To this bastion the six dauntless fellows now retired, determining to make their last stand and die there. It was the best spot in the untenable work, the gorge being masked by a flimsy wooden hut, that was not bullet proof, although it prevented the Maori sharpshooters from seeing the defenders and aiming at them. Their greatest danger was the parapet that here, as I mentioned previously, simply tottered over the ditch, and which the Hau Haus at once set to work to undermine. They were now in a desperate strait, but never lost heart. Relief was bound to come. Could they hold out long enough? They gained time by a clever ruse. The Maoris feared mounted men more than anything, so the defenders with one accord started cheering, at the same time shouting: “Hurrah, the cavalry are coming!” Whereupon the sappers left off their work, preparing for a bolt. This trick was played two or three times, but the nervous Maoris were always rallied and forced to return to their work by the infamous scoundrel, Kimball Bent, whose voice, cursing the Hau Haus for their cowardice and urging them on to make further efforts, was distinctly heard and recognised. At last the relief did come, though not by the efforts of the troopers, who for some inexplicable reason were left behind, Major Von Tempsky, then in temporary command, selecting infantry to go to the rescue and leaving twenty troopers standing by their horses without orders. He, however, arrived just in the nick of time, as the enemy had not desisted from their work and retired more than a minute when the crumbling parapet fell bodily into the ditch which, had it done so a few moments sooner, would have left its six gallant defenders, all more or less hurt, to the mercy of their savage opponents, but they, by their splendid defence, not only saved their own lives, but prevented a large amount of arms and ammunition falling into the hands of Titokowaru and the baffled Hau Haus. The relief of Turu Turu Mokai, although successful, was the origin of a most miserable squabble which ended in a sad tragedy, as it was the cause of as gallant an officer as ever drew sword throwing away his life in attempting to regain a reputation for courage which in the opinion of every man worth his salt should never have been doubted. It happened this way. When the garrison at Waihi were alarmed by the sound of heavy firing, both troopers and infantry at once turned out. The former, twenty in number, were a very smart body of men indeed, always ready at a moment’s notice to tackle any job that might come along. They were under the command of Major Hunter, who was also second in command to Major Von Tempsky (temporary O.C. of the district), who was a splendid though very jealous officer.