Page:Hawaiki The Original Home of the Maori.djvu/164

152 in the original, but the translation is not worth giving. At last, after due ceremony and many messengers had come and gone, Apakura, with tears and lamentations, adorns her son in all the finery of savagedom, preparatory to the sacrifice. The boy now gives his parting words to his parent: "O my mother! This is my last word to thee. Thou shalt lament for me, and in so doing thou shalt call on one to avenge me. Thus shalt thou lament; and thou must remain where thou art, for when the sere ti-leaf falls across our threshold, thou wilt know that I am dead. And when thou seest this sign, upraise the cover of our drinking spring, and behold, if the waters thereof are red, then surely am I gone for ever." Thus saying, he kissed (rubbed noses with) his mother, and, taking his spear, departed.

Coming to the crowd around the ready-prepared oven, the ariki said, "Take and smite him! Let not his feet tread the paving of the marae, lest it be defiled." And then Tu-ranga-taua, with the words of a brave warrior uttered his challenge: " Tis Tu-ranga-taua of the Atu-apai! The son born of the gods! Stand off, ye oven-builders; and ye of the long spears; ye off-spring of the oven's smoke! Ye all shall flee before my spear, and all your heads, be they five hundred, shall lie in the dust!" He had advanced to the steps of the marae, where the ariki and his five hundred men were standing. "Seize him! smite him to his death!" cried the chief; and again Turanga-taua uttered his challenge, at the same time attacking the crowd, he put them to flight. Again he attacked the bands under Apopo-te-akatinatina and Apopo-te-ivi-roa, which surrounded him on all sides, but he defeated them all, and reached the central part of the marae. Then, being much exhausted with his efforts, the other uncles attacked him, and Tu-ranga-taua fell under their blows.