romantic manner how beaxttiful she was, and how he worshipped her. Marahine made direct for a large, wooded island in the middle of the lake, about a mile from the shore. When they reached it she bade Rayes land, and, jumping out herself, she made the canoe fast, and, taking him by the hand, wandered away into the bush towards the middle of the island.

There was the "most intense excitement at the Hunt Club race neeting on the following day. Everyone ■was talking and questioning at the same time, and Babel deemed to have broken Joo^e. The subject of their conversation appeared to be of the greatest importance, and as the race for the Hunt Club Cup approached the excitement rose to almost frenzy. Mr Rayes had failed to turn up. He had left the Papa run the evening before on a polo pony, but though the pony had returned home about 12 o'clock at night. uderless, Rayes was not to be found. All the hands on the Papa ranch had bean out searching for him, but without success. Those who had backed Union Jack were in the throes of despair. Dreadful things were said of Harry Rayes. But lie never turned up. The >^up was run for without Union Jack, and was won by MrAkubata's Porangi. a 10 to 1 outsider. All that day Mr Rayes was still missing, and the august glamour of his presence failed to shed its aristocratic lustre upon the scene. The day after the races the whole district turned out in organised search parties. The pony was traced to Paul's pa, but there the scent lay dead. It was owing to Akuhata's intelligence, however, that the missing man was found.

Scouting along the banks of one of the lakes the Maori suddenly stopped, and sizing Sand}' MacNeil by the arm pointed with one bronzed and sinewy arm to an island in the middle of the lake, where there fluttered from tbe topmost branch of a kauri pine a large white object that looked suspiciously like a 6hirt.

"Thas him, I tink." said Akuhata.

A canoe was rapidly paddled off to the island, and Mr Rayes was fonnd, hungry, mosquito-bitten, savage, and halfmad. Be raved like a maniac. He hurled incoherent curses at someone's head. Finally, with intense dramatic power, he denounced the treachery of Morahine. Then the cat was out of the bap. In 24 hours the whole of Poverty Bay knew that Mr Rayes had been rowed over to the lonely island and marooned by Marahine, the beautiful Maori belle, in revenge for the insult he had put upon her. Mr Akuhata made no bones about showing up HaiTy Rayes, and that gentleman's life for me ensuing six months was purgatory amplified. Even now it is only necessaiy to ask the brilliant ex-member of the Buccaneers' P.C. if he can swim to understand how thoroughly -Mr Raves appre dated being "put in the cart."