BY DEATH BELEAGUERED.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 12, 25 March 1893, Page 280

BY DEATH BELEAGUERED.

BY

ALICE KENNY.

CHAPTER I. So blue yon winding river flows. It seems an outlet from the sky. \t. SARRY LUTTRELL sat on the riverbank with his gun across his knee. It was an afternoon in November, far too bright and sunny for any but the old or the sick to waste in idle dreaming, yet he, in the spring of manhood and the Hush of health, sat there unheeding, though the ticking of his watch warned him of the passing hours. .wjsjw*. j. Above his head a tall manuka spread its dull green foliage, and at every breeze scattered its little white blossoms over him. Round its rough stem a clematis crept, and hung down its delicate flowers and glossy green leaves in graceful festoons. With October most of the first spring flowers had passed away, but the titree was in full bloom and looked in the distance as though whitened by hoar frost, and here and there amongst it the kowhai reared its feathery leaves and golden blossoms. The sky and the river were gloriously blue, and just the gentlest northerly wind dipped the arching ferns into the water and made the ripples bow the green rushes down with a long gentle hiss. Everything seemed happy as though rejoicing in the near approach of summer. Somewhere out of sight a little pipiwaraurua was trilling his song, and shoals of tiny ribbon-like whitebait were darting to and fro as swift as light, just beneath the water, and the air was heavy with the scent of the cabbage tree flowers. Everything seemed happy, saving and except Harry Luttrell, whose grey eyes looked very grave and sorrowful as he turned them on the water rippling so brightly below him. Not that he was wont to be sad, or even serious, least of ail on a splendid day betwixt the spring and summer, when the very grass seemed to quiver with the joy of living. ‘ I ought to be moving,’ he said aloud and with a half unconscious sigh, but instead of so doing he settled his shoulders back more comfortably against the bole of the manuka, and contemplated the distant heavens. The truth was Harry had fallen in love, warmly and sincerely, with all the strength of his honest young heart. This in itself was not a depressing fact, but he had a riyal — a rival who was handsomer, cleverer, and more polished than he was, a rival who while Harry was a colonial had come newly from Old England, fresh from Eton, Sandhurst, etc., and late of Her Majesty’s service. And this was the reason why Harry had taken to * mooning,’ and why he sometimes eyed himself sadly in the glass and furtively tried to cultivate a wave in his obstinately straight hair. As he sat there idly dreaming with halfclosed eyes, his practised ear caught the sound of a boat approaching, and rising to his feet he gained the open bank of the river just as a little canoe shot round the corner. It was guided and swiftly propelled by a sturdy fellow in a brown Cardigan jacket, who sat in the stern. * Hullo, Jack !’cried Harry, rising. ‘ Where do you come rom ?’ * Is that you, Mr Luttrell ?’ replied the man, as he ran the canoe gently ashore and disembarked, followed by a small black and tan dog with a stumpy tail and an apologetic air. • Yes,’ said Harry, ‘ do you want to see me, Jack 1 Jack Deeble sprang up the bank, bringing with him an odour of tobacco, and said, chewing vigorously all the time : ‘ I wants to tell you something as I’ve ’eard.’ • Anything {new ?’ asked Harry, reclining against tree. • I’m rather tired of this Te Kooti scare.’ • I ’opes,’ said Jack, who was born and had passed his earlier youth within the sound of Bow Bells, ‘ that some on us won’t be nothin’ more than tired when all’s done and said.’

