CHAPTER XXV.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1904, 11 June 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXV.

ward's rifles. Round and round turna the wheel of life, with many a mad revolution for Amos Ward. He is a man of energetic and combative temperament; one of that obstinate, hard headed breed that has been imported with others of his kin to clear the way for the Greater Britain which is surely rising at the Antipodes. To sit down and bemoan h;s fate, to cry and pine like a love sick scullery wench because a woman's caprice stands between His Worship and earthly bliss ! Pdhaw ! The Miyor of Auckland is a man of the world, in its most practical work-a-day 33nse. He knows that Victorine Gayliiud has has spoken the fiat which has surely blasted every hope of his social existence. He feels that somebhing has gone out of his life ; bub forbh from tho utter loneliness within him rises his salvation. He must work ! Aye tint is it, Your Worship. Work has been the saviour of many a better man eve now.

He casts about him for something better to do. No ordinary work will suit lm present malady. Besides, he is rich; and most of his wealth is to his hand in current coin of the realm. What work can he undertake, in his position? While he sits thinking out the problem, Puil Brock solves it for him in half-a-dozen words.

" Arrah, what the divil's the matter wid ye, sorr, that ye're moping about like a calf that's lost it 3 mother ?" cries the irrepressible valet. "Chid now, buy a rifle an' be off wid ye to fi^hb the Maories. Why don't ye, agra ?"

"Good! I have it," responds the master, his blue eyes ablaza with inspiration, and jumping up from his seat.

"Musha, an' much good may it do you,'' responds the other, looking at the mayor inadoubtful way. as if not quite certain about his sanity. (% Tell me what you've gob, avick! Is it thajfaimgac'im or a touch of hydrophobia ? say, allanah !"

"You old villain how dare — '

"There ye go ! Of course I'm the worst in the world bekase of my sympathy," interrupted Brock, with a look of wounded innocence. Amos Ward laughed. "Look here, Phil, how would you like to join the volunteers ?" he said.

"Me is it ?" responds the confidential, with a stare. "Is it ould Phil Brock to be a militiaman, an' wear a red coat that doesn't cover a man's redundancy ? Go along out of that wid ye. Shure it's only joking ye are ?"

" Indeed I'm not, Phil, Your words gave me an idea, and, by Jove, I'll do it." "Do what, master dear ?" " Raise a regiment, and go and fight the rebel Maories."

Poor Brock held up his hands in dumb amaze. He had had his doubts about the master, Lord help him, but this settled it. There were many others besides the faithful Phil who began to have misgivings respecting Ward's soundness of brain , but the man went his way nob heeding. He banqueted the city councillors, and resigned his mayoralty within the week ; then commenced to put his scheme into operation. To a man with money ab his command there was no difficulty in getting a body of men suitable for the purpose. Indeed at the liberal scale of pay offered, Amos Ward could have enrolled six thousand rank and file as easily as six hundred.

The Government of the day gladly availed themselves of the new reinforcement. They provided competent drill instructors and arms for them — bestowed the local rank of Colonel upon the founder, and in a very short time "Ward's Rifles " were ready for the field.

The new corp3 did not waste much time in the city of Auckland. Before the men were fairly initiated into the Manual and Platoon Exercises, they received orders to march to the aid of the commander of the local forces, Colonel Chesterton, at Tauranga. Tonga, and Te Huri, chieftains of Taranaki, together with their warlike tribes, had joined Paul Titori, in the Rotomahana district, a most difficult part of the country for an attacking force to operate against an eneinv, inasmuch as almost every hill and mount formed an almo3t impregnable position. For years previous to our tale, the disatis.fied Maories were at work fortifying andstrengthening every point of: advantage round and about the famous Mount Rotorua. The Gate P.ih, the stronghold at Judea, together with the Block Fort, formed three of the strongest position.3 of the rebels, and liad the Maori leader been supplied with canno'i, the voiunteer3— brave and effective as they certainly were — would have been utterly useless to cope with him. Ifc was in the vicinity of the Gate Pah — a few miles west of Trcurauga that Colonel Ward first encounbered blie enemy. The gunboat "Harrier" has brought the corps from Auckland and landed them at the settlement — Bay of Plenty. One hundred blue jackets from the warship, with two small Armstrong guns, accompanied the Rifles in their march to join Colonel Chesterton, whose camp lay beyond " Tonga's Peak." The reinforcement had safely crossed the Ford at Wairoa, and were bivouacked for the night on a high ridge overlooking the river. Lieutenants Baker and Howard of the " Harrier," with that ready tact mate in seamen, have rigged up an alfresco mess room for the nonce, and with their sailor hospitality invited Ward and his officers to join them at dinner. Whatever may have been wanting in the way of silver and glass at this primitive banquet, there was certainly no lack of provisions and wine, for Jack usually takes care to accommodate himself under any circumstances and in all places. While the men gathered in groups

long the line of piled arms, their comrades the seamen, made a roaring fire of kauri logs. A fiddle was unearthed from the recess of a gun carriage, and songs and joke 3 became the order oE the evening.

