Part 97 (1/2)

”Why did you say that, Je to , eh,his hand on Don's shoulder, and he s the last half-hour had puzzled hi that in the Maori chief he had a true friend, and in this way they followed Mike Bannock round one of the shoulders of thenoise high up into the air

CHAPTER FIFTY

HOW TO ESCAPE?

It was in quite a little natural fortress that Mike stopped, the way being in and out through a narrow rift that must have been the result of some earthquake, and when this was passed they were in a sheltered nook, at one side of which the face of a precipice hung right over, affording ah quite a cranny a stream of perfectly clear water trickled, and on the other side was a s over at one side, the stea that it was in some way connected with the noisy jet which rose outside

”There, young Don Lavington, that's where we lives, ot to stay with us If you behave well, you shall have plenty to eat and drink If you don't,you down as he would a bird”

Don glanced round wonderingly, and tried to grasp why it was that Mike Bannock was there, the only surht one--Jem's: that Mike was a transported man who had taken to the bush

He had just come to this conclusion when Jem turned to him

”Shall I ask him that, Mas' Don?”

”Ask him what?”

”What I think Depend upon it he was sent out to Botany Bay, and run off to this country”

”No, no, Jem; don't ask”

”He can't have come out here honest, Mas' Don Look at him, there arn't a honest hair in his head”

”But we don't want to offend him, Jem”

”Don't we? Tell you e do want, Mas' Don; ant to get hold o'

them old rusty muskets and the powder and shot, and then we coulds said in a low voice by Ngati, who looked froain, and then struck his fist into his hand with a look of rage and despair

”Yes, I feel the sareat fellow's ar to be able to understand what you say, Ngati”

The chief srasped Don's hand with a friendly grip, offering the other to Jeht, old boy,” said the latter ”We can't understand each other's lingo, but we know each other's hearts We've got to wait a bit and see”

A week passed rapidly away, during which, in his rougher moods, Mike treated his prisoners as if they were slaves, calling upon Ngati to perform the most menial offices for the little ca look at Don, who for the sake of gaining tiruhtest appearance of resistance wasmovement with the muskets, which never left the men's hands

They were fairly supplied with food; fish fro hie eels, and at discovering fresh supplies of fruit and roots