"Perhaps we should leave?" he suggested to Thompson quietly. "There may be a better way to serve the warrant at a later time."

Shaking his head and muttering under his breath, Thompson turned to the constables still waiting on the other side of the stream.

"Fix bayonets, and advance!" he yelled.

Wakefield looked up in surprise. What was he doing?

Chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata exchanged looks of disbelief.

Scared and ill-trained, many men stood ...