Page:The Toll of the Bush.pdf/25

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ON THE ROAD TO THE SECTION
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ferra the big rangatira?’ he asked, fixing his dark eyes on Geoffrey.

‘All parsons are rangatiras, you know,’ Geoffrey responded lightly.

Pine squatted down in the doorway and blew a fragrant tobacco cloud. ‘Yes’day,’ he said, ‘I come roun’ Major Milward’s place up to Wairangi. I see te new patson on a beach, walk up an’ down with Iwi, how you call Eve. I tink very soon dat te pair.’

Geoffrey was gazing moodily at some object across the valley, but he appeared to have heard. ‘What makes you think so?’ he asked idly.

Pine continued to watch him with undisguised curiosity. ‘I come on a little way,’ he continued. ‘I see Sandy an’ I say to him, “By’m-by your sister marry te pakeha?” “Oh, go to hell!” say Sandy. Dat why I tink.’

‘Then because Sandy told you to go to hell you argue that his sister is about to marry a parson,’ Geoffrey remarked with a wry smile.

‘Dat why,’ said Pine confidently. ‘If Sandy laugh, den p’r’aps yes, p’r’aps no, but Sandy angry, I say to myself, “Aha!”’

Geoffrey lifted his eyebrows slightly, then with a curt good-night turned his horse for the road. Robert stayed a moment to renew the subject of the ploughing, then set out after his brother.

The sun was setting in the gap above the river, and the sky to the eastward showed signs of darkening. Geoffrey was already far ahead, flying along rapidly through the shifting shadows. Robert set his horse in motion, but it was not until he had left the confines of the valley and reached the muddy

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