Wilfrid, I cannot say I do. It seems to me that the people here are
living in a fool's paradise; and as for Major Biggs I regard him as an
obstinate fool."

"How is that?" Wilfrid asked, amused at his friend's vehemence.

"Well, Wilfrid, as far as I can see there is nothing in the world to
prevent Te Kooti coming down and cutting all our throats whenever he
pleases."

"You don't say so, Mr. Atherton!"

"I do, indeed; it is known that he has sent messages down to the natives
here to remain apparently loyal, get what arms they can from the whites,
and prepare to join him. I will say for Biggs that he has repeatedly
represented the unprotected position of the bay to government, and has
obtained permission to place an officer and nine men on pay as scouts to
watch the roads leading to the settlements. Gascoigne is in charge of
them. There are two roads by which the natives can come; the one a short
one, and this is being watched, the other a much longer and more
difficult one, and this is entirely open to them if they choose to use
it.

"The fact is, Biggs relies on the fact that Colonel Lambert is at
Wairoa, and is collecting a force of 600 men there to attack Te Kooti,
and he believes that he shall get information from him and from some
spies he has in the neighbourhood of Te Kooti's camp long before any
movement is actually made. Of course he may do so, but I consider it is
a very risky thing to trust the safety of the whole settlement to
chance. He ought to station four mounted men on both tracks as near as
he dare to Te Kooti's camp. In that case we should be sure to get news
in plenty of time to put all the able-bodied men under arms before the
enemy could reach the settlement."

"Have they got a stockade built?"

"No, it was proposed at a meeting of some of the settlers that this
should be done, but Biggs assured them it was altogether unnecessary. I
do not know how it is, Wilfrid, but take us all together we Englishmen
have fully a fair share of common sense. I have observed over and over
again that in the majority of cases when an Englishman reaches a certain
rank in official life, he seems to become an obstinate blockhead. I have
often wondered over it, but cannot account for it. Anyhow the state of
affairs here is an excellent example of this. I suppose in the whole
settlement there is not, with the exception of the man in authority, a
single person who does not perceive that the situation is a dangerous