t sight of us as we came up here,
and think it possible we may intend to defend the defile."

"I will let them know we are here;" and Mr. Atherton made two steps
forward to the mouth of the defile. Almost at the same instant he
levelled his rifle and fired, and one of the Maoris threw up his arms
and fell back, the rest throwing themselves down instantaneously among
the bushes, whence a moment later two or three shots were fired. But Mr.
Atherton had stepped back, and he and the settler, lying down on the
ground, worked themselves forward until by raising their heads they
could command a view of the slope up to the mouth of the ravine.

For a time all was silent. Presently Wilfrid's rifle spoke out, and a
yell testified to the fact that the quick aim he had taken at a dark
figure stealing among the bushes had been true. It was followed quickly
by a general discharge of their pieces by the natives. The bullets
rattled thickly against the rock, and cut leaves from the bushes behind
which Wilfrid was lying, but he had drawn himself back a foot or two the
moment he fired, and the balls passed harmlessly over him. Not so the
missive despatched by Mr. Atherton in the direction of a puff of smoke
from a bush some forty yards away, for the figure behind it remained
still and immovable while the fray went on. For upwards of an hour the
exchange of shots continued, and then the assailants were joined by
fifteen other natives, who had been attracted to the spot by the sound
of firing.

"I expect they will pluck up their courage to make a rush now, Wilfrid,"
Mr. Atherton said. "If it had not been for these new arrivals I think
they would have soon drawn off, for we must have diminished their
numbers very considerably. Don't fire again for a bit; we had best keep
our rifles loaded so as to be ready for them when they pluck up courage
to charge. When they do, be sure you keep your revolver as a reserve for
the critical moment."

Five minutes later a tremendous yell rose in the air. The natives leaped
to their feet from behind the bushes, fired their guns at their hidden
foes, and then, tomahawk in hand, rushed forward.

Three shots rang out almost simultaneously from the mouth of the defile
and three of the natives dropped dead in their tracks. The rest rushed
forward in a body. Mr. Atherton and the settler leapt to their feet, and
the former opened fire with his Colt's revolver when the leading natives
were within ten yards of