• You are unusually apprehensive,’ said Harry. ‘ Well, I’ve got a right to be happre’ensive if I like,’ answered Jack, shifting the ‘h’ to suit himself. Jack had come out to New Zealand early, and held, like a true colonial, that in this new enlightened country Jack (especially this particular one) was as good as his master, and therefore he made it a point of honour never to aflix a ‘ sir ’ to any remark, or to remove his hat on entering the house of a so-called superior. ‘ What I wants to tell you,’ he said, producing a knife and tobacco from one of his capacious pockets, ‘is this ’ere. It’s about them ’au’aus of Te Kooti’s. You know my old woman ?’ (an endearing term for his wife, who was a half caste.) • Yes,’ said Harry. • Well, there’s some of ’er people who ain’t exactly in with Te Kooti, but they don't side with us neither, and one on ’em was down at my place yesterday, and he and my missus got jawing together about this ’ere business, and he told my missus as ’ow the 'au’aus would be down on us in a day or so, and when I came ’ome my missus told me.’ • I don’t believe,’ said Harry, ‘ that they are coming at all. There have been too many alarms like that. Eor nights lately a lot of us have been doing sentry duty, but we have given it up now. Major Biggs says he shall have twenty-four hours’ notice before anything can happen. You needn’t be afraid, there’s no chance of our being taken by surprise.’ Jack looked doubtful. * I 'eard that the ’au’aus were in Patutahi Valley.’ • I heard that they had made a raid on Te Wairoa. Neither account was true, and besides Major Biggs has a party of men stationed on Te Reinga track, though if Te Kooti wants to come he needn’t stick to that way I suppose, lie’ll have a good deal of trouble, nevertheless, if he conies by way of Ngatapa. ’ • It is heasy to see that yon 'avent got no one pertickler

belonging to you,’ said Jack preparing to descend to his canoe. ‘ I’ve got my old woman and my little niggers to think of, else I wouldn’t mind a bit of a scrimmage myself.’ ‘Why, man,’said Harry, ‘don’t you think that if any immediate danger were expected, all the women and children would be ordered in and put in safety in the redoubts, or packed oft' to Napier, while we turned out and gave the Haubaus a licking ?’ ‘ I thinks,’ said Jack Deeble, helping his dog into the canoe with his foot, ‘ that the danger might come hunexpected, and banyway me and my old woman moves in tomorrer. Well, good-bye 1’ ‘ Good-bye 1’ said Harry and in a moment the canoe, the Cardigan jacket, and the black and tan dog had disappeared round a bend, leaving behind them a faint odour of tobacco, and a long bright track of ripples which widened and widened until the last wavelet smoothed itself away in the rushes.

• It is getting late,’ said Harry, looking at his watch. ‘ Ah ! and here comes Robin to announce tea I expect.’ As he spoke, a lad came running across a half cleared paddock which lay between the river where he stood, and a long, low verandahed house. ‘Hullo! Robin,’he cried, ‘am la true prophet ? have you come to tell me that tea is ready ?’ ‘And waiting,’ said Robin in an injured tone. ‘ Oh, Uncle Harry, do make baste ! Emma’s made some glorious tarts out of the new cookery book. They’ll get cold with waiting, and we’re all so hungry.’ ‘ All right,’ said Harry, ‘ I’m coming. I’m very sorry to have kept you waiting. Has Alfred North been down this afternoon ?’

