At last reports, circulated by some settlers among some friendly natives, that Bent had offered to shoot Titokowaru, provided he received pardon, came to that chief’s ears, who at once decided to make away with him, especially as he had another deserter whom he employed converting hymn-books, prayer-books, and goody-goody literature into cartridges. He therefore gave orders for Bent to be killed, but the latter’s suspicions had for a long time been aroused, and he never moved without his arms, while his great reputation as a fighting man also prevented a big rush of applicants for the job of executioner. However, no man can keep awake for ever, and although the miserable wretch knew men were ever on the watch to take him at a disadvantage, he at last fell asleep in his whare (hut). The man who spotted him crept into the hut and tried to tomahawk him, but through nervousness only wounded him. At once the intrepid scoundrel grappled with his assailant, overthrew him, and would have killed him had not a number of others rushed up, who cut him to pieces, his remains being then used as porkaroa (long pig), a fit ending for a traitor to Queen and flag. All the other deserters met the same or, in some instances, a far worse fate, and the one or two of them who escaped and gave themselves up were only too thankful to accept any punishment they received. I must sue for pardon for this digression, but I have recounted it as one of the thousand of facts that took place in the New Zealand wars of which the good people in England are blissfully ignorant. That night when orders were read out we were warned to hold ourselves in readiness to march at daybreak for the Waingangora River, and on being dismissed we hurriedly sought our mi-mis, so as to get as much sleep as possible, for we saw the days were approaching when, as old Jack remarked, it would be double watch on deck and no watch below. CHAPTER VI A FROLIC WITH THE KUPAPAS The late general had not deemed it expedient for the regular troops to enter the bush--that is to say, to follow the Maoris into the trackless mountains that, covered with enormous forests, constituted the interior of the North Island and surrounded Mount Egmont, which a glance at the map will show the reader to be the centre of the big blunt promontory that juts out of the west coast of the North Island. Sir Trevor Chute, however, saw the absolute necessity of carrying the war into the natives’ own country and compelling them to sue for peace. He had therefore determined to force his way due north through the bush to Taranaki and show the Hau Haus that the difficulties of their natural fortifications were not unsurmountable. By this march he would pass to the east of Mount Egmont and penetrate a country that had never previously, except on one occasion, by Father Pezant, been crossed by a European.