In a clearing hewn and burnt from the heart of the woods were the cultivation grounds. Here all the able-bodied men of the fort were set to work, turning up the rich black soil and planting potatoes, _kumara_, and _taro_. Planting over, the lengthening days were spent in hunting wild pigs, and in gathering wild honey, which was plentiful in hollow trees in the forests; or in strolling, pipe in mouth, about the _pa_; playing draughts (_kaimu_) on the _marae_ in Maori fashion; singing songs and narrating old stories and legends. Night and morning there were long Hauhau prayers, led by the priest of the _pa_, old Tukino, who was one of Te Ua's apostles. Life in this bush-fort presented to the lonely _pakeha_ a picture of barbaric simplicity. Few of the people had European clothing; the men's working garb was just a rough flax mat hanging from the waist to the knees. They lived on the wild foods of the forest until their crops were ready for digging; snared _kaka_ (parrots) and the sweet-tongued _korimako_, or bell-birds; _tui_, or parson-birds, and the swarming wood-pigeons, and shot or speared the pigs that abounded in the dense woods. They lived to a large extent, too, on _aruhe_, or fern-root, which they dug up in the open patches of fern-land; and in the bush they gathered the berries of the _hinau_-tree, steeped them in water to rid them of their astringency, dried them in the sun, and then pounded them into cakes, which made a sustaining if not very palatable food. Another food-staple was _kaanga-pirau_, or maize steeped in water until if was quite decayed. "The smell of this Indian corn," says Bent, with an emphasis begotten of unpleasant memories, "was enough to kill a dog. Nevertheless, I had to eat it, and in time I got used to it." "I had at this time," continues the deserter, recounting his wild days in Otapawa, "no boots, no trousers, no shirt--just Maori flax mats to cover me, and a mat and blanket for my bed. I had managed to procure some needles and thread, together with paper and pencil (I kept up a sort of diary now and then), and one or two other little things which I kept in a kit, thinking that, though I had nothing to sew with the needles and thread, and very little to do with the other belongings, they might come in useful before very long. One of my greatest troubles was the want of salt; as for bread, I had not tasted any for many months." CHAPTER VI THE STORMING OF OTAPAWA British forces attack the stockade--The bayonet charge--Flight of the Hauhaus--Through the forest by torchlight--Doctoring the wounded--The _Tangi_ by the river.