Phil Brock though disdaining drill or discipline in toto donned the uniform of the rifles, and followed his master. A knot of petty officers had gathered in a circle, within speaking distance of the mess, ready to he at the call of their superiors within. Amongst them was the confidential, hitched close alongside a coxswain's mate, by name Bill Hnlcombe, and for whose company the Irishman had taken a fancy. There was no lack of pipes and grog among them/and they soon began to be as mellow as men under such condi tions always are.

Snarly and betimes unsocial to morbidness, Brock seemed to be in great good humor with himself and tho3O around hiAi now. Ho wa3 the talker on this occasion, the sailors listening. Others were listening too, for the officers at the mess could hear every word he uttered.

" Bad cess to me, but it's the truth I'm telling yez boys," he siid, with a grim laugh. '• The ugliesb divils yo ever saw, some of the same " Ward's R'fljs." Shure there's not one a'them could hit a mountain at five paces distant. " Bedad just wait till there's a row, that's all, ye'il see some fine divarsion if the Maories come on us."

" Tiie Maories be bio wed," responds Bill. "I gue33 these chap 3 will fight like tarnation if they have a chance. A finer body of men couldn't be got together in the country. Pas 3 the pannikin old man.''

"Oh, faix they're big enough," says Phil, placing a tin pot to his mouth, that contained something more aromatic than water, tlien passing the utensil to his comrade. "That reminds me, mibouchal, when I was a gossoon, thiry five year 3 ago, I belonged to the North Cork militia and in the same company w.is a tall scaffold pole of a fellow, about your own height and build, agra. This man was always looking down at his feet — which, let me toll you, wor no grate beauties in the least. Tall as the sp ilpeen was, there was a deal of him on the ground, in the the ill ike up of them smnf J et, which, I may say, had no more instep on them than a brick has. Well, begorra, we had the smillest uffioer for a c iptain that ye ever sab your two eyes on. He wasn't five feet high, an' wid his heels iti his boots three inc'.ic3 long. O.ie morning the captain seus Midigan (the long gander), with his head down as uui.il, np he goes and stands foreuinsfc the m m, and sez he : " Arrah, hould up your head."

Madigan lifts his eyes from his boots and lixes them on the sky.

"Now," says the little man, " leb me see you always houlri up your heai like that." " Always," cried the long fellow. " Ye 3, sir, always," ses the captain.

"Good bye, then," retorts M.idigan, howdling out his hand, "I shall never see you again !"

Tlnre was a roar of laughter from the

"Listen to the blaguards," says Phi), in a Irish whisper. " Sliure a dacont man can't betilkingto his neighbour, but they must be listening to all your paying as if it was treason. Where's their mannera I wonder? It's 'nighty good natured some people can be when they have a skinful of good liquor ; never draining that a poor body has a mouth on them." (In a louder key) : " I'll lay ye now that the master's a3 full as an egg."

Another peal of laughter from all save the Colonel, who became instantly as red in the face as an old turkey cock.

Phil had shot his bolt and did not wait bhe issue.

"It's a quare world rcute," says he, gliding off into another topic with true diplomacy. "I renumber when I came out to the colonies we had an ould couple on board, be the name of Mr and Mrs Brophy. Tiiey were saloon passengers, if ye plase, and they gave more trouble than all the other two hundred men and women in that ship. Old Brophy was troubled with windy spasms arid colic — a murdering sudden and painful complaint. It would come on him all in a a minute sometimes in the dead of night. The moment her hu3band began to groan Mrs Norah Brophy would siart up, rush to the cuddy, make a thundering big mustard and pepper poultice and apply it in a jiffy. In the very next cabin to the Brophy 's was a gvatc rough Colonel, who had lost an eye, and one of his arrums in the Crimea. _ And behold you one night old Brophy has an attack of his inimy the colic. Away rushes his wife to the ship's caboose, makes the plaster, but in -her hurry the poor woman mistook the Colonel's cabin for her own. Without a, word she whips down the bed clothes, and dabs the pgultice on the sacred person of the slumbering son of Mara. Whoop i be the powers if tlieir was'nt a murthering philaloo the next minit that roused everybody in the ship from stim to stern. The Colonel was out of his bunk in a twinkling, an' drawing his naked sword, chased the unfortunate woman for her bare life. The captain, hearing the row, rushed below just in time to receive Norah Brophy in his arms.

" What's the matter ?" cries the skipper.

" Matter !" echoes the Colonel furiously, and at the same time dabbing the point of his weapon into the poultice which had fallen from him to his feet. " Look at this, sir. This is a very good joke, eh ! Now I waub to know who's done me the honor to apply this to my unoffending person without my authority."

The captain coughed.

