rstand 'em, Mas' Don. Seems to me that these chaps are all
fight till they're beaten; but as soon as they're beaten, they're like
some horses over a job: they won't try again. No, they're no good to
help us, and I suppose they mean to take it as it comes."

The two lay in silence now, watching the proceedings of their captors,
who were being feasted, till there was a sudden movement, and about a
dozen men approached them, spear in hand.

At a shouted order the prisoners, wounded and sound, rose up with the
women and children; and as patiently and apathetically as possible,
allowed themselves to be driven up the hill-side to the strongly-built
_pah_, through whose gateway they entered, and then threw themselves
wearily down in the shadow of the great fence, while their captors
secured the entrance, and a couple of them remained on guard.

"Do I look like a sheep, Mas' Don?" said Jem, as he threw himself on the
earth. "Sheep? No, Jem. Why?"

"Because I feels like one, my lad. Driven in here like one of a flock,
and this place just like a great pen; and here we are to be kept till
we're wanted for--Oh, don't look like that, Mas' Don. It was only my
fun. I say, you look as white as a wax image."

"Then don't talk that way," said Don, hoarsely. "It is too horrible."

"So it is, dear lad; but it seems to me that they only want to keep us
now for slaves or servants. They're not going to, eh?"

"No, Jem," said Don looking at the great fence.

"Yes, that's just what I think, my lad. Posts like this may keep in Noo
Zealanders, but they won't keep in two English chaps, will they?"

"Do you think if we got away in the woods, we could manage to live,
Jem?"

"I think, my lad, if we stop in this here _pah_, we can't manage to at
all, so we'll try that other way as soon as we can."

"Do you think it will be cowardly to leave these poor creatures in the
power of the enemy?"

"If we could do 'em any good by staying it would be cowardly; but we
can't do 'em any good. So as soon as you like, as I said before, I'm
ready for a start. Why, there's fern roots, and fruit, and rivers, and
the sea--Oh, yes, Mas' Don, I think we could pick up a living somehow,
till we reached a settlement, or friendly tribe."

Night began to fall soon afterward, and half-a-dozen women came in,
bearing more bowls of the gruel-like food, and a couple of baskets of
potatoes, which were set down near the prisoners, along with a couple of
gr