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diff --git a/56471-0.txt b/56471-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ffedfc2 --- /dev/null +++ b/56471-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,948 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 56471 *** + + + + + + + + + + Corporal Tikitanu, V.C., + + BY + + J. C. FUSSELL + + (Author of "Letters from Private Henare Tikitanu.") + + + AUCKLAND: + Worthington & Co., Printers, Albert Street. + + 1918. + + + + + Cover design by permission of Proprietors Auckland Weekly News. + + + + + [Illustration: CONTENTS.] + + CHAP. PAGE + + I. FROM ELOPEMENT TO ENLISTMENT ... 5 + + II. OFF TO THE WAR ... ... 10 + + III. THE LITTLE FRENCH NURSE ... ... 15 + + IV. A CHAT WITH THE NURSE ... ... 21 + + V. A LETTER TO THE KAISER ... ... 27 + + VI. A PRISONER ... ... ... 32 + + VII. EARNING THE V.C. ... ... 38 + + VIII. HOME AGAIN! ... ... 46 + + + + + _I._ + + FROM ELOPEMENT TO ENLISTMENT. + + +The first time I remember catching sight of Henare Tikitanu was when he +was acting as referee at a dog-fight in a Maori village in the Waikato +district. + +[Illustration] + +The dog-fight was no concern of mine. I was just riding past when my +attention was drawn to Henare. He was endeavouring to see fair play for +both the combatants. He was very excited over the affair because another +Maori, named Wiremu, was hampering one dog by pulling his tail. + +After fruitlessly yelling at Wiremu for some time in classical Maori, +Henare suddenly relapsed into pidgin-English, and fired this volley at +him: "Py cripes, you te ploomin' ole taurekareka,--tinkin' fish--all +right. You no good for te fight. More better your ole woman drown you in +te hot mud hole when you te piccanini. Gar!" + +Then they flew into each other's arms and settled it that way. The dogs +looked up in surprise, retired to a safe distance, and watched the +proceedings, giving an occasional bark of encouragement. + +Henare won. He deserved to, for he was a clean fighter and a true sport. + +This event happened about two years before the Great War broke out, when +Henare was eighteen. So it was not surprising that he should have been +one of the first of the Waikato tribe to volunteer for service at the +front, when he had reached twenty-three. + +But he had his difficulties. You see he had a sweetheart named Kiri, a +fine Maori maiden of twenty; and Wiremu wanted her. Henare and Kiri had +been sweethearts from early school-days, and they rather laughed at +Wiremu's aspirations. But if Henare went to the war, it might be +different. During their moonlight rambles along the banks of the dark +and silent Waikato river, Henare and Kiri talked the matter over. +He said he would enlist if they could be secretly married first. He said +he would feel more settled, and more disposed to fight, as his +forefathers fought of old, inspired by the love and admiration of his +wahine. + +[Illustration] + +Kiri was undecided. The war might be long; the distance to France was +great; the dangers and risks were many. + +Henare naively chaffed her by saying that he might pick up an American +heiress away over in Paris if she did not marry him before he enlisted. +That settled it. Before they left the shade of a beautiful pohutukawa +one charming summer's evening they fixed the day and made their +plans--talking to one another in soft and musical Maori. + +"You will be true to your absent warrior as he fights beside his Pakeha +brothers, adding fresh glories to the honour of the noble Maori race?" + +"Yes, my brave Tikitanu. Your Kiri will be with you in heart and spirit +day and night until your return to the fair land which holds in its +bosom the bodies of our noble heroes of days gone by." + +A few gentle and poetic words like these made them both feel rather +sentimental and emotional, so they solemnly rubbed noses and went back +to the kianga. + +These two dusky lovers decided on a secret marriage at Ngaruawahia in a +fortnight's time. Kiri was to go by road to the place, and Henare by +train from Mercer. + +The appointed day dawned bright and fine, and Kiri arrived at +Ngaruawahia in proper style half-an-hour late. But there was no sign of +Henare. + +[Illustration] + +As a matter of fact he did not turn up at all, for he got a bit excited +at Mercer, and as there were two trains standing end to end at the +station he entered the wrong carriage