ones to keep near the house. "After you have done
shooting of a morning," he said, "instead of bringing your guns into the
house as usual take them down with you to the place where you are at
work, so that they will be handy in case of necessity. Most likely there
is no danger whatever; but I have heard a rumour that some people from
Waikato have come into this neighbourhood, and if so no doubt they are
trying to get the tribes here to join the Hau-Haus. I do not think that
there is much chance of their succeeding, for the natives have always
been very friendly, and there has been no dispute about land or any
other grievance; but when one knows how suddenly they have risen in
other places, it is better to take precautions."

After breakfast on the morning when his father and mother had started,
Wilfrid strolled out on to the verandah, and stood for some little time
hesitating what he should do. The Grimstones had just started to look up
some cattle in one of the distant clearings, one of the native hands
having reported the evening before two of the animals were missing.

"I will go not far till they come back," he said to himself. "The garden
wants hoeing. Weeds grow as fast here as they do at home. That will be
just the job for me." He was about to turn to enter the house, when he
saw four natives emerge from the trees and make towards him.

"Marion," he said through the open door, "get the guns down from the
rack, and see that they are capped and ready. There are four natives
coming towards the house. I daresay they are friendly, and are probably
only on the way down the river to look for work, still as we are alone
you cannot be too careful."

Hearing Marion reply "All right, Wilfrid!" the lad leant against the
door in a careless attitude, and awaited the coming of the natives. As
they approached he saw they were all strangers to him, although he knew
most of the natives in the neighbourhood by sight, for these not
infrequently came in to barter a pig or a sheep for tobacco, sugar, or
other things necessary to them. The natives as they came up gave the
usual salutation of good-day, to which Wilfrid replied.

"We are hungry," a tall Maori, who by his dress appeared to be a chief,
said.

"I will get you something to eat," Wilfrid answered.

The Maoris would have followed into the house, but he stopped and said
sharply, "We do not allow strangers in the house. Those we know are free
to enter and depart as they c