‘ I should say so. Why he’s been loafing round the garden with Aunt Damaris all the afternoon.’ ‘ Has he ?’ said Harry, sharply. ‘ Yes he has ; talking botany you know. Such a lark ! Mamma gave me baby to mind on the verandah, and they came strolling round the garden path and didn’t notice us. She had a rose in her hand, and he took hold of it, her band I mean, and began saying something about roses and her face. My word ! she looked more like a poppy to me ; but the kid spoilt it all. He climbed on the rails, and began shouting “ I see auntie 1” at the top of his voice. My word ! you should have seen them jump, and Mr North turned fiery red ; redder than annt, and she gave a little yell and ran away. The he stood and frowned at us a moment, and then he laughed and went inside. He’s going to stay to tea.’ ‘ Is he ?’ said Harry, and he did not look at all pleased at the news, and after a pause he added, ‘ You should not repeat things which were not meant for you to see or hear.’ ‘Yon listened fast enough,’said Robin, who did not always treat his rather youthful uncle with respect. ‘ You should have said that before, Uncle Harry.’ Harry acknowledged to himself the justice of this remark, and as they passed through the garden gate Robin began again. ‘ I say, do you know what Jessie asked me this morning ?’ ‘ No, how should I ?’ said Harry, rather crossly. ‘ She wanted to know what relation you and Aunt Damaris are to each other, and when I told her that yon were papa’s brother and Aunt Damaris was mamma’s sister, she said that you two ought to marry, so that you needn’t “ Miss and Mr ” one another.’ ‘Jessie is a silly little chatterbox,’said Harry, and hurried into the dining room, apologising for his want of punctuality. He found the family, consisting of Mr and Mrs Luttrell, the latter’s sister, Mr North, and three small Luttrells already seated. Mr Luttrell’s house stood on the river very near the ford. They had several neighbours, the nearest of whom was Alfred North, and the most distant Jack Deeble. This group of houses was situated some distance from Mitawhero, the Mission Station, and the other scattered settlements of Poverty Bay. CHAPTER 11. It’s only this—l love thee. And none could love thee more. ‘ Watchman, what of the night ?’ said Damaris Ruflord to herself as she stepped out on to the wide verandah, and parted the leafy screen of honeysuckle that grew from post to post. The night was line, and so still that the gentle murmur of the river came plainly to her ears. The verandah rail was low, and Damaris was young, and so for want of a better seat, she mounted it and sat clasping a post for support. Presently Harry came out, and after asking her permission to light his pipe, begged to be allowed to fetch her a chair. Damaris laughed and replied, ‘No thank you ; I like sitting here.’ ‘ It’s a beautiful evening,’ said Harry, after a pause, in a tone as though he did not trust his own judgment and wished her to corroborate his remark. ‘Yes,’ said Damaris, ‘isn’t the sky glorious? I think there’s nothing so lovely as the sky,’ and Harry thought so too, then, when she said it. * It’s like a vast beautiful curtain,’ she went on, ‘ spangled with myriads of jewels.' There was really nothing original or remarkable in Damaris’s words, but her voice was low and pleasant, and every accent fell like music on Harry’s ears. He thought how little he had ever realised the beauty of the night before ; how sweet was the scent of the cabbage tree flower, wafted up from the river, and how gently the wind sighed through the trees with a sound like the sea on a still summer day. He drew nearer and leant his shoulder against the post which her hands clasped, his heart swelling with unutterable love.

Damaris slipped lightly to her feet, and reached for a spray of honeysuckle overhead. He stepped forward to help her, but she plucked it quickly and stood playing with it. There was a long pause, and then she said, * I think I’ll go and see what Agnes is doing,’ turning as she spoke and tossing the flower ont on to the path. * Miss Rufford, wait one moment,’ said Harry. Damaris turned back wonderingly. He let his pipe drop on the verandah, and taking the young girl’s hands, said quickly : ‘ I want to ask you, Damaris, if you will be my wife ? If yon care for me enough to—’ ‘ Oh, no,’ cried Damaris, drawing her hands away. ‘ Don’t, Mr Luttrell. Indeed, I like you very much, but not like that.’

‘ Don’t you think,’ pleaded Harry, ‘ you could get to love me a little. I love you so much, Damaris ;so much more than I could ever say.* ‘ No, no. I could never love you half enough. Ask somebody better than me,’ answered Damaris. ‘ There’s no one better than you,’ he said with a sigh. ‘ Yon are a thousand times too good for me. I hardly hoped—’ ‘ I’m sorry,’ said Damaris. ‘ I never meant to make you think I— ’