and got out at Pukekohe, about +thirty or forty miles in the wrong direction. + +They met again in about two days' time, and after a good deal of both +tender and violent Maori talk, sprinkled with pidgin-English, the matter +was patched up. + +However, they dropped the elopement idea, rubbed noses duly and +canonically, and Henare went off and enlisted as a soldier of the King. +But he was anxious about his old enemy Wiremu. + + + + + _II._ + + OFF TO THE WAR. + + +The relatives of Henare and Kiri were very proud of Henare in his new +uniform, and they told him that he must prove himself worthy of the hand +of Kiri, the Maori princess, and grand-daughter of a great warrior +chief. + +Henare looked at himself in the glass and felt that he was worthy of +her, or any other princess, already. He did not want to seem too cheap, +because there was Wiremu to be reckoned with. + +He enjoyed the camp life, the drills and parades, and entered into +soldiering with as much ease and good will, as if he had been born to +it. + +The general opinion of the officers was that Tiki (or "Dickie" as they +nick-named him) would give a good account of himself at the front. + +It was a great day in Wellington when the first batch of Maori +volunteers embarked on the grey troopship. Henare and his mates were +bubbling over with fun and excitement. The cheering crowds of Pakehas +and Maoris, the fluttering flags, and the cheerful music of the bands, +made them all feel that they were off to a grand old picnic. They +laughed and joked, and sang until they were hoarse. + +A few hours later, however, things did not look so bright. These Maori +lads had never been away from New Zealand before, and it was sad to see +their beloved land sinking out of sight into the deep blue ocean. + +When the last trace had disappeared, Henare, leaning over the vessel's +side, said to Honi in a hoarse whisper: "My korry, Noo Zealan' all gone +now." Honi replied with affected cheerfulness: "Nemine, he jump up again +bimeby," and then walked away. + +All the boys tried to make out that they were not seasick, and poked +themselves away into all sorts of nooks and corners to conceal the fact. + +Henare thought that up in the rigging would be a good place, but they +soon chased him out of that. He then leant over the taffrail and mused +of home and Kiri. + +A voyage to England in these days is eventful for anyone, but it was +very much more so for the Maori boys. + +When they had settled down to the routine of life on a troopship, they +became keenly interested in it all and never had a "dull" day. + +The first port of call filled them with much excitement and +gratification--and a thirst for further adventures. + +Henare rather prided himself on his letter-writing, and seized every +opportunity to exercise his "gift." He disdained to write in his native +language, but preferred "te good Englan' talk" even when writing to +Maoris. At the first port he posted several letters to friends in New +Zealand. One was to Kiri and another was to Wiremu. + +To Kiri he wrote, among other things: + + "I no forget about you yet, t'that why I write t'this letter, + tell you no forget me. More better you have te British soldier + than te frightened bloke like Wiremu stoppin' away from te + fight. T'this ole troopship take us over te sea all right, and + when te war all over he bring us back an' t'then I marry you + pretty quick." + +To Wiremu he wrote:-- + + "Py cripes, you look out when I come back if you talk too much + wid te Kiri. She no belong to you. She my wahine all right. No + good yer trick, you better come to te war; no stop home spoilin' + te dog fight and try take another feller gel when him away in + Shermany. Me te crack shot now so you look out." + +After a voyage of nine weeks without serious mishap the Maoris landed in +England "All well," and ready for the Huns. + +[Illustration] + + + + + _III._ + + THE LITTLE FRENCH NURSE. + + +It was not very long before the Maori boys, who had gone straight to old +England, were drafted across to France, and they were soon in the thick +of the Great War, fighting for all they were worth. + +Henare was well to the fore, and it was often remarked that he would +soon distinguish himself or know the reason why. + +In fact, all the Maori boys were as keen and fearless as any of their +Pakeha comrades, and made a deep impression on all the officers and men +about