CHAPTER XIX
PAEROA'S VENGEANCE
So utterly unexpected was the attack, that Sounding Sea went down with a yell of terror; but, quickly recognising his adversary, he began to wriggle and twist, clawing and spitting like an angry cat. But he could do nothing against such a stalwart as George, and Terence, confident of this, busied himself in cutting the bonds of the captives and gently chafing their swollen joints, while he smiled into their wan faces, and spoke hopefully in a language they did not understand of the good time coming for them.
But hope is translatable into any tongue, and, as Terence chatted on, the dull eyes brightened and a responsive grin overspread Paeroa's drawn face, while Kawainga's lips quivered, and she burst into happy, soothing tears.
This was too much for Terence. His alluring smile vanished, and he rose and solemnly punched the head of Sounding Sea. 'I don't often hit a man when he is down,' he remarked, returning to his patients; 'but you deserve a taste of your own sauce.'
'Quite right,' agreed George. 'Wait here, Terence, while I get my flask. When I return, we can settle what to do.'
He was back in a very short time, and the flask, which he had not opened since he left Sydney, came in usefully now; for the strong spirit, dashed with water, soon restored Paeroa and Kawainga, who sat up and began to talk.
'I did what I could, Hortoni,' Paeroa said sadly. 'Had you met me by the fork that day all would have been well. As it is, I have still one word of the white-haired chief to you. Te Karearea took the other. Here it is.'
Like all the Hau-haus, he wore his hair long, and now he pulled from the tangled locks a soiled piece of paper, which he held out to George, who took it and read aloud:
'We ar~ on your t~ack. Try ~~~~~~scape ~nd meet us. Y~~rs—M. Cra~sto~n.'
Here and there the pencilled letters were obliterated; but the meaning was clear enough. The question was—had Te Karearea driven back, or annihilated the relief force? And this, of course, Paeroa could not tell.
'I wonder what was in the note which Te Karearea took,' said George.
'Paeroa has made a mistake,' commented Terence. 'Colonel Cranstoun is not white-haired, unless he has changed since I saw him.'
'Well, there is no use worrying over a mistake,' said George.
'Oh, of course not,' agreed Terence, looking curiously at his friend. He had his own idea as to the identity of the writer of the missing note, and thought that George's ignorance was bliss, in so far as it saved him from much anxiety.
Briefly, Paeroa's story was that, on the march to rejoin the main body, he had stolen away at the risk of his life, worked round to the rear of the Arawa contingent, and presented himself at the British camp, where he found Colonel Cranstoun and others, to whom he told the story of George's adventures as far as he knew them. He was ignorant of the capture of Terence, so he could not remove the impression which existed that the Irishman had been killed while endeavouring to deliver Captain Westrupp's note. Promising to do all he could for George, Paeroa departed with two short letters in his care. He failed, as we know, to communicate with George on the day of the fight with the Arawas; but, just before the skirmish, while plotting with Kawainga to deliver the letters unobserved, the two were suddenly overpowered by a strong guard of Hau-haus, and conveyed to the pah. There they were kept in close confinement, and eventually transferred to the cave under the waterfall, Sounding Sea being appointed their gaoler. The mean and vicious Hau-hau had amplified the chief's instructions, and gratified his own malevolent nature by inflicting upon the prisoners as many hardships as he dared, short of actually murdering them, so that their existence since the departure of Te Karearea had been wretched indeed.
'What is to be done now?' queried George, when Paeroa's story had come to an end.
Terence drew his revolver and turned to face Sounding Sea. 'Let him know, George,' he said grimly, 'that, unless he tells the whole truth, there will be a new arrival in Reinga within a minute.'
'Stop!' shrieked Sounding Sea in English. 'I will tell all. I was to keep these two here until Te Karearea's return. I have cared for them and fed them. Mercy, great lords!'
'We shall soon find out whether he has told the truth,' said George gravely. 'We must leave him here, of course—and you two must also be content to wait here a little longer.'
Paeroa stood up shakily, endeavouring to throw out his chest. 'Hope is a good medicine,' he said bravely. 'By the time Hortoni needs my arm it will be strong enough to strike a blow for him.'
As he spoke, Kawainga uttered a weak, wailing cry. George and Terence wheeled, but Paeroa, his hollow eyes gleaming, staggered past them, and hurled his wasted body full atop of Sounding Sea.
Unperceived by the men, the villain had wormed his way close to Kawainga, intending to finish her with one stroke of his club; but the girl's scream spoiled the murderous ruffian's scheme.
Sounding Sea, never a strong man, had grown weak and flabby in consequence of his idle, dissolute life; but, nevertheless, Paeroa had his work cut out for him, and the Englishmen, though anxious to let him have the credit of saving his sweetheart's life, were prepared to interfere should the contest go against him. They thought, of course, that Paeroa meant simply to secure the fellow, and hold him while they adjusted the slipped ropes.
But Paeroa had no such intention. Wrought up to a pitch of fury at the recollection of his wrongs at this coward's hands, and mad with rage at the attempt upon the life of his betrothed, his strength was unnatural. For one instant he came uppermost in the struggle; but it was enough. Glaring wildly about him, he saw and scooped the wooden club from the ground, and, without waiting to fasten his grip upon the handle, brought the triangular edge smashing down upon the upturned face of Sounding Sea. The force of the blow spent itself upon the temple, and with a deep groan the Hau-hau fell back, killed outright by that terrible stroke.
'Ha!' Paeroa gasped, floundering to his feet and shaking the bloodstained club. 'Ha! I have slain a taipo. The strength of ATUA was in me.' Then he lurched forward like a drunken man, and crashed down at Kawainga's feet.
Horrified, George and Terence gazed at the swift, awful scene. It is no light matter to see a man slain before your eyes. Moved by a common impulse, they reverently lifted the dead man and carried him to one side, while Kawainga fussed and crooned over Paeroa.
'If any one is aware of his visits here, and knows that he was employed to watch us——' began George; but Terence struck in:
'We are armed now, and with revolvers, not to speak of your greenstone club. By the way, why didn't you bring it with you?'
'I did,' answered George, clapping his hand to his side. But the loop in his belt was empty. The mere was gone.
Startled, George looked about the cave; but nowhere could he find the club.
'I fear it has dropped into the river as I came down the ladder,' he said. 'Wait here, if you don't mind, Terence, and I will go and see if I have left it in our hut. No; let me go, for if I meet any one, my knowledge of the language will get me past him, whereas you might be stopped.'
'Bring back the basket of food with you,' Terence called after him as he hurried away.
As he rapidly ascended the ladder, George became conscious of an extraordinary commotion in the pah. Shouts and cries, wailing of teteres, even gun-shots, disturbed the quiet night, and, wondering what had happened, he scaled the palisades and sped to his whare.
A glance all round told him that the club was not there, so, snatching up the basket of food, he was about to set off again, when from the confusion of sounds in the direction of the marae, one detached itself, clear and high:
'Rongo pai! Rongo pai!' (Good tidings! Good tidings!) 'Salutations, O Hawk of the Mountain! O Slayer of the Pakeha, hail!'
Without an instant's pause George turned and ran, scaling the stockade, and dashing down the flax-ladder at perilous speed.
'Come!' he shouted, when he had gained the entrance to the cave. 'Out of this for your lives. Te Karearea has returned!’