Page:Letters from New Zealand (Harper).djvu/65

Rh swimmer, and his old Eton experience now stood him in good stead. Meanwhile the horses had drifted down to an island and landed on it, so going down the river-side and reconnoitring, I thought I could see a landing place on this side, to which I could drive them if I reached the island myself. Entering the water again, and just not swimming, but well up to my neck, I reached the island and got them all at last to the landing-place. We were in sorry plight, for, in spite of our clothes, the water was icy cold, but it might have been worse, and presently we found ourselves on the high river-bank, with a hut in view, and its owner coming to meet us.

"I caught sight of your horses on the island, and wondered what had happened; come in, come in, you've had a narrow squeak of it; I thought no one could get through the river there safely!" He was a character in his way, had been a sailor, and for a short time in the French army, not without education and a lively sense of humour, in charge of cattle for the owner of the run. "Come in, my Lord, you do my humble dwelling great honour," and then, turning to his only companion, a Maori lad, "Get lots of wood, make a big fire, we must dry the Bishop somehow." He bade us strip to the skin, provided us with blankets to sit in by the side of a roaring fire, whilst he hung up our clothes to dry, and made his boy unpack our dripping horses and lay out all in the sunshine, and hang up saddles and tackle. This occupied the whole day, to say nothing of an excellent dinner he prepared for us, though not exactly up to his standard of a French dejeuner; steamed eel,—they had just caught an enormous specimen, fully four feet long, and very thick, but frizzled, cutlet fashion, with flour,