them--and on the Germans in front of them too! + +At every turn Henare proved himself a wag, a wit, and a hero. He caused +many a hearty laugh by his quaint comments on the Anglo-French +gibberish, and the churned up conditions of the country--"Py korry +t'this country like te kramble egg on tose." He called the mixed-up +speech "te half-caste langwidge." + +But everyone was cheerful and witty on that battlefront--though +sometimes there was a grim lull in the fun; just before a battle, and in +the thick of it. The wittiest men fought the most desperately, but saved +their wit for a pick-me-up afterwards. + +[Illustration] + +During an awful fight over shell-holes and battered trenches, Henare was +too eager and daring, and the result was a bad wound in the chest by a +fragment of shell. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely when picked +up by the Red Cross men, so, after first aid, he was conveyed with all +speed to the base hospital. He soon became delirious and was not +expected to recover. + +One night about twelve o'clock he opened his eyes and glared at an +attendant standing near his bunk. Then, without a moment's warning, he +sprang up and grabbed the attendant by the throat yelling at the top of +his voice, "Py Hori, you bally ole nigger Wiremu, I catch you t'this +time." With some trouble he was put back to bed again, and relapsed into +unconsciousness. + +[Illustration] + +The next time he awoke, a pretty little French nurse, Marie Bouvard, was +sitting by and watching him. She was just a slim little thing, more like +a girl of seventeen than a woman of twenty-one. She was a born nurse, +her very presence always did the sufferers good. Her voice was soft and +healing, her touch was gentle and sympathetic, and her footsteps were +like the falling of the snow. + +When Marie smiled she was at her best, for her solemn little face +brightened up like a sudden burst of sunshine on the flowers. + +Henare watched her calmly for some time without moving, then he closed +his eyes, and the man in the next bed heard him murmur,-- + +"Py ... korry, Py ... korry, I tink I got to Heaven at lars ... t'that +the angel face all right ... you bet." + + * * * * * + +It is not surprising that under the care of a nurse like the little +French Marie, the Maori hero gradually recovered. When he had reached a +certain stage of recovery, he did not appear to be particularly anxious +to progress any further. Most of Marie's patients felt like that. It +meant parting with the charming little nurse, and they dreaded it. + +Henare was no exception, though, be it said, Kiri was never far from his +thoughts. But Marie simply fascinated him, and really the nurse herself +became very much attached to the noble brown boy from England's far off +Maoriland. He had been such a splendid patient, and such a grand "case" +too. + +As time went on, during Henare's convalescence, he and Marie became at +least very good friends, and always enjoyed one another's company, and +whatever conversation it was possible for them to have, with +Anglo-French and pidgin-Maori as the medium. + +In the middle of this pretty romance, Henare got a letter from Kiri, and +it had a steadying effect upon his emotions. For patriotic reasons it +was written in pidgin-Maori. Partly it ran,-- + + "I hope you no get kill too quick yet. Wiremu no good for me, he + te shirker bloke. T'that why I want you come back without te + shot. Wiremu tell my mother all te Parani gell want to marry te + Maori soldier. No you get up to that trick with me. + + Good-bye, come back quick when you beat te Sherman. I wait." + + KIRI x x x x x + +[Illustration] + + + + + _IV._ + + A CHAT WITH THE NURSE. + + +Seated cosily in an easy chair, with Marie near by at work on some +bandages, Henare was listening most attentively to her efforts to tell +him some of the dreadful sufferings of France in the early days of the +war. + +It took him all his time to make out what she said. The scene was a +sadly busy one. There were several interruptions, many were coming and +going all the time. Fresh batches of broken and groaning men were being +brought in every hour; and restored men were taking farewell of nurses +and friends before returning to the slaughter. + +The cannon-boom could be distinctly heard day and night, but it +disturbed no one at the hospital, for they had grown accustomed to it. + +All the while Marie was