A Canoe In the Mist by Elsie Locke Read Free Book Online Page A

Sophia has a level head, like mine. It’s not in her interests to upset the tourists.’
    ‘You can’t alarm me ,’ said Mr Hensley firmly. ‘I don’t believe in ghosts. The canoe was as real as you are, Mr McRae. There must be an explanation.’
    ‘You must find it yourself then, for I can’t,’ said the hotelkeeper. And that ended the conversation.
    Sophia went home so deeply troubled that she could notat first open her heart to her own family. All day long she had kept her composure; she could keep it a little longer. She told them instead about Lillian and Mattie and their day of enchantment, the whareátua placed in the White Terrace, the dancing in the Pink Terrace pool and Mrs Hensley singing the ‘Skye Boat Song’. And they laughed with her about the Fazackerleys. Afterwards she lay awake for most of the night.
    In the morning she went to the whare where Tuhoto lived alone. To the youth of the village he might seem a fierce old man, but to her he was a sage of wide and deep learning. She knew of his great services to the Te Arawa people long ago before Pakeha times, when Ngapuhi warriors had invaded from the north with their guns. She told him about the waka wairua and ended:
    ‘I kept my silence because of the tourists, but the thought came to me: I shall not see the Terraces again . Tuhoto, surely that canoe was an omen?’
    ‘Yes, it was an omen.’
    ‘Then what does the omen portend?’
    ‘It is a sign that all these lands of ours will be destroyed,’ he said, quite calmly, as if this was only to be expected.
    Sophia went out into the sunlight, keeping her own sad counsel. But Tuhoto wasn’t silent, and neither were the boatmen. Soon it was all round Te Wairoa that the ghost canoe had been seen and that the disaster Tuhoto had been going on about for years would soon come true.
    Some of the people believed his prediction and some did not. Some thought Tuhoto himself had called on his ancient gods to produce a disaster. None of the Maoris doubted that the strange canoe was a waka wairua.

7
Testing Time for Lillian
    N ews travelled fast at Te Wairoa.
    Lillian woke with the glow of yesterday upon her. The fairy staircase, the jewelled dragonfly, the luxurious bath, the water birds, the singing as they crossed Lake Tarawera in the sunset, and Mattie beside her—oh! She simply must see Mattie before they left.
    She sprang out of bed, washed, dressed, brushed her hair and polished her boots as fast as she could before going into the kitchen. Mr and Mrs Humphreys, with no travellers to worry about, were finishing their breakfast with leisurely cups of tea. Mrs Humphreys looked pleased as Lillian held out the comb for her mother to plait her hair.
    ‘You look neat and tidy this morning,’ she said. ‘A real example to the Maori children.’
    ‘She looks that good, she must be after something,’ teased Mr Humphreys. ‘Come on, out with it, Lillian.’
    ‘Mumma, can I go and see Mattie before school? They’ll be off on the coach,’ said Lillian.
    ‘No they won’t. They’re staying on,’ said Mrs Perham.
    ‘True?’ Lillian gave such a jerk that the comb flew out of her mother’s hand. ‘What for? Did Mattie make them stay?’
    ‘Hardly,’ said Mrs Perham.
    ‘Mrs Hensley slipped on the boat landing and she’s in bed with three ribs broken,’ said Mr Humphreys. ‘Eh, Lillian! The poor injured lady and you looked as pleased as Christmas.’
    ‘I don’t want her to be sick, but I do want Mattie to stay,’ Lillian said.
    ‘You’ll only have her for a few more days. Dr Ralph saw to Mrs Hensley and says she won’t need him again. He’s off this morning—says he’s not waiting round for any more disasters,’ Mr Humphreys ended with a grin.
    ‘What did he mean by that?’ said Lillian, rather puzzled.
    ‘He swears he saw a canoe yesterday—’
    ‘Charlie!’ interrupted Mrs Humphreys in a warning tone.
    ‘So he did. We all did,’ said Lillian. ‘But that wasn’t a disaster.