essitated more speeches, but when they were
finished the lawyer read the articles of association. Strangely enough,
they were devoid of legal technicalities, and consisted of four
clearly-worded clauses, destitute of legal fiction, to which all
present readily subscribed their names.

That done, they drank to the prosperity of The Timber Town Gold League.

CHAPTER XXII.

Women's Ways.

Scarlett had a day upon his hands while his gold-seeking _confreres_ of
the League made their preparations for the journey to Bush Robin Creek.
To loiter about the town meant that he would be pestered with questions
regarding the locality of the new "field," which, until his friends'
"claims" were pegged off, it was desirous to keep secret. He decided,
therefore, to re-visit the scene of the wreck of _The Mersey Witch_.

On a mount, lent him by Chesterman, he was on his way to the Maori _pa_,
before the town was stirring. The road, which he had never traversed
before, wound its tortuous way along the shore for some eight miles, and
then struck inland across the neck of a wooded peninsula, on the further
side of which the rugged and rocky shore was fringed with virgin forest.
He had reached the thick and shady "bush" which covered the isthmus,
where the dew of the morning still lay cool on leaf and frond, and the
great black boles of the forest giants stood sentinel amid the verdant
undergrowth, when he overtook a girl who was walking towards the _pa_.

Her dress was peculiar; she wore a short Maori mat over her shoulders,
and a blue petticoat fell from waist to ankle, while her head and feet
were bare.

Jack reined in his horse, and asked if he was on the road which led to
the _pa_, when the girl turned her merry, brown face, with its red lips
and laughing, brown eyes, and said in English as good as his own, "Good
morning. Yes, this is the road to the _pa_. Why, you were the last
person I expected to see." She held up her hand to him, to greet him in
European fashion.

"Amiria!" he exclaimed. "How _are_ you? It's quite appropriate to meet
you here--I'm on my way to the wreck, to see how the old ship looks, if
there is anything of her left. How far is it to the _pa_?"

"About two miles."

"What brings you so far, at this time of the morning?"

"You passed a settler's house, half-a-mile back."

"Yes, a house built of slabs."

"I have been there to take the woman some fish--our people made a big
haul this morning."

J