talking, in the midst of this strange sad scene, +the irregular punctuation kept on. + +Boom--boom . . . . boom . . . . boom--boom--boom. + +With many a shrug of the shoulders, and many a shake of her pretty head, +Marie related to Henare all she dared of the brutal and revolting +conduct of the Germans when first they swept over the border. She told +him of the coarseness, the drunkenness, and the bullying of all ranks +and grades of the invading Huns. + +Every now and again Henare ground his teeth, and muttered "Py cripes; I +pay him out," and "Te taipo, te bally taipo." When he heard as much as +he could stand, he ventured the remark, "I tink the Sherman soldier no +hurt te gell and te woman, eh?" + +Marie looked at him a moment, and then said, "What you say, M'sieur?" + +"I say te ole brute no hurt te wahine an' te piccanini--te woman an' te +gell"--he answered slowly. + +"Oh dear me," said Marie in real surprise, "did you nefar read ze +newspaper?" + +"Oh, my korry," he replied, "I can't read te Prenchy langwidge, all te +word spell wrong, and te talk all silly." + +"No, no, no, M'sieur, ze French speech ees ze most beauteeful in all ze +land." + +"Werra, where te Maori come in?" + +"Ah!" + +"Eh?" + +When left to himself the manly Maori boy pictured up the whole scene as +well as he could, and longed to get back to the trench--or over the +parapet--to pay out the demons who had outraged Marie's noble people. He +was getting well unusually quickly, and though loth to leave the charmed +spot, he felt that he would soon be fit to fight again. He was busy +thinking out all kinds of plans for getting even with the Huns; and he +formed a mental picture of the Kaiser which was not very complimentary +to that potentate. Henare saw him as a big villain with short, sharp +horns above his ears, to match his upturned moustache; small wicked +eyes, and a big mouth, with little tusks protruding. + +[Illustration] + +This image was very vivid to Henare's native imagination, and he +muttered to himself, "Py cripes, that him all right; he just want te cow +feet and te monkey tail, then he te ole taipo, straight." + + * * * * * + +A week after his chat with the little French nurse, Henare was passed as +fit for service again. He had made many friends, both French and +English, around the hospital; so on the day of his departure he hunted +up each one and solemnly shook hands and said "good-bye." He came to +Marie last of all. She was standing just outside the big, sunlit +doorway, watching the far off train of waggons slowly bringing in +another batch of wounded men. Her sweet little Frenchy face looked +dreadfully serious--but she turned round with that sunny smile of hers +when Henare spoke. + +He shuffled nervously, gave a funny little cough, that he ought to have +been ashamed of as a "Maori brave," then held out his hand and said, "So +long, Marie, I go back now. My korry, you make me get well too quick." + +She put her head picturesquely on one side, took hold of the brown hand +held out to her, and said, "Au revoir, Henri; I hope you weel be vera +safe." + +Henare felt queer. Sensations passed all over him that he had never +known before. The impulse was to pick up this lovely French doll and run +right away with it. But he pulled himself up and said, "Py cripes, I +better go, I tink," and he bolted. + +On the way back to the lines a New Zealander was chaffing Henare about +Marie, and asking him whether he was going to hand over Kiri to Wiremu. + +"No ploomin fear," he replied, "Not me." + +"What about Marie, then?" + +Henare stopped short and said-- + +"I tell you bout that, mate. I like to have Marie just for te pretty +doll. She te beauty, py cripes, yeh. When she put te head on one side an +smile, she mak me feel wery funny on te shest, t'that all!" + + + + + _V._ + + A LETTER TO THE KAISER. + + +"Hey boss, what te name of t' place where te Kaiser stop?" + +"Potsdam." + +"Eh? No fear! T'that te bally swear word." + +"No it's not, Dicky; that's the place all right." + +"Oh, py korry, I no like to put t'that on te letter; te gell in te Post +Oppis might see him." + +The officer whom Henare addressed laughed heartily, and said-- + +"Your compunction is evidently due to the refining influence of Nurse +Bouvard, eh?" + +"Oh, go on, you got te rat," he replied. + +When he was quite convinced about the Kaiser's address, Henare proceeded +to make use of his "gift" at