Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/21

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Stories of Banks Peninsula.

hear my voice sounding from high up the hill, then you will know that the pa is guarded; if my voice sounds low down, the pa is not guarded,” Whakuku then proceeded at once to reconnoitre. He was followed by the main body, who, as they approached the cliffs to the north of Fisherman’s Bay, saw several canoes anchored off the coast opposite the mouth of Long Bay. Moki, wishing to know whether the presence of his force on the coast had been observed by Ngatimamoe, fastened his white whalebone weapon to his foot, and dangled it over the brink of the cliff; but the fishers failed to take any notice of it, and Moki accordingly concluded that they were unconscious of the approach of enemies, and resolved to continue his march without waiting to conceal his movements under the cover of darkness. He proceeded till he reached the woods on the south side of Long Bay. There the final disposition of the force for the meditated attack on the pa was completed; and, having found a suitable place of concealment, the men waited impatiently for the promised signals of their scout. Whakuku did not keep them long in suspense, for he soon succeeded in reaching a position overlooking the pa, where he at once commenced to imitate the cry of a wood-hen, ko-ee, ko-ee, ko-ee. The women of the pa listened, and said one to another, “Hark! what bird is that? Surely it is a female weka that is crying in the wood above us.” He then climbed to a point still higher above the pa, where he commenced to cry tee-wake, tee-wake, tee-wake, The women said again, “Hark! Surely that is the cry of a male weka.” He then descended, and concealed himself in a shallow cave close to the pa. His companions, on hearing his signals, interpreted them to mean that although there were many women in the pa, they were not altogether unprotected. So the order was passed along the line to delay the assault till dawn. The