to the settlement where Rau and Iti were dwelling. Having found Iti alone, she told him that she was in communication with the outlaws, and that amongst them were relations of both himself and herself; that a cousin of Iti’s had a great desire to see him, and had most important news to impart to him if he would meet him at the top of a neighbouring hill at a certain hour next morning. Iti, who was not at all satisfied with the position he held in the estimation of his own chief Rau, at once fell into the snare, and promised that he would meet his cousin at the appointed spot.
At an early hour in the morning Iti started off to climb the hill on which the meeting was arranged to take place. He pushed his way among the green taro leaves, and entered a dense growth of flowering shrubs. Suddenly a kauà bird darted from among the petals, and screamed out “kauà!” as if to warn him of impending danger. Iti looked at the bird and said, “Aye, bright bird of the gods, it is thou who art warning me.” Notwithstanding the warning, he would not abandon his purpose, but pushed on up the hill towards the summit. Half way up, another bird dashed out from the foliage, fluttered a moment over the head of the obstinate climber, and cried “kauà!”