letter-writing for an attack on him by +post. + + To Kaiser Pilly, + + Potdam. + + I been come all te way from Noo Zeelan to fight te Sherman + soldier in Parani and make him clear outer t'this country. When + I come here some feller been tell me all about t'that dirty + trick all te Sherman been up to in Parani an Peljimi. No good + you say t'that all gammon, it te true talk all right. What te + taipo you want to make te wery big fight for? More better you + keep your ole Sherman soldier in Shermany--t'that te place for + him. Py cat, he not fit for go any more place--cept herra. + + I tink you te bally ole fool you tink you goin to beat Englan. + No good for you try t'that game. + + What about te Maori? He not too many, but py korry he te beggar + for the fight. + + What about te Pritis Navy? He chase every ploomin Sherman ship + off te sea; an keep te Sherman navy in te wery safe + place--friten to come out. + + What about te wery strong tank, an te wery quick harepeni flyin + about everywhere? + + Py cripes, you te wery bad ole man make all te fight for + nothing. You goin to get lick bimeby. + + What te good of t'that silly bloke you got over there--te Klown + Prince? he no good for te fight, only for te smoke an te peer. + + Now, I tell you what we goin to do, straight. We goin to keep on + t'this fight till all you Sherman bloke plown up sky-high. You + want ter fight te Pritis; werra, py korry, you got ter fight to + te finish up now. No time ter stop an spit on yer hands--got to + keep on wid te war widout te holiday. No ploomin harmitis + (armistice) for te Pritis--we know t'that trick all right. + + If you had enough an want ter stop te bally fight, I tell yer + what yer goterdo: Clear out of Parani an Peljimi, an all te + place where ye got no ploomin right to stop in; pay all te + peoples for te house an te pretty church you been burn an break + him down; give Englan all t'that navy which he hidin away in te + dark; an, t'then dont you try t'this dirty trick any more, or py + cripes you get wipe off te map nex time. T'this letter no te + humbug, he te true talk; you find that out bimeby all right. Py + cripes, you goin ter get it straight for the start this wery bad + war. You better hurry up quick an get sorry, plenty more Maori + boy in Noo Zeelan gettin ready to come an fight. + + HENARE TIKITANU. + +Henare took great pains to write what he felt was a very convincing +ultimatum--and, after much scratching out and altering, he sealed the +letter and gave it to an airman to drop behind the German lines. The +censor passed it with a merry laugh. + +[Illustration] + + + + + _VI._ + + A PRISONER. + + +It was a great relief to Henare's troubled mind to get his letter to the +Kaiser written, and sent off by its famous postman; in his native +simplicity he felt that he had dealt the German Emperor a blow from +which that old Fritz would not quickly recover. He had told him as +plainly as possible what a Maori soldier thought of him, and that of +course would affect the Kaiser's "_morale_." + +The incident also got him talked about, until his resourcefulness and +bravery came under the notice of the authorities, with the result that +Henare was made a Corporal; which fact he duly mentioned in a postscript +to some of his letters--with pardonable pride. + +He now became more zealous and daring than ever, making quite a business +of the war. He was turning out to be one of the best soldiers in the +British line; an encouragement and inspiration to all about him. + +But his zeal and daring often nearly cost him his life, and eventually +cost him his liberty. It happened during a most unexpected gas attack. +Henare lingered too long, was overcome by the poisonous fumes, and was +taken prisoner by the Germans. + +He was not badly gassed, so when he recovered enough to walk about he +wanted to fight one of the guards, but a London Tommy restrained him. +Henare appeared to be the first Maori prisoner captured by the Germans, +for they regarded him with a good deal of interest, which he resented +with expressions that were wasted on his captors. + +He soon chummed up with his fellow-prisoner--the London Tommy, who urged +him to be less talkative, so as to avoid trouble. But, as Henare could +not indulge in his favourite pastime of "letter writing," he persisted +in talking to Tommy about the war. He told him wonderful stories about +gigantic preparations on