Part 84 (1/2)

”Isn't this nearest one Ngati's canoe, Jem?”

”Yes, my lad; that's she I know her by that handsoati's dead”

”I' tothe prisoners, but I can't see either”

”More can't I, Mas' Don It's a werry bad job Lookye yonder now”

Don was already looking, for a great deal of excited business was going on belohere the victorious tribe was at work, going and co down loads of plunder taken from the various huts One man bore a bundle of spears, another some stone tomahahich were rattled into the bottoarments were carried doith other objects of value in the savage eye

This went on for hours ae a filled up and deep in the water

Then there see close down to the shore, and the party busy there a short ti to fetch us now, I suppose, Mas' Don,” said Jeot your pistol and cutlash”

But no one but the guards ca which the other prisoners sat crouched together, talking in a low tone, apparently quite indifferent to their fate; and this indifference seean to laugh and talk aloud

For some tiuards, a tall Maori, whose face was so lined in curves that it seeroup, spear in hand, to give one child a poke with the butt, another a sharp blow over the head, evidently with the intention of producing silence; but in the case of the younger children his movements had the opposite effect, and this roused the ire of soh to esture with his spear

Just at thatarose, which took the e at one corner of the _pah_ to stand leaning upon their spears, gazing down at the festivities being carried on at the edge of the sands below

For so party had fired the village, for a tall coluain as coht

The fire was too far below to be seen, but the soing on

The singing and shouting increased, and once or twice the other prisoners appeared to take an excited interest in the sounds that came up to them; but they only sank directly after into a state of o down upon their chests, andoff to sleep

The noise and shouting had been going on for some time, and then ceased, to be succeeded by a low, busyvery silent and thoughtful, watching the faint s in the various sounds, Don turned his eyes in a curiously furtive manner to steal a look at Jereatest caution, so as to try and read his companion's countenance, when, to his surprise, he found that Je a look at him, and both, as it were, snatched their eyes away, and began looking at the prisoners

But at that tie attractive force, which aze in a peculiarly hard, ay

Don seeed deeply into the eyes of his coazed, he shuddered, and tried to look elsewhere

But he could not look elsewhere, only hard at Jem, who also shuddered, and looked sha each other's thoughts only too correctly, and the effect of that perusal was todrops of perspiration roll down Jem's face, and to turn Don deadly pale

At last each snatched his eyes away, Je and listening to the bursts of merriment which came up

At such times, in spite of their efforts, they could not iazed wildly at each other, trying to ined was false, or else the prisoners would have shown son of excitement

At last Jem ceased to make any pretence about the matter He stared speechlessly and full of misery at Don, who let his eyes rest wildly on Je his head upon his chest, and sitting h the rest of that hour, and hour after hour, till towards evening, did the wretched prisoners sit in despair and misery without food or water; and the sounds ofca rapidly when about half-a-dozen of the conquering tribe cauard suddenly greildly excited, and giving up their duties to the new coer shouts and rushed off in a way that was frantic in the extreed looks full ofat the new comers, alked slowly about for a few ainst the palisading of the _pah_, and partially supported theh!” ejaculated Jem with a shudder as he turned away ”You wretches!

Mas' Don, I felt as I lay here last night, all dull and miserable and sick, and hardly able to bear myself--I felt so miserable because I knew I must have shot sohed Don; ”so did I”