to be seen. Of course the people who have escaped are, like
ourselves, ignorant of everything that has taken place except what
happened in their immediate neighbourhood. I should fancy, myself, that
however widespread the massacre may have been, the Hau-Haus started last
night on their way back. They would know that as soon as the news
reached Wairoa the force there will be on the move to cut them off."

"Do you think they will succeed?" Wilfrid asked eagerly.

"I do not think so, Wilfrid. If Colonel Whitmore were there they would
have routed out Te Kooti long ago, but Colonel Lambert seems a man of a
different stamp altogether. Why, I heard last night that he marched six
days ago to Whataroa, quite close to Te Kooti's place, and that a
prisoner they took gave them positive information that the Hau-Haus
there had all left to assist Te Kooti in a raid upon Poverty Bay. It
seems they did not believe the news; at anyrate, although a mail left
for Poverty Bay on the day after they returned to Wairoa, they sent no
news whatever of the report they had heard. If they had done so there
would have been plenty of time for the settlers to prepare for the
attack.

"It is one of the most scandalous cases of neglect that I ever heard of,
and Lambert ought to be tried by court-martial, though that would not
bring all these people to life again. However there is one thing
certain, the news of this affair will create such a sensation throughout
the island that even the incapable government at Auckland, who have
disregarded all the urgent requests for aid against Te Kooti, will be
forced to do something, and I sincerely hope they will despatch Whitmore
with a strong force of constabulary to wipe out Te Kooti and his band.
It is curious how things come about. Almost all these poor fellows who
have been killed belonged to the Poverty Bay militia, who refused to
press on with Whitmore in pursuit of Te Kooti. Had they done so, the
addition of thirty white men to his force might have made all the
difference in that fight you had with him, and in that case Te Kooti
would have been driven far up the country, and this massacre would never
have taken place."

It was a great relief to Mrs. Renshaw when Wilfrid reached the village.
She was not given to idle fears, and felt convinced that he was running
no real danger; for she knew Mr. Atherton would not have left him by
himself had he not been perfectly convinced there was no danger of
pursuit