"Then," says Tutangé, "we danced our _haka_ with the fire of coming battle in our hearts, and we hardened our nerves for the fight. For we knew that Titoko was a true and powerful prophet (_poropiti whai-mana_, _tino kaha_), and we believed that that day would see blood shed again around Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu." Tutangé Waionui, who was now to distinguish himself as a daring young warrior, was but a boy. He was not more than fifteen or sixteen years old, but was a strong, athletic youngster, full of fire and courage, and as agile as a monkey. He was of the _momo rangatira_, or "blue blood" of Taranaki, tracing a direct descent through a line of high chiefs and priests from Turi, the great sailor who navigated his long mat-winged canoe _Aotea_ to the black iron-sand beach of Taranaki from the far-distant Hawaiki, the beautiful palm-fringed island of Rangiatea (Raiatea, as its people call it now) in the Society Group. His father, the old warrior, Maruera Whakarewataua, had carefully schooled him in the business of arms, the handling of the spear-tongued _taiaha_, most beautiful of Maori weapons, the quick and fatal use of the tomahawk, both the terrible long-handled one and the short hatchet, or _patiti_, as well as the musket and shot-gun and rifle of the _pakeha_. So here, now, was young Tutangé on his first war-path. That morning, when the very air seemed full of rumours of battle and death, Tutangé was girded with the sacred war-mat, the _maro-taua_. [Illustration: TUTANGÉ WAIONUI, A HAUHAU WARRIOR. This photo, taken in 1908, shows Tutangé--who was one of Titokowaru's best fighting men--stripped and armed for the war-path as he was in 1868.]