LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7177, 30 May 1891, Page 1

LITERATURE.

♦ THE WEB OF THE SPIDER. A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE MAORI WAR. f_By H. B. Mabriott Watson, author of "Marahuna," "Lady Faint Heart," &c] {All rights reserved.) Chaptkb XII. — (Continued.) When they resumed their march Pal-leer noticed that Miss Caryll walked more easily, and at their first stoppage he saw she had provided herself with a substitute for boots. She had strapped about her foot, thick, flat pieces of bark with strips of flax and ribbon wood* so that a pair of rough sandals now protected her from the rude pathway. v ... " That's very neat," he said approvingly. " I see you're equal to the bush." "Quite equal/ she returned shortly. He smiled at her intonation, and seru- . tinised her a little closely. She glanced at him covertly, but finding his eyes npon her, turned and regarded the bush. All through the afternoon they beat their way through tha heavy forest, in thick oppressive shadows. Tho tall trees intertwining closely overhead, blocked out the light, and the dense undergrowth reaching half way up the trunkß heightened the darkness. At times such a blackness encompassed them that they stumbled over unseen boulders and snags, and the rear of the file lost sight of the van. Then they groped among tbe bushes and called to each other for guidance, now crawling up a ledge which loomed out of the gloom forbiddingly, now slipping into the infernal blackness of a gut. There were no sounds in that bush save those of their making ; neither bird nor animal stirred in the thickets. Only here and there a lizard wriggled over tho path, or a huge spider rushed up the stem of a pine. By the judgment of the leaders it was five in the evening when they came to a halt for the night, spent with the Berious efforts of the march. Paliiser took Foster aside, while Matuku lit a fire, and Miss Caryll helped Aotea to prepare a meal. "Look here," said he, "if we're going right, and I think we are — mind you I can't say for certain — if we're going right, •we ought to strike that track to-morrow morning." " Well, I s'pose that'll do," said Foster. "We can afford to rest to-night," went on Paliiser. "In fact, we've got to rest. If we were alone I should say we ought to push on, but 4 this infernal woman element makes itjieceSßary to stop. I see that little girl panting in the march, and stumbling, too, and it'B a sure warning to stop when you can't place your feet properly. The -whole thing's cursedly awkward," he said, gnawing his moustache. " Well, the re3t'll set her up," said Fo-ter, cheerfully, "and we've done enough to-day. To-morrow we'll be all right on that track." ( "But, you fool!" returned the other, i roughly, "you don't seem to use your wi.3. 1 Where, in the devil's name, Bhall we be if we don't strike it to-morrow ?" "What's up?" "Don't you see it's food, food, food. Confound it, man ! don't I know what the "bush means ? What live thing is there in thia curßed hole ? Did you see a bird or < anything but leaves as we came along ? I 1 tell you the last of our provisions go tonight, and there's howling starvation 1 behind." Foster whistled, and looked thoughtfully ' at the gronnd. " Well, we've got to strike tbe track, i that's all," he said presently, with cheerfulness. " And if we don't I fanoy I'll do some foraging. I've seen a bit of the bußh, £ too, you know." "Very well," said Paliiser, turning < away abruptly. "We'll test you tomorrow," and there was something of a Bneerin his voice. ' He returned to the camping-place, where | the fire was blazing, and the black shadows were leaping on the tree.. ' MiBB Caryll was standing by, her sleeves folded at the elbow above soft rounded . arms, her hands flaky with paste. Behind faer was an empty flour bag, and twisted upon the sticks that sloped towards the fire were long coils of bread, baking slowly in - the heat. " More bush life," said he. "Do yon know, Mr Paliiser," Baid the girl, "there's no more flour in this bag?" "Whose swag does that comes from?" he asked. "From Mr Foster's." " Ah, well, there's some in mine you'd better use. But we've had about enough of bread diet, haven't we ? We shall have to feed yon on pig and parrot. How will you like that ?" " I don't know about parrot. I've never tasted it; but I can stand pig," she said, with a smile, as she stooped and turned one of the bread-sticks. " I see you're not quite proficient," said Paliiser. " You should never bake breadsticks before flame. Wait till tho asbea are hot. And— l'm sorry to fiud fault with your housekeeping — but really if you nse all thiß tea one's nerves will suffer. There iB some cocoa left, isn't there? Yes ; well we'll have that to-morrow. But I adore weak tea. I hope you do too. Let us have something in common." She laughed sweetly. "Oh, I like it well enough. I suppose you're running Bhort of it ?" " Hm-m, not altogether j still you know we ought to be alive to emergencies, and Pm quite Bure a young lady who makes such excellent boots iB a careful housewife." _ After the sun had risen the forest lightened, but long ere this they were once more npon the way, having eaten the remainder of the bread and drunk some cocoa. No change came to them that day. Hour after hour they toiled acrosß the bush, now mounting a ridge, now descending into a ravine in a gray twilight, oppressed by heat and worn beyond endurance by the arduous way. Yet they came upon no track. At midday (or what they took to be midday) they finished the remainder of the cocoa and proceeded. Palliser's brows grew ominou3 with care, and resignation gathered upon the face of Matuku. Even Foster was looking anxious, and occasionally threw a glance over his shoulder at the girl who struggled heroically after him. Late in the afternoon they determined to take a long rest. " They must have it," said Paliiser to his comrade. " We've got to march all night, or die." Foster looked apprehensively at Miss Caryll. " The little gel's fagged," he said, simply. "' Can't we put up to-night, and make bigger tracks to-morrow ?" " No," said Paliiser, shortly, we've no food." "By gum !" cried the other. " I'll search the place for tucker to-night. Give me yonr gnn. It's better than mine." " Take it and go. Matuku will go with you. I'vo got other work to do ; and, remember, if yon come home empty, there's fern-root to sup on." - "Fern-root be darned," said Foster, stalking off among the trees. Paliiser, left to himself, fell upon the earth and began scrawling directions and compasses in the dirt. He had been at thiß the better part of an hour, when a voice woke him from his thoughts : " Mr Pailiser."

