The Prospect Was Now Brilliant, Save That The Rakaia Was Said To Be Very
Heavily Freshed.
Fearing I might have to swim for it, I left my watch
at M-'s, and went on with the satisfactory reflection that, at any rate,
if I could not cross, G- could not do so either.
To my delight,
however, the river was very low, and I forded it without the smallest
difficulty a little before sunset. A few hours afterwards, down it
came. I heard that G- was an hour ahead of me, but this was of no
consequence. Riding ten miles farther, and now only twenty-five miles
from Christ Church, I called at an accommodation-house, and heard that
G- was within, so went on, and determined to camp and rest my horse.
The night was again intensely dark, and it soon came on to rain so
heavily that there was nothing for it but to start again for the next
accommodation-house, twelve miles from town. I slept there a few hours,
and by seven o'clock next morning was in Christ Church. So was G-. We
could neither of us do anything till the Land Office opened at ten
o'clock. At twenty minutes before ten I repaired thither, expecting to
find G- in waiting, and anticipating a row. If it came to fists, I
should get the worst of it - that was a moral certainty - and I really
half-feared something of the kind. To my surprise, the office-doors
were open - all the rooms were open - and on reaching that in which the
application-book was kept, I found it already upon the table. I opened
it with trembling fingers, and saw my adversary's name written in bold
handwriting, defying me, as it were, to do my worst.
The clock, as the clerk was ready to witness, was twenty minutes before
ten. I learnt from him also that G- had written his name down about
half an hour. This was all right. My course was to wait till after
ten, write my name, and oppose G-'s application as having been entered
unduly, and before office-hours. I have no doubt that I should have
succeeded in gaining my point in this way, but a much easier victory was
in store for me.
Running my eye through the list of names, to my great surprise I saw my
own among them. It had been entered by my solicitor, on another matter
of business, the previous day, but it stood next BELOW G-'s. G-'s name,
then, had clearly been inserted unfairly, out of due order. The whole
thing was made clear to the Commissioners of the Waste Lands, and I need
not say that I effected my purchase without difficulty. A few weeks
afterwards, allowing him for his hut and yard, I bought G- out entirely.
I will now return to the Rangitata.
There is a large flat on either side of it, sloping very gently down to
the river-bed proper, which is from one to two miles across.
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