the British front, and about the inexhaustible +resources of New Zealand. + +Several of the sentries understood English and Henare was listened to +with undisguised interest. Then he was sent for, and taken between two +guards to a German officer, who was very affable to Henare, and asked +him several kindly and interesting questions. Had he quite recovered +from his unfortunate "gassing"? Did he get enough to eat? Was it the +kind of food the Maoris were used to? and so on. + +After this the officer told the guards to withdraw twenty paces. He then +smiled at Henare and asked him, in broken English, whether he would like +plenty of money and a certain amount of freedom during his stay in +Germany. + +Henare grinned and said that would be "kapai." + +"Vell, you shust tell me some leedle tings about der English." + +"All right, I know plenty ting about him. What yer want ter know?" + +"Ah! dot is goot! Now tell me how much damage der German bombs do on +London." + +"Wery bad, wery bad. Him brake down te shop, te church, te school, and +te piccanini." + +"Och! anyting else?" + +"Yeh; kill te plenty ole woman too; my word yeh, te Zepp wery bad for +ole Englan." + +"Haf England got much food?" + +"Not too many; only butter from Noo Zeelan." + +The officer made a note of that, as a most significant fact. He then +asked: + +"How many soldiers vos coming from New Zealand efery mont?" + +"Oh, tousan an tousan. Not enuf ship yet to bring him all." + +"How many Maoris vos der bein trained?" + +"Oh, bout two million, I tink." + +"Gott in himmel! Are dey as big as you?" + +Henare grinned and said: + +"Oh, te Maori bigger 'n me. Me te little bloke, all right. No room for +te big Maori on te ole troopship I came in." + +The German looked thoughtful, and a bit suspicious. + +"Are you telling me der truth?" + +Henare fixed his soft brown eyes on the small blue-grey eyes of his +questioner, and said, with well-feigned indignation: + +"Oh, py korry, me te Sunday School poy; what for you tink me tell a +lie?" + +"Vell, I will ask you von more question: + +"Vat do all dose big Maoris feed on?" + +"Oh, te Pakeha no let te Maori eat up te prisoner now, so he eat te +poaka." + +"Vat is der poaka?" + +"Te pig, te Sher----, I mean te Noo Zeelan pig. But te Maori like te +prisoner more better." + +Although the German officer was not at all satisfied with the result of +his enquiries, he made up his mind to treat Henare well, with the object +of getting all the information possible from him. + + + + + _VII._ + + EARNING THE V.C. + + +With their usual lack of humour, the Germans fondly imagined that they +would yet be able to get some valuable information out of the +"unsuspecting" native of New Zealand; for he seemed so agreeable and +talkative! Little did those self-conceited Teutons understand the +Maoris! + +This being so, Henare was allowed a certain amount of liberty to ramble +about within a given area--well behind the lines. + +Two weeks after his capture a most astounding thing happened--as if it +had been long cut and dried. During a semi-bright moonlight night a +British plane made its appearance over the camp, and was being duly +shelled. Presently it wavered like a wounded bird, then rapidly +descended to a spare piece of ground near where Henare rambled. Hurrying +towards it he found that it was not "wounded," but had alighted for a +minor but necessary adjustment. As Henare approached, the airman drew +his revolver, but the Maori threw up his arms and cried out: + +"Hey! Don't shoot! Me te Pritis prisoner." + +[Illustration] + +"Be the saints," came the reply, "Yez don't look much like a prisoner! +Phat the mischief are yez doing here?" + +"Py korry, you better hurry up--all te Sherman looking for you. I tink +you better take me up in te sky, too. I can ride." + +With that they both jumped into the plane, fixed the straps, and flew +away. Only just in time, however, for bullets and shells soon began once +more to liven things up. The plane dived, and swooped, and looped the +loop until Henare thought his woolly head would drop off. They then had +a safe run for an hour, but just as the aeroplane was crossing the +German lines she was winged and had to descend in No-Man's-Land. Enemy +searchlights soon discovered where they landed, and shells started to +dance and sing all around them. The two men left the machine just before +it was blown to pieces. They hid for