between the footprints of the two people.

"My pakeha," said Ngati just then, making Jem wince and utter an angry
gesticulation. "Gunpowder, gun, pow-gun, gun-pow."

"Eh?" said Jem harshly.

"My pakeha, powder-gun. Pow-gun, gun-pow. No?"

"He says his pakeha was to have brought plenty of guns and powder, and
he has not brought any."

"No," said Don, shivering as he spoke. "The guns are the king's. I
could not bring any."

The New Zealand chief seemed to comprehend a good deal of his meaning,
and nodded his head several times. Then making a sign to a couple of
followers, each took one of Don's arms, and they hurried him off at a
sharp run, Jem being seized in the same way and borne forward, followed
by the rest of the men who were in the boat.

"Here, I say. Look here," Jem kept protesting, "I arn't a cask o' sugar
or a bar'l o' 'bacco. Let a man walk, can't yer? Hi! Mas' Don,
they're carrying on strange games here. How are you getting on?"

Don heard the question, but he was too breathless to speak, and had hard
work to keep his feet, leaving everything to the guidance of his
companions, who kept on for above a quarter of a mile before stopping in
a shadowy gully, where the spreading ferns made the place seem black as
night, and a peculiar steaming sulphurous odour arose.

But a short time before Don's teeth were chattering with the cold, but
the exercise circulated his blood; and now, as his eyes grew more used
to the obscurity, he managed to see that they were in a rough hut-like
place open at the front. The sulphurous odour was quite strong, the
steam felt hot and oppressive, and yet pleasant after the long chilling
effect of the water, and he listened to a peculiar gurgling, bubbling
noise, which was accompanied now and then by a faint pop.

He had hardly realised this when he felt that his clothes were being
stripped from him, and for a moment he felt disposed to resist; but he
was breathless and wearied out, and rough as was the attention, it
struck him that it was only preparatory to giving him a dry blanket to
wear till his drenched garments were dry, and hence he suffered
patiently.

But that was not all, for, as the last garment was stripped off, Ngati
said some words to his people, and before he could realise what was
going to be done, Don felt himself seized by four men, each taking a
wrist or ankle, and holding him suspended before Ngati, who went behind
him and supported his head.