The ex-soldier was left to himself in the dark _wharé_ for quite a couple of hours. He could hear the people gathered on the village square discussing him excitedly; one orator after another declaiming with frantic energy. At length a Maori unfastened the door of the _wharé_, and, taking Bent by the hand, led him out on to the _marae_. The native could speak English; Bent afterwards found that he had been an old whaler, and had lived amongst white people for many years; his name was Kere (Kelly). He told the _pakeha_, with some show of kindness, that he must not be frightened, that no one would harm him, but he must go to the sacred _Niu_ and promise that he would never return to the _pakehas_. The first thing that met Bent's eyes on stepping out through the low doorway of the _wharé_ was a great fire blazing in the centre of the _marae_, surrounded by a ring of short stakes. Accustomed as he was by this time to sights of terror, this struck a fresh note of alarm. "Good Lord!" he said to himself, "are they going to burn me alive?" "Friend," he said to Kere, "tell me, what's that fire for?" The Maori explained that it was an _ahi tapu_, a sacred fire, used in the Hauhau war-rites. Bent was very doubtful. "I'm afraid," said he to his companion, "that it's for me! Are they going to throw me into it? I've heard they do such things." "No, no, _pakeha_! It's all right. You'll be safe. But remember, do as the _tohunga_ tells you, and promise him you'll never go back to the _pakeha_ soldiers, or you'll die!" The Maori led the white man up to the foot of the _Niu_ pole, a tall ricker, with rough crosstrees and with flag halliards of flax rope. Bent was told to sit down at the foot of the pole. The people all gathered around in a ring. A tall old warrior stood in the middle of the ring, facing Bent--the prophet of the _Niu_. He was naked from the waist up; his face was completely covered with tattooing. He was a _tohunga_, or priest, Bent afterwards discovered; by name Tu-ahi-pa, or Tautahi-ariki, a man held in much awe by the people as a worker of _makutu_ (witchcraft). For a long time the old wizard closely eyed the pale-faced stranger before him. Then he said, through the interpreter, Kere: "You behold this ring of people, the people of Keteonetea?" "Yes," said Bent. "I ask you this, will you return to your people or remain with us?" "I will never return to the _pakehas_," Bent replied; "I want to live with the Maoris and to make them my people." "Good!" exclaimed the Hauhau priest. "Now, turn your eyes upon yon fire, burning there upon the _marae_. Well, if you had not promised to become a Maori and live with us, the tribe would have thrown you into that blazing oven. It is well that you have spoken as you have."