CHAPTER I.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 22, 30 May 1901, Page 23

CHAPTER I.

My first recollections are of a small village only a little distance from a great river, wuio'u in our native laii^ucini. w«,rL,»llcu Jli^LLj Waters.' Many horrible monsters, puch as white people would call crocodile! and alligators, lived iv ts»e ma-mh^ citek-t luiuitil Lv Llio wash of this river, and other terrible living things, huch as you perhaps have never heard of, also had their haunts in the tall reeds and rushes of these swampy nooks. We children of the village used to play about the open banks of the river, and the elder and more daring would, when the waters were quiet, go out a long way in the canoes of their parents, but we never went too near the great rushes, for well we knew that they were the home of that most terrible of all kings — Death. Many were the dreadful tales we used to hear of boys and girl* —ah I and men and women too — who had been seized by some of the fearful animals that dwelt in the dense thicket* of reeds and had been seen no more. Many were the death danc°3 (a cu«tom of our village) for those who had left us in the morning in all the bloom of youth and strength and who had never come back again. Patiently those who loved them would wait, thinking perhaps they had travelled much in the great forest near us in search of wiid honey (which was a precious delicacy with us simple folks) and had been overtaken by the night. Ah ! many nights would come, but the bonny yonng hunter would not come, and then we knew that the wild beasts we feared so much had devoured his body, and that he had gone to the Home of the Great Spirit. Although our fear kept us away from the thickets of rushes, we played about the trees that skirted the forest near us. Sometimes we had heard of fierce lions prowling about the village by night, but by day they seldom came near our huts, for our men were brave and cunning, their spears were sharp, and the pits they dug were deep. Some unwary or overdaring beasts had been entrapped by our braves, and perhaps the sava?e animals find out such things, bat, however that may be. they rarely came too near our homes, thus we used to play without fear near the great trees chase the bright-eyed squirrels and the many birds — these last are very beautiful in our country, golden, purple, blue, and many other colors —from bough to bough. Ah me ! My first great sorrow in life was under those same tall trees. It happened thus : A number of us merry children were playing on the borders of the forest, my only brother, an affectionate little fellow (we 'Bavages' have the same feelings as jou white folks, you know) of about six years old was with me. Ah ' how I loved him. my brother ! The customs of our tribe m;ule my father cruel and crushed out much of the natural tenderness of my mother ; but my brother was too young to have le.irnt anything- but what nature taught, and he was very dear to me and I to him. We were playing at some native game— something very like what your little child has describe >t to me— me hides and the other seeks him Uwatha (that was my brother's name) had to hide himself, and left my eide laughing merrily Baying words that would be on your tongue : ' You will never find me, Sissie. for I know a beautiful hiding-place.' He trotted away, and. as he reached the trees, just turned round to see if we were watching him. He gave me such a loving 100k — it will remain on my mind until I leave this world — and disappeared. After a time we heard the shrilly, childish cry. which was a sign that the hider was hidden, and we all scampered off laughing and Bhouting to see him. It was cußtomary with ns to imitate the cries of birds and animals, and then the child in concealment would reply from the distance in the same cry. We were so clever at these sounds that it would be impot-sible for many perhoi.s to delect the true sound from the imitation. As we raced through the long grass and examined the bushes in our path, one of the lade gave a lion's roar, and we waited for my brothers reply, to that we might be guided by the sound as to what direction in which to seek the hider. The answer came quickly, and clapping our hands with glee, we raced at full speed towards a clump of short, thick trees some distance off. As we got nearer, a sound was htard that made each one of us Btop and tremble with fear A second roar and a frightful growl was heard, and then a crunching as of bones ' We all stood stock still, and then, with many shrieks my companions left me and fled for their lives ; for well thiy knew that the mighty king of beasts was there ' And I ? I wa* paralysed with fear ; but I could not run away and leave my little brother Uwatha to his fate. Love gave me courage, and I humid towards the trees ; before, however, I reached them, an immense beast came slowly out, lashing its tail fiercely against its bides, .n anger perhaps, at being disturbed. I hardly noticed the huge brute, terrible as it was. for there was something it was carrying in its cruel month which fascinated and appalled me ; for there, crushed into a bleeding, sh^pele** ma**, was my brother Uwatha. I knew him by a piece of colored cloth I had tied round his neck to pU-at-e him in the morning. 1 gave oue shriek of agony and fell senseless on the grass. That cry may have frightened the lion away, for when 1 recovered my sentes 1 was alone and uninjured.