Kidnapped.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14015, 25 September 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

Kidnapped.

A KING COUNTRY STORY. A correspondent at Russell supplies the following interesting story to the Auckland "Herald": Residing among the Maoris in the most inaccessible part of the King Country, which lies about the source of the Mokau River, is a white woman w.hose tongue has never yet mastered the sibilant ijrotesqueness of her mother's speech, but conveys her meaning, ' with exquisite softness, through the language of her brown-skinned foster kindred. How this has come about was related to me recently, and, since the story is true, I have avoided mentioning names as far as possible. . About- 25 years ago a settler was engaged on the usual round of bush work on his section, which abutted on the railway between New Plymouth and Hawera. Labour was scarce, and he was anxious to fence-off a portion of newly burnt bush. Although he was married his family was still young and he gladly availed himself of the help offered by a Maori named Nguku, who had rece'ntly arrived from the King Country. A bargain was struck, and in due course posts were split out and carried into position, when Nguku rereived news which necessitated Jiis return to the King Country without delav. This caused a heated dispute between the settler and Nguku, the latter claiming payment for work done, tho former refusing to pay until the contract was completed. The settler remained firm, and, with the characteristic stubbornness of his race, Nguku departed, vehemently declaring that he had been wronged and would obtain vengeance. . How this vengeance, was obtained appeared next day at lunch time, when little Mary, a rosy-cheeked, brownhaired toddler, could not be found, and her brother Willy, into whose kcemng she had been entrusted, said that Nguku had come along on his horse w'ulc thev were plaving on the road and taken Marv for a ride. The settler guessed at once what had happened, and got on his horse in pursuit. Whether thev passed each other, on a byroad or Nguku had too mucji start was never known. Little Mary and her kidnapper disappeared completely. The settler's wife, overcome with grief, died within 12 months of this sad event. .. As the vears went by and the family grew up, the bovs began to go away from the homestead to various employments. Willv, by this time a young man of 20, was on the survey, and, still mindful of his childish mistake in letting Mary go for a ride, always made a point of visiting any kianga near wlicrc they were working. One evening, while they were exchanging yarns over the camp fire, a surveyor from a neighbouring camp happened to mention that he had seen a white ~<rl living with the Maoris in the upper waters of tho Mokau. "Willy, of course made all the inquiries he could, arid finallv, after relating- his story to the surveyor, who was known as Bob, por-

suaded him to make an expedition up tlic Mokaii during the next Christmas holidays, and find out if this white girl was liis sister or not.

The old settler was getting feeble and a great desire came upon him to see his daughter again. He was most anxious to take part in the expedition, but this was out of the question, considering his feeble state. Ho bad to content himself, therefore, in writing to Willy and tolling him that ho would know his sister by a scar underneath her chin, where she had been burned by falling on the stove. *A surveyor, after several years of work in the bush, develops a wonderful instinct for locality. Thus it was tliat these two struck across country, up riverbeds, and along spurs winding here and there, but always making for a trig station, which was a day's journey from the Kianga tliey wero in search of. Presently, after three nights in the bush they came out noon open fern country, and about midday strolled into the kianga and sat down for a smoke in the mnrao (open space)). Natives came round with the usual greetings and questions, but bene* Hi the cherfnl talk there lurked a feeling of hostility. Try as they would, neither Willy nor Bob could jret any information about; a white woman in the kianga. until the door of a wbnre opened, and a white girl about 17. came out, talking to an old woman in Maori. She did not notice the two men at first, but the. old woman was heard to mutter. "Lo! Stranrrers! Let us return." Then, as the girl lifted her head to look. Boh noticed a red mark on her white throat. He had just time to exclaim, "By G —, that's her," when the old woman dragged her back into the whare and shut the door. After this, this most unexpected thing happened. Willy refused to believe it was his sister. He had not seen tho sear, and said sho was not like anv of the family. Anyhow, as the Maoris refused to let him stop in the kianga, Willy proposed that they should return. Bob was furious to see his mate "turn cocktail' just when thev seemed to have found the girl Before anvono could interfere, he dashed up to the whare and broke through the door. Speaking in English, he asked the girl to come away to her father with him. She looked at him in open-eyed wonder, without a sign of having understood what he had said. He tried in Mnori. and the girl laughed, replving, "You talk foolishlv; mv father's dead. I was horn here; this is mv mother.' I b"«i strong hands pulled him out of the whare and handled him roughly. ' I have often -wondered if that woman lha» rWr discovered the true story of her life.