"My dear Colonel, your habiliments are hardly in conformity with the rules of high etiquette," ses he. " Hang etiquette,'' roared the Colonel

" If it conies to that you're not standing on ceremony, Captain Dawson, for there's only your thin night robe between that woman and your manhood."

A roar of laughter drowned the remainder of Brock's story ; and in the midst of it there walked into the circle a tall personage, clad in a sober brown tweed. The appearance of the man was so sudden and unexpected that the sailors started to their feet with an exclamation of surprise.

"Don't stir, men," he said, in a quiet cool tone. "Be good enough to find Colonel Ward, and say an old friend wishes to see him.

"It's Mister Fernbrook, sure enough !" cried Phil, lifting his hat. "Step this way, sir, here's the master."

" Hallo Fernbrook ! who would have thought of seeing you here in this part oE the country 1" exclaimed Ward rising, and shaking the newcomer by the hand. " GenUemen, tliis is an old friend of mine, Mr Hilton Ferubrook of the Barrier Rock."

Another powder keg is brought for a chair, and a fresh supply of grog pub on the board.

" Lob me ask if you have dined," said Ward.

" Thanks, yes," replies the young man with a laugh. "I had a capital dinner at the Wellington Warrior where I am obliged to stay for a few days on business. It was my intention to have journied with you from Tauranga, but the mail boat broke her shaft opposite the Three King 3 and we were were delayed. By the way you have a most superb dining hall, quite arcadian."

The voice is jaunty, with an easy wellbred ring in it, but the eyes wander keenly over the faces of those about him.

"How did ycu find the route ?" asks the Colonel presently.

"Quite easy. Old Tepari, of Te lianga, saw you pass yesterday, aiid assisted you to ford the Wairoa this afternoon. He it was who brought me hither, otherwise I'm afraid I should have found myself in the middle of a swamp or at the bottom of the river."

The conversation begins to flow freely again, for Fernbrook fits himself into his place in the company, as if lie had filled it all the evening. The punch flows freely as does the talk. Almost every conceivable topic is introduced and skimmed over with tuat light, airy, afterdinner brevity which makes mess dinners so attractive. List, but by no means le.-.56, ifc veers round to the disturbed state of the the country, and the chances of the parties engaged. By some few subtle questions Fernbrook has led his companions to the subj ct, and he appears tc be deeply interested in all they say.

" The Maories have a hopeless task and mu-»t succumb in the end," says Howard. " The ablest rebel against us is Paul Titori, but the flower of his following were slain in the Waikato. Two years .ijo Titori had thirty thousand warriors at his back ; to-day he has not one third of that number, though lie has been reinforced by the Taranaki tribes."

" I heard in Tauranga that the rebels liaye their strongest pahs in this part of tlie country," responds Fernbrook. ' ; Tepari assures me that the whole force of Colonel Chesterton is not sufficient to attack any one of these places. His handful of men would be annihilated."

Howard laughs. " The friendly Maori knows very little about the fighting spirit of our men. I ,dare wager that pih in RotomaLaua is taken and den:ol shed before the end of they car. "'

" Where is Colonel Chesterton may 1 ask ?" "At Tonga's Peak." ''Of course he has a large force with

" No, about two thousand all told," responds Howard. "Once we join Titori may prepare for squalls, for I know by ray Waikato experience with Chesterton that hard knocks will be the order of the day. '' Two thousand fighting men against twenty thousand, or even ten thousand fighting Maories seems to me a risky project," says Fernbrook. " 1 suppose your corps (turning to Ward) does nob exceed a thousand men ?"' "Six hundred." " Ah, ana they are all recruits, I suppose ?" " Q. tite so, my dear Ferubrook; yet I think the lads will give you a good account of themselves, when opportunity offers." " I trust they may. Colonel," responds the guest; sipping his punch. "I heard some talk of five regiments of volunteers having been raised in the Australian colonies. Is that correct ?" "It is, sir," replies Howard. Our skippev had a letter from the Commodore, stating that the men were on their way to Auckland, per Blue .Jacket and Swiftsure steamers. " Very bad news for our friend Titori." "Aye. The chieftain is a foeman ' worthy of our steel, and I'm sorry he's not with iia. A glass of wine, sir." F^om Paul Titori to Colonel de Roal, and his confederates, the conversation goes at a bound. Fernbrook listens while the othepa §11 in their opinions without the smallest shadow of reserve. Qnce or twice the guest is appealed- to, but h,e adroitly staves off any direct reply — sa\e only when it serves as the vanguard to open up the subject more fully. It is late when Colonel Ward's friend rises to depart. "My dear fellow, you will stay and share my rough couch to-night ?" he asks. Fernbrook shakes his head. "Not when I can get a comfortable bed at mine inn," be replies. " I have spent a ■ very pleasant evening, gentlemen, and can only wish that at no distant day I may have the pleasure of your company at the Rock." " Let me send a file of men with you a liLtls way." — TobkContinued. 736 FD 19