Stolen by the Maoris.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XX, 16 November 1901, Page 962

Stolen by the Maoris.

(By Cousin Winnie, Christchurch.)

Deslie, Violet and Mabel Mountjoy were spending their Christmas vacation at the home of their Aunt Mina, near Auckland. Aunt Mina had two children living at home, and the eldest of these was Mary, aged fourteen, while the youngest was Gipsy, so called because her hair was jet black and her eyes deep brown. There was one boy, Fred. He was at school in Wellington. It was a lovely day in summer, and it had been looked

forward to for many a long day. The reason of this was, that Aunt Mina had promised to take them for a picnic in the woods. All was bustle and excitement at “Korakea.” the name of Aunt Mina’s house. Servants and children were running hither and thither to see that everything was packed.

“Are you sure. Fanny, that you did not put too much mister I n I'm sandwiches?” said Leslie for about the sixth time that morning. ‘y_es. Master Leslie. I’m sure I did edlv ans " ered Fanny. good-humour-

At last everything was readv. the food was all packed, and the children and Aunt Mina all got into flm waggon that was to convey them to the ■ pot where they would encamp. Soon mu the Spot ’ Tt " as a ’'wely drv unVhe SUn,mer S hPat en, " d dry up the green grass, for it was protected by the shade of ovmhaim'ing willows and oaks. \ little brook ran singing merrily .along, making a senes of little waterfalls as it nassL Chin a large stone. Evorvand V t r ' V SWeet and Peaceful, and the bine sky overhead smiled e °, n handiwork’ What a lovely place it is ” said Via let and Mabel in one breath dmX eR ' earS ' is a P r ettv place- I SO nrp r tt nie ™ ber Seein «‘ anything half elev C e°n Ine Idren ' * Is half-past P °Th Ct h^ d ’ fOr ' -- fire a .” P ’' and wereVw ° ff do as f hev behind to get stayed Oh, what fun it is.” said Cinsv n eves snarklino- “n.. • ain Gipsy. her here.” " hnv,n 8’ "”r lunch out air.” uere in the open

at ’n his direction T T ere turned “What’s the malt' r d auntie said But that vrnm ' T. sHp dear? ” long face and tookT? ernan P"Hed a the lr.™ " s !” — the sandwiches an? the nH ” ,tard on was covered with it ” ° ne 1 11 ' d • vo^ehndren i ma a v ,n run ’ Unch while Marv and ' t and P’av S» v”,t' »P Gipsy ran off. Mabel. Leslie and seekj ” said ° f ‘hide-and-So AUbe7hid her\°ae p nl L t I ’ le ehi,d '<m. ran away to hVde p-' 11 the others off to hide toget l/L,;!? 1 Vi °’ et as they reached ti>? ’ u-, d as soon they were startled bv a bld,nfr . Place them. a behind “What you doing here in m, r to an MaOri - erv- ? + glrls - Viole t began to erv, but Gipsy said quietly’; ‘?Y, P d ’ d not kn °w it belonged to “You come along with me.” and tinMaori thrust a handkerchief over their mouths, and hastened along with his two prisoners. Soon they reached a Maori village with numerous Maori women sitting round a fire cooking their husband’s lunches. Dirty little children crowded around our heroines and their captor. One pointed at Gipsy, and said in broken English: “Pretty girl, oh, me like pretty girl.” The women left their cooking and said something in Maori to the man who had captured the girls. “Come on now,” said the Maori, pushing the two girls in front of him. “you eome long to my great gran’mother; she take care of you till day after ’morrow, and then we put tomahawk through your head,” and he glanced cunningly at the two girls, to see what impression his speech had made. Violet and even Gipsy could not repress a shudder. “Ah. you frightened of me; mo make you more frightened, ’cause me make my ole woman cook you and ent you up.” Just then a very old woman came up to the girls. “Come along with me,” she said, and Violet and Gipsy followed her into a weather-beaten tent.

“Sit there, now,” she said. “Don’t be frightened of my great gran’son—he not touch you if you ’bey him; but one o’ these days me let you go back io your friends if you give me those pretty dresses, and this, and this,” she said, pointing to Violet’s watch

and Gipsy’s bracelet. “Yes. we will give them to you—everything—and this, too,” and Gipsy took out a little sealskin purse, and showed two new half-crowns and a brooch without a pin to the old woman. “You got any money?” said the woman, turning to Violet. “Yes, but not much,” and Violet took out her purse, and emptied the contents into the old woman’s hand. There was a silver sixpence, three coppers, and a shilling. The woman seemed very satisfied, and hid the money and jewellery in a corner of the tent. It was growing dark, when she told them that they might lay down on a pile of sheep and rabbit skins. In the middle of the night Gipsy woke up. for the sound of voices could be distinctly heard conversing together in the tent. “I tell you.” said one of the men, whom Gipsy recognised as the voice of their captor, “Mrs Lei tier has plenty money, and children too, me make ’em frightened, ’cause me said me eat ’em up. Ha, ha’’’ And the man chuckled audibly. “They pay big money for children when we take ’em home,” said one of the women. “Aye, aye, that what me stole ’em for,” said the voice of their captor again. Soon the men and women dispersed to their different tents, and after a lapse of about half an hour the children felt a hand laid on their shoulder, and a voice whispered in their ears. It was the old woman. “Get up. quick.” she said. “Ole Midgekins take you home to your house. Jim and the rest gone to sleep.” The girls sprang up, ami hastily donning some feather mats which .Midgekins gave them in exchange for their own dresses, they glided out of the tents. “This way, quick! Horses waiting,” and Midgekins hurried the girls to where two horses were grazing. She told Gipsy to get on to one, while she lifted Violet on to the other. “Go straight through there,” pointing as she spoke to the woods in front of them. “When you come to opening, turn to your right, and then you will come to your house.” “Good-bye,’ said Gipsy. “Papa will reward you when he comes back from India. That will be in a week.” “Go. quick, or you will be caught.” and Midgekins glided quickly back to 1 he tent. After an hour’s hard riding, tired, weary, and heavy-eyed, the children reached their home. It was five o’clock, and all was confusion at Korakea. Fred, who had come home the night before with four of the men servants, had just returned from their fruitless search for the lost children. “Fred! Tim! and Jack! we have come back. Come to Vi. Oh, she looks so tired, and I am tired, too.” Fred and the men came hastily forward, and the fainting children were carried into the house. No questions were asked till the two girls had recovered a little from their fatigue, and then the story was told to Auntie, the children, and the servants, who listened in silence. When the story was finished, Auntie kissed Gipsy and her niece, and said:

“My brave little girls. How can I ever be thankful enough to Him who has preserved your lives?” The children were crying and laughing together, while Fred wiped away some suspicious moisture which had gathered in his eyes.