• Indeed Miss Damaris,’ said Harry, bravely, ‘ you have nothing to reproach yourself with. I might have known you did not care for me. It’s all rubbish about being a brother, but indeed I will be a good friend to you, if ever you need one.’ ‘ Thank you,’ said Damaris, simply, and she held out her hand to Harry, who took and pressed it. In another moment she passed into the house leaving Harry alone. He stood silent for a moment and then climbing the verandah rails, dropped softly on to the grass beneath, and kneeling down began to grope for the piece of hones suckle she had tossed away so carelessly. He found it and still kneeling laid it carefully in his waistcoat pocket, murmuring, ‘ Alfred likes her and he is a good fellow, but no one could love her as I do.’ Boor Harry. ‘ Uncle Harry,’ said a voice above him, ‘ Uncle Harry, are you saying your prayers ?’ Harry started and rose hastily. ‘ I was looking for something, Robin,’ he said, shortly. ‘ Were you ?’ said Robin, leaning over the verandah rails. ‘ Well, you’d better come in now. Papa told me to find you, and ask if you were coming to Biggs’ with him.’ ‘ Yes, I am coming,’ said Harry, stooping to dust the knees of his trousers.

He found his brother in the dining room, leaning against the mantelpiece with a slight smile hovering round his mouth. He was watching Damaris and Alfred, who were engaged setting their pieces preparatory to a game of chess. Everyone of Damaris’s men had to be set and re-set before Alfred was satisfied with them. And then the game began. Damaris played earnestly, but her opponent moved his pieces almost at random, watching her intent face half the time, and seemed much gratified to find himself ignominiously checkmated. ‘ How badly you are playing to night, Mr North,’ said Damaris. ‘ You generally beat me easily, but to-night I have had no difficulty in beating you.’ ‘ I suspect,’ said Alfred, laughing, ‘ that the fault of that lies with yourself, Miss Ruflord. ‘ Will you have another game ?’ ‘ Yes, if you will really play your best.’ ‘ Very well.’ By this time they were alone, saving for Robin, who sat buried in ‘ Tom Brown’s Schooldays,’ oblivious of everything ; for Harry and his brother had gone out, and Mrs Luttrell was with the children. Presently Alfred’s zest for the game seemed to decline, and leaving his queen in check, he began to converse. ‘ Do you believe in dreams ?’ he asked. ‘ Prophetic dreams, and all that sort of thing, do you mean ?’ asked Damaris. ‘Yes.’ ‘ Well, not as a rule, though many strange unexplainable things have happened. Do you believe in them ?’ ‘ No, I can’t say that I do, but I shouldn’t like to say that they never come true except by coincidence ; and talking of dreams, I had a strange one last night.’ • Will you tell it me?’ ‘ If you care to hear it.’ ‘ Oh, yes, I do, especially if it is uncanny. I like ghost stories.’ ‘ This is not a ghost story. I seemed in my dream to be coming home, after having been away, whether for days or years I can’t say, but I know in my dream I was hastening, and looking forward to the end of my journey. Well, I rode across the ford, and up to my place, expecting my partner, Tom Jefferson, to come out to meet me ; but to iny astonishment I found it deserted and silent, with the doors open, and the gate broken down. In my dream I was perplexed at this, and rode off to look Tom up. At every house I stopped to inquire if they had seen him, and every house I found deserted and silent with overgrown gardens and paths. I wandered up and down, but all in vain, not a living thing could I find. I remember in my dream how oddly the horse’s footsteps echoed,and what a strange, eerie feeling came over me, walking among those ghostly houses of my imagination. The dream was so vivid, that I had to go for a good walk this morning, to see that everything was as brisk and lively as ever, before I could get rid of the queer feeling it left.’ ‘ How strange,’ said Damaris gravely. ‘ I hope it is not a bad omen for our dear old home here.’

‘ I hope not,’ said Alfred. ‘ Do yon know, she continued, flying off at a tangent, ‘ I wish the settlement were better defended, in case those horrid Hauhaus should come. Hugh said something to-day about packing us all off to Napier, but I should not like to leave this dear old house, nor would Agnes.’ ‘ When those horrid Hauhaus do come,’ cried Alfred, ‘ Jove ! won't we settlers fight for our wives, our homes — and our sweethearts,’ he added as an afterthought.