" Well." Ho looked up sharply, a,nd saw Miss Caryll standing by hii_a with excited eyeß. "What are you doing, Mr Paliiser?" she asked. "Having a little geometry by myself," said he. " But why ?" she asked. " Can I help you P" He saw her bosom heaving eagerly, and the suspicion of a smile was in hiß eyeß as he answered : " Can you tell me how many ravines go to one valley ? or how many ridges to one hill ? What'e the odds against a circle in five hours of see-saw? How many segments in a day's march, and what's the arc ? Not enough bush life yet. Go and talk to Aotea." With this he bent over his figures again, but she did not withdraw. " You know perfectly well Aotea doesn't speak English !" she said quickly. " Wei!, well, perhaps not," he asserted, going on with his work. He heard a rustle as of a skirt abruptly set in motion, and looking up saw her walking off. " Miss Caryll," he called, " come here." She took no notice of his summons, but turned upon a second call, aud came back slowly. Her cheeks were flushed when she reached him, and in her eyes was a trace of dew. " What's the matter ?" said he, smiling. " You don't seem to see that Fm busy now and then." " And you don't seem to see," sho broke out, " that I'm not a child." " How old F" he asked, " nineteen ?" " You're not so very much older," sho retorted with flaming cheeks. j "Bless you, my child, I was on the diggings with your father when you were in tho cradle." " You've no right to put one down in that way," said she. " Heaven forbid I should put you down at all," he exclaimed. " Well, tell me your grievance. What do you want mo to do?" " I want to know what all the mystery is about. Why do you and Mr Foster talk so much together P and why ia Matuku looking so glum ? and Aotea ? What does it all mean, and why shonld I be kept in the dark?" The questions ran off her lips in hot haste, as though to relieve the surcharge of her indignation. "If I were to tell you that we thought we had discovered a gold mine, and were disappointed " " I wouldn't believe you," she broke in, defiantly. Paliiser was amused. "I don't see why you should look upon mo as a baby," she continued plaintively. " It's an insult to my intelligence. Whatever there is to know, I ought to hear it like the rest. Isn't an English girl as good as a Maori ? Whon I a_k Mr Foster he says, " It'll be all right, little girl," or something of the sort. But he doesn't tell me." "He oughtn't to call you little girl. I must speak to him on the subject." " You'vo no right to laugh at me," she said, faltering. " I can see you are. As if I minded about a phraße. I don't mind his caUing me little girl. I " "But you do mind me?" he interjected. She made no reply. " Why ?" he persisted. " He's older," she said, less assertively. " Not so much, I assure you." " You ought to take me more, into your confidence," she returned, reverting to her former point. " Supposing I tell yon then (what you'll learn in another hour for certain) that if Fo_ter and Matuku bring back nothing, we .hall have to dine on fern root ?" " Is that true ?" she asked, quickly, opening her eyes wider. " It's gospel." " But they will bring back something ?" 3he said inquiringly. " Nothing lesa likely," he replied calmly. "Why?" " Because there's neither fißh, flesh, nor fowl in the bush as far as my knowledge goes. Now what have you to say ?" " I think I ought to have been told this before." He looked at her inquiringly. "I wouldn't havo eaten so much then." He burst into laughter _ the red flooded her cheekß anew, and she went on hotly : " It's very rude of you laughing at me." He conld see tears start in her eyes, and restraining his amusement he Baid : "What do you propose to do as it iB then?" She looked into the bußh. "I can go and hunt for food too." " Tut, tut !" said Paliiser, impatiently. " Why not ? I've used a gun before now. I'll go out thia evening." " You will do nothing of the kind," said he, bending hia brows at her. She looked her defiance at him. " Understand, my wilful child," he continued, " that you do not move out of the camp without my permission." "Why should I come to you for permission ?" "Your father," be said, sarcastically, "entrusted you to my care, as you may remember. He said — ' a man named Paliiser '" She broke in, "Precisely." " ' If a man named Paliiser called, you were to follow him.' But, apart from all this nonsense," he said, "you're not to move out of the camp, and there's an end of the matter. Make somo more boot 3 for yourself, that's a good girl." He turned to his occupation, leaving her to go off with an insurgent heart. "Foster was right," he thought, "she has a temper of her own." At dusk Matuku came out of the trees, and stalked silently towards him. " Salutations, O, my friend," he cried ; "my hands are empty like my stomach." "Ah," returned Paliiser reflectively, "we will fill both with fern-root, 0, dark one. Let Aotea prepare the fern-root." A little later Foster came in also emptyhanded, his chagrin showing on his face. He threw his gun upon the ground with an oath. Paliiser watched him without comment, and presently turned to Miss Caryll, who was sitting aloof in the darkness. " Miss Caryll, I'm going to give you another confidence," he said, " eat all the fern-root you can ; we're going to march all night." " All night ?" echoed the girl with some awe in her voice. " Yes ; I hope you've been taking advantage of your rest. We're going to march all night. Matuku, throw soma wood on the fire." (This Story will be continued in our issue of Wednesday next.)