awhile in a crater, until the +welcome sound of a tank was heard. Presently she was seen lumbering +along in the moonlight. Henare and the Irish airman made for her with +all haste, waving their caps. The tank lurched towards them +suspectingly, and then came to a standstill. + +[Illustration] + +When the back door opened a voice called out: + +"Weel naw, an' who might ye be?" + +The Irishman answered: + +"We're just lookin' for a bhuss to carry us back to the loines." + +"This wee cabby is no takin' passengers, but maybe ye can squeeze +in--for its rough walkin' here." + +They had not travelled--or lumbered--far when the old tank tumbled +headfirst into a deep shell-hole. With difficulty they all crawled out +and had a good look at the undignified position of H.M.L.S. with her +nose fast in the mud. + +Each one of them said a few simple words suitable to the occasion. +Henare's contribution was--"Py cripes! she can buck worse'n te wild +Maori hoss." + +There was nothing for it now but to walk. The enemy shelling became so +fierce that the wanderers separated and dodged along--each man for +himself--hiding here and there, and sheltering from time to time in +large craters. + +Dead and dying men were lying about in all directions--giving evidence +of recent heavy fighting. When Henare realized this, he forgot his own +danger and set to work carrying wounded men--British and German--to the +shelter of a crater. + +[Illustration] + +Searchlights were on him nearly all the time, while bullets whistled +past him and shells ploughed up the ground. He still pegged away at his +noble work, until a bullet found him as he was bringing in his twentieth +man--an English Captain. He had just managed to roll into the crater +with his burden and then collapsed. The Red Cross picked them all up the +next afternoon. + +Henare was in the hospital when he came to. He was staring wildly at the +man in the next cot--a big, brown man, bandaged, but grinning away +cheerfully. + +[Illustration] + +Yes! it was Wiremu all right. He had finally enlisted and the military +training had made a man of him. In a desperate battle Wiremu was badly +wounded, and was one of the first men that Henare had carried to the +crater. + +When Henare had got over the shock of meeting Wiremu, he asked after +Kiri. + +"Oh, she all right Henare, when I left Noo Zealan. She no forget you. +She te brick." + +And so, far into the night, the gentle murmur of musical Maori was heard +as these two wounded heroes discussed the war, and old time quarrels, +and Kiri's loyalty to Henare, and also the good times they themselves +would have together in New Zealand, when the war was won. + +[Illustration] + + + + + _VIII._ + + HOME AGAIN! + + +It was a very happy Maori soldier who was in London a month later, +preparing to go before the King and receive the noble and much-coveted +badge of V.C. + +When Henare left the kindly French hospital, Wiremu was getting over his +wound,--more quickly than he wished, for he had completely fallen in +love with Nurse Marie, and was using all the arts and devices known to +the civilized Maori, to win the affections of that charming little angel +of mercy. + +As for Henare himself, he was not again passed for active service, but +received orders to return to New Zealand, after he had obtained the +highest badge of honour at the hands of the King. + +On the day fixed for the ceremony he was all excitement. He put his +things on wrong, and had to take them off again; lost belongings, and +wanted to fight those that he suspected of taking them. + +But the most confusing time was when they were telling him how to behave +at the ceremony and in the presence of His Majesty. He couldn't remember +for five minutes what he had to say and do. + +At last he said to the officer instructing him-- + +"Py korry, mate, I gettin' too shaky. More better you get te Wikitoria +Cross an bring him to me--an I get home quick." + +"That would never do, my boy; half the honour is having the medal pinned +on by the King himself." + +"My wurra, I tink you right. We better go now; King Hori he get too tire +waitin' for us." + +Though still weak, Henare had lost all his nervousness when they arrived +at Buckingham Palace grounds. He watched everything with the keenest +interest, and did not hesitate to quaintly express his opinion about +anything that took his fancy. + +[Illustration] + +The officers felt a bit