Chap. IV. QTJABREL BETWEEN NATIVES. 87 
fire, whose red glare flickered over their quivering limbs 
and excited features. Suddenly I heard the stern voice 
of E Kai addressing them from the fence above. He 
complained rudely of the interruption which they were 
causing to the hymns and catechism which were going 
on in the village after the evening service. They an- 
swered, quietly, that they were on the bank of the 
river, the highway for all travellers, and that no one 
could complain of their following their own customs 
there. They added, that the hymns interrupted 
them quite as much as their songs did his people. He 
replied in ruder tones, and with rougher expressions. 
They preserved their good humour, and laughed and 
joked while they carried on the controversy, E Kai 
gradually lost his temper ; and, as they were just going 
to begin again, having invited his attention to a newly- 
invented song, which was quite the fashion, like one 
of Balfe's new operas here, he suddenly addressed to 
them an insulting taunt in these words, " Who painted 
■" the red post ?" This was an allusion to the koko- 
wai - painted monuments which I have mentioned, 
as being erected in the places where Tautekas bones 
had rested. It was as much as to say, '* Who lost 
*' their head chief, and had to fetch his bones home 
** from the field of defeat ?" 
The effect of this taunt was most remarkable. The 
group round the fire suddenly put aside all signs of 
gaiety ; they gathered up their blankets round their 
faces, and hung their heads gloomily down ; and a sad 
silence prevailed for a few minutes, as though they 
were grieving over the dead, and collecting their 
thoughts to resent the insult offered to his memory 
and their own misfortune. At length the eldest of 
the party, a young warrior of 25, who had been one of 
the fugitives from the memorable massacre, rose up to 
