Page:Adventures of Kimble Bent.djvu/225

Rh retired to their tea after a pretty little skirmish; and the Hauhaus marched back to the pa in high jubilation, singing war-songs, waving their guns, and bounding about and grimacing like a company of fiends. Then the steaming pork and potatoes, and speech-making and howling hakas around the great camp-fires. From the Maori point of view, quite a pleasant day's sport.

During the two months following the bush fight at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu no serious engagement occurred, but Titokowaru's war-parties scoured the district for many miles, laid ambuscades on the tracks between the European redoubts, burned settlers' houses, and bagged a stray pakeha or two.

One incident of this period illustrates the peculiar ghoulish humour of the Hauhau savage. Two friendly Maoris—Nga-hina and another—who were mail-carriers in the Government service, halted awhile at Manawapou one day, while on their way to Patea, and searched the settlement there for the wherewithal for a dinner. A cask stood beside one of the wharés, and on taking the top off they found it to be a barrel of brine, containing meat—apparently pork.

Anticipating a good meal of salt pork, they fished up some of the meat. They found to their disgust that it was human flesh!—"Long-pig!" Not being Hauhaus or cannibals, they dropped the