Page:Through South Westland.djvu/298

186 water’s edge, little beaches of silver grey sand, the river itself light-blue, and circling deep and silent round some immense blocks. Taking off the saddles we rode the horses in till they were swimming, and then leaving them to graze along the edge of the bush, we enjoyed a delightful bathe ourselves, much to the distress of a family of paradise ducks. The mother, in great agitation, packed off her five little flappers up stream, and got out near us on the shingle, trailing an apparently broken wing, and vainly tempting us to follow over the stones, while her husband flew downstream with loud cries of anger. As we did not give chase they both flew back, and alighted bang in the middle of the ducklings, who were diving and popping about quite unconcerned. It seemed little short of miraculous how anything could make headway up the river; the old birds forged their way against the current, but the little ones progressed by successive dives, and presently they all vanished round a bend.

We lingered long in this lovely spot, and then, when the sunlight was cut off by the big snow peaks above the glaciers, we rode back to the Old Homestead by the disused bullock-track, watching, as we rode, the rabbits popping about in hundreds. I had left one ready in salt and water to cook for our evening meal, covering it carefully with mosquito netting. Alas! when we got back the horrible flies had got to it, and were tumbling thick and black in the pot! I took the whole, like Tom