anxious when Henare showed signs of +talkativeness as the King was pinning the V.C. on his breast, but they +could see by His Majesty's pleasant smile that no harm was being done. +No one could help smiling when Henare remarked to the King-- + +"Py cripes, you got te wery fine whare here." + +Anyhow, the impressive ceremony passed off without a hitch, and Corporal +Tikitanu, V.C., looked every inch a British soldier and hero--admired of +all. + +The very next thing to be considered was "New Zealand" with all speed. + + * * * * * + +At last, after an absence of nearly twelve months, into which were +crammed the experiences and feelings of years, the Maori brave returned +to his native land, bringing with him the fame and the honours he had so +nobly won. + +The wildest enthusiasm prevailed at the reception in Henare's native +village. Maori and Pakeha customs and phrases followed one another in +quick succession in the eager desire to express a joyous welcome. + +"Haeremai's" were shouted at the returned soldier boy from every quarter +of the crowd; vigorous nose rubbing threatened to become serious, until +it was relieved by the more European ceremony of carrying the hero +shoulder high through the excited crowd. When they reached a +flag-bedecked platform, Maori orators poured forth a flood of poetic +welcome, until the women broke down and wailed their solemn tangi. + +As Henare stood up to reply the ground shook with the hakas and feet +stamping. It was a real ovation that the loyal brown-boy received. + +For the sake of the distinguished Pakehas present, Henare spoke in +pidgin-English. He had often heard about the great Lord Kitchener, so he +began by saying: + +"Te Pritis soldier no talk too much. He te man of the do things, not +t'talk it. T'that why I no got too much for te speech." + +He then thanked them all very warmly for the kind and unexpected welcome +they had tendered him, and concluded with this: + +"Any bloke here want te nice soft job, no good for him go to te Sherman +war; more better him stop home wid te mudder. But if all you big fat +feller want to be te MAN and te decent bloke, get outer Noo Zeelan quick +and help all your mate lick up te Sherman." + +[Illustration] + +Kiri, his faithful Maori maiden, was foremost among those who welcomed +him home; and the Rev. Honi Maki celebrated their happy wedding a week +later. + +Bearing on his body the honourable scars of war, and on his breast the +King's acknowledgment of his bravery and loyalty, Henare spent his days +going in and out among the Waikatos and neighbouring tribes, telling +them thrilling tales of Britain's might and honour; and showing them the +terrible need there is for Pakeha and Maori alike to do and dare--for +the sake of Britannia, the friend of Justice and Liberty. + + +[Illustration] + + +WORTHINGTON & CO., PRINTERS, ALBERT STREET, AUCKLAND--5380 + + + + + "LETTERS FROM PRIVATE HENARE TIKITANU." + + By J. C. FUSSELL. + + [Illustration: PRESS OPINIONS] + + +"A very humorous account of the experiences and impressions of a typical +Maori soldier on the long journey from New Zealand to France." + + --N.Z. HERALD. + + * * * * * + +"If you can't raise a smile for Private Henare there is a fissure +somewhere in your diaphragm."... "It is a quaint and appropriate +greeting to send to friends across the seas." + + --THE SUN, Christchurch. + + * * * * * + +"The Booklet will have a large and ready sale because of its decided +merit and originality." + + * * * * * + +"They are splendid, and just the thing for sending to the trenches." + + * * * * * + +"The letters of the Maori soldier, as he sees active service." + + [Illustration: PRICE: ONE SHILLING] + + + + + Transcriber Notes: + +Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_. + +Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS. + +Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of +the speakers. Those words were retained as-is. + +The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up +paragraphs. + +Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected +unless otherwise noted. + +On page 24, "villian" was replaced with "villain". + +On page 25, "her's" was replaced with "hers". + +On page 42, "H.M. L.S." was replaced with "H.M.L.S.". + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Corporal Tikitanu V.C., by J. C. Fussell + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 56471 *** |