Damaris laughed at his martial ardour, and said, * Why, you don’t consider Poverty Bay your home, do you, Mr North? You told me when yon first came here, that you could never consider any place but England your home, and you intended to go back there, as soon as you have made your fortune. Have you forgotten ?'

‘ Forgotten ? no ! but that was when I scarcely knew you. You could make any spot on earth home to me. Miss Damaris, trill yon ?’

He rose as he spoke, and came round to her side of the table in great excitement. • Damaris, will you ?’

* Will I what ?’ she asked softly, beginning to give his king check,'regardless of the rules of the game. • Will you be my wife, and come and make my wretched little den (when it is bigger and better) into a home for me ?’

* Yes, I will try,’ murmured Damaris so softly that he had to stoop his tall form to hear it. And after that Alfred drew his chair close to hers, and they said —well, I shouldn’t like to repeat all that they said, for all that meant so mnch to those two happy sincere young hearts would only provoke a smile from an unsympathetic outsider. Suffice it to say that for a few brief hours they viewed all the world and the future through golden spectacles, and built, on each other’s love, a castle of hope and joy that towered up out of reach of sorrow and care. I wonder how many lovers’ dreams have come true since first the god of love was born !

They sat together for a long time, and by-and-bye the tiny old-fashioned ring that had been his mother’s found its way on to her linger. * And now you are pledged to me,’ he said, * and this ring is the mark of your captivity, just as the old Saxon bondsmen nsed to wear metal rings round their necks, with their master’s names engraved on them. As long as you wear this ring you belong to me.’ Presently his arm wandered over the back of her chair, her head rested back comfortably on it. They sat like that for some time longer, then Alfred rose, and sighed, and said he must be going, and she rose too, and he clasped her hands again, and drew her close against his heart. Now all this time, in a very large armchair in one corner of the room sat Robin. He had been reading, but as he came to the end of the book he had fallen into a deep reverie, and thence into a pleasant slumber. From this he woke slowly, and sat gazing dreamily at the stars outside the window, until he was brought right back to the wideawake world by hearing a familiar voice, say in a stage whisper, ‘ One more, my own little sweetheart !’ and — horrors ! what was that? Robin sprang to his feet. Mr North had his arms round Aunt Damaris, and they were kissing one another. Did ever such a scene present itself to a respectable nephew’s eyes ? ‘ Hullo !’ cried Robin.

They both started and turned round, looking rather confused, though Alfred still held Damaris’s hands. Robin made for the door.

‘ Why, Rob,’ said Alfred, ‘ where are you going in such haste? Won’t you wish me—’ Robin paused with his hand on the door, and eyed them with stern scorn. ‘Do you think I didn’t see you kiss her ?’ he said. *I am going to tell papa and mamma.’ Alfred laughed and said, ‘Let us go too, darling.’ Harry and his brother were coming up the garden path together, and the latter was saying, ‘ He said he thought the out-settlers would be ordered in presently, and though I’m not very apprehensive, I think I will send Agnes and Damaris and the children down to Napier till things are more settled. I mentioned the idea to-day, and brought a shower of reproach on my unlucky head. You will have to exert all your powers of persuasion, Harry, and help me tomorrow.’

• Very well,’ answered Harry, gravely. ‘ I think they wonld be best away.’ Just as they reached the verandah steps Robin dashed out, ‘ Papa,’ he cried, *Mr North kissed Aunt Damaris. I saw him. and he called her “ darling.” ’ • By George 1 that’s news,’ cried Mr Luttrell, and he burst out laughing as Alfred and Damaris came down the passage. * Agnes !’ be shouted, and Mrs Luttrell stepped into the passage looking rather surprised. Her husband waved his hand towards the young couple, ‘ look at them.’ he said. Mrs Luttrell looked and Alfred put his arm round Damaris : * Damaris is willin’,’ he said, with a little nervous laugh, ‘ will you give her to me, Mrs Luttrell?’ In the midst of the congratulations that followed Harry slipped quietly away. He couldn’t wish Alfred joy yet. (TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.)