"No doubt the pakeha will fight," said the chief, "but bullets come from the bush sometimes. The hearts of my people are not sore, and I pray that peace may be kept. Here is the paper which I promised to the white rangatira. It will show Te Heu Heu and his people that he is not a man to be treated like a runaway sailor; and if they have doubts, Erena must speak to them. Her voice is like the flute of Tutekane, and they cannot but listen." So the expedition departed on its way, Roland and Erena walking ahead. One of the younger Maoris, at a word from Warwick, took the bridle of the grey, and followed in the rear; while the others of the party, including the surly Ngarara, who regarded Roland with a fixed and sinister gaze, took up the trail and plunged into the forest. Their path led for some miles along the course of a narrow but swift and deep rivulet, until at length it became necessary to cross it at a gravelly ford. Then he saw the advantage which Erena possessed in being without shoes and stockings. She calmly waded in without damage to her attire, and tripped up the opposite bank. While Massinger was speculating as to whether he should unlace his boots, and so save the necessity of going in wet ones for the remainder of the day, Warwick made a sign to one of the men, who without further ado "made a back," as in schoolboy days, taking him up thereon and across the stream, as if he had been one in good earnest. This feat accomplished, the party proceeded as before, through the primeval forest. It began now to be apparent that the difficulties of the way were likely to increase rather than to diminish. The flax swamps appeared to become deeper and more treacherous, the hills to be higher, the path less easy to distinguish, the thickets more dense, and the thorn bushes more clinging and obstructive. Through all these obstacles and hindrances the Maori maiden seemed to glide like a disembodied spirit, keeping up a pace the while which taxed Massinger's powers more shrewdly than he would have believed possible. He was a good pedestrian, proud of his speed and stamina, but he had to confess to himself that this damsel and her attendants made the pace considerably better than he would have believed possible through such a country. Uphill or down made no difference, apparently, to them. Warwick marched in the rear, and kept an eye on the man who was leading the packhorse, any accident to which, in flood or marsh, would have made a serious difference in the comfort of the party. Massinger was not, therefore, displeased when, after scaling a higher hill than they had as yet encountered, Erena pointed to a wide expanse of champaign--more extensive, indeed, than he was beginning to think he was likely to see again--and said-- "Here we stop for an hour. I dare say you will like a rest."