, and
call 'em names. I know their ways; and then they'll all yell out, and
shout; and then the others 'll dance another war-dance, and shout in Noo
Zealandee that they'll kill and eat us all, and our lot'll say they'd
like to see 'em do it, and that'll be all."

Don shook his head. The preparations looked too genuine.

"Ah, you'll see," continued Jem. "Then one lot 'll laugh, and say
you're obliged to go, and t'other lot 'll come back again, and they'll
call one another more names, and finish off with killing pigs, and
eating till they can't eat no more."

"You seem to know all about it, Jem."

"Well, anybody could know as much as that," said Jem, going to the side
and taking up a bundle formed with one of the native blankets, which he
began to undo.

"What have you got there?"

"You just wait a minute," said Jem, with a dry look. "There! Didn't
know that was the arm chest, did you?"

He unrolled and took out a cutlass and two pistols, with the ammunition,
and looked up smilingly at Don.

"There!" he said, "what do you think o' them?"

"I'd forgotten all about them, Jem."

"I hadn't, my lad. There you are. Buckle on that cutlash."

"No; you had better have that, Jem. I should never use it."

"Oh, yes, you would, my lad, if it was wanted. On with it."

Don reluctantly buckled on the weapon, and Jem solemnly charged the
pistols, giving Don one, and taking the other to stick in his own
waistbelt.

"There," he said, retaking the spear given to him. "Don't you feel like
fighting now?"

"No, Jem; not a bit."

"You don't?"

"No. Do you?"

"Well, if you put it in that way," said Jem, rubbing his ear, "I can't
say as I do. You can't feel to want to do much in that way till some
one hurts you. Then it's different."

"It's horrible, Jem!"

"Well, I suppose it is; but don't you get looking like that. There'll
be no fighting here. I say, Mas' Don, it would be a bit of a game,
though, to stick the pynte of this here spear a little way into one of
the savages. Wonder what he'd say."

"Ah! My pakeha!" cried a voice just behind them; and they turned
sharply, to find themselves face to face with Ngati, who patted Don on
the shoulder, and then pointed to his cutlass and pistol.

"Hah!" he ejaculated, with a deep breath; and then, without warning,
snatched Don's spear from his hand, threw himself into a series of wild
attitudes, and went through the action of one engaged in an encounter
with