134 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. V. 
The next morning, however, he would he afoot 
pretty early to besiege the pakeha maro, or " hard 
white man," as he called him. But he was never early 
enough; and the first sight that met his eyes was 
always his bite noire, the team of bullocks and the 
old man trudging steadily along the fresh furrows. 
E TVaka would begin by looking for his pegs, and 
hunt about for a long while, grumbling and puzzling, 
before he found out that the plough must have gone 
over them some hours ago, if not the evening before. 
And while he was hunting, the plough sped quietly on. 
Then came the remonstrance, and the shrug of the 
shoulders, and the fury, and the good-humoured in- 
difference, and the reference to the boys, and the meal, 
and the sleepiness, and the return home, and the 
careful pegging of the ground as before. The same 
story over again ; no patience could stand it ; old Bell 
and the team went on, slow, sure, and regular as the 
course of the sun. 
And, besides, on one occasion when E TVaka had 
brought a large troop of attendants, and threatened to 
commit some violence, the old man had called his 
stalwart sons to his side, and taking up a spade or a 
ploughshare, had said, in broad Scotch, while his 
resolute looks and prepared attitude interpreted his 
words into a universally intelligible language, " Dinna 
" ye think to touch a thing that's here noo ; for if ye 
" do, by the God that's abune us, I'll cleave ye to the 
" grund ! A bargain's a bargain ; I've paid ye richt 
" and fair ; and I'll gar ye keep to it." 
And then E TVaka would look frightened ; and 
begin to think his good daily meal was better than a 
blow of old Bell's weapon ; and peace was soon 
restored. 
And when the ploughing was done, the planting 
potatoes was too amusing to be interfered with, for 
