AGIC SPEAR, w-T-mn AUSTRALIAN YOUNG FOLKS* STORY BOOKS ODD Written, Illustrated, and Printed in Australia n n n A Real Bush Story BUNYIP SAYS SO A True Tale of the Camp where the Animals and Birds of the Bush hold their Meetings and tell their Wonderful Stories By W. M. FLEMING "One of the best. It is an excellent fairy-tale." Melbourne "Age." "Children will find Mr. Fleming a good friend." "The Australasian." "Here is a book that should be wherever there are Australian children." "Stock and Station" Journal. ODD 108 Pages Illustrated One Shilling n n n EDWARD A. VIDLER, PUBLISHER, MELBOURNE THE MAGIC SPEAR OR CAMPED WITH THE BLACKS AUSTRALIAN YOUNG FOLKS' STORY BOOKS THE MAGIC SPEAR OR Vy i*< CAMPED WITH THE BLACKS A Tale of the Early Days By Wm. T. HILL, B.A. Author of "THE GOLDEN QUEST" Illustrated by R. Wenban Written, Illustrated and Printed in Australia for EDWARD A. VIDLER, Publisher W. A. HAME-R, Printer, 205-217 Peel St., North Melbourne, Ml PREFACE This little book has been written for young Australians. It is an attempt to interest our boys and girls in the aborigines those dark- skinned people whose ancestors wandered to and fro over the face of our great continent long before the first white men visited its shores. Very few of our boys and girls have ever visited a native camp in fact, many of them have never seen a native; but we can all learn something, even from the most humble folk, and it is the hope of the author that the story of Harry Pascoe and his "Magic Spear" will not only prove of interest, but will also be the means of teaching the young reader something of the habits and customs of our Australian blacks, and, in addition, the value of cultivating that power of observation upon which the natives depend so much in their work of hunting and tracking game in the forest. W.T.H. The Magic Spear CHAPTER I. LOST IN THE BUSH. Harry Pascoe was an orphan, both his parents having died when he was a little fellow of three. He had been brought up by his Uncle Jim, who was a pioneer settler in the north of Victoria, in the early days, his selection, "Pine Bank" being close to the great Murray River. Harry was at this time a fine lad of fifteen. He was tall and broad for his age, and, thanks to his uncle's training, he was as good a bushman as many men. One day Uncle Jim and his man, Sam Treloar, set off at dawn with a mob of cattle, which they were driving to Echuca. They expected to be back some time the same night, and left Harry in charge of the work at the homestead. During his uncle's absence the lad went about his work as usual, proud of the trust placed in him, for his uncle, before leaving with the stock, had said: "Now, Harry, I'm leaving you in charge. Take good care of Aunt Jane and Mary while I am away." Then, with a cracking of stock-whips, away went Uncle Jim and Sam Treloar, driving their mob of steers to the market. 5 6 THE MAGIC SPEAR While Harry was at work in the barn, an agent drove up to the homestead, but on hearing that Mr. Pascoe was away from home, drove off again, carelessly leaving the sliprails down. A little while later several young horses, which were feeding in the home paddock, found their way out and scampered off down the road. They were not missed for some time ; but, when Harry came in at lunch time, they were nowhere to be seen. One of the horses had been bred at a station about a hundred miles down the river ; and, as their tracks led downstream, Harry concluded that they had gone towards this station, and prepared to follow them. After lunch he packed his saddle-bag with a three days' supply of food, saddled a fast horse; then, telling his aunt that he might not be home for a day or two as the colts had obtained a good start, he took his repeating rifle and belt of cart- ridges, and set off on the track of the runaways. Mile after mile Harry rode, and when night fell he was fully thirty miles away from home. He made his camp beside a beautiful creek, which flowed beneath a canopy of wattles and native willows, while flowering shrubs and plants made the scene a most inviting one to the tired travel- ler. Game was plentiful, too; but Harry did not trouble to shoot any, as his saddle-bags contained a plentiful supply of food. Next morning he started early, and followed the tracks of the horses till midday, when he LOST IN THE BUSH 7 halted to give his horse a rest, and to eat his lunch. After the meal, Harry lay at ease on the turf, while his horse cropped the lush grass that grew in the shade beside a brook. Suddenly the lad sat up with a start. What was that? There was a crashing, rushing sound, as of some mighty animal trampling the timber; and, the next moment, a mob of kangaroos came tearing through the scrub a little to the left of him. His horse, a flighty chestnut, immedi- ately took fright and, rearing on its haunches, strained at its halter. "Crack!" the bough to which the animal was tied snapped like a carrot, and away went the frightened horse, with the branch flapping against its side and goading it into a frenzy of terror. Harry jumped up, shouting "Whoa! Whoa!" but he might as well have spoken to the wind as his horse, for in less time than it takes to tell, the terrified animal was out of sight. What was the lad to do? His position was serious. He was at least fifty miles from home, without horse or food, for his saddle-bag and blankets had been carried off by the runaway. Luckily he had his rifle, which was leaning against a tree, his belt of cartridges, and a box of matches; so he felt that things might easily have been far worse; and being a good bushman, Harry did not mind having to spend a night or two in the forest. After considering for a while, the lad decided to follow the course of the little creek before set- 8 THE MAGIC SPEAR tling on a place in which to camp for the night. He wandered down-stream till he came to a fine lagoon, into which the creek emptied its waters, leaping and foaming its way over a beautiful waterfall. Harry stood at the head of the fall, delighted with the scene. At his feet lay the wide lagoon, dotted here and there with black swans, ducks, and other water birds, while blue herons, spoonbills, and pelicans waded among the reeds, searching for food. The sight held such a charm for Harry that he forgot his own plight, and it was some little time before he noticed a thin column of smoke curling above the timber at the far end of the lagoon. After watching this for a moment or two, the lad came to the conclusion that a tribe of blacks had pitched their camp there, and decided to make his way in that direc- tion. He did not fear the blacks, as he felt quite able to take care of himself. On rounding a bend, he came upon a newly- made grave, and, on approaching it, he saw a spear standing upright in the centre of the mound. As he stood beside the grave, there came to his mind the story of William Buckley, the Wild White Man, who, when found by the blacks, was carrying a spear which he had taken from a grave, and was hailed as the spirit of the dead member of the tribe, and treated with great respect. Harry made up his mind to take the spear with him in the hope that it would win him a welcome from the blacks whose camp he could see in the distance. THE NATIVE CAMP 9 As the lad approached it he was greeted by the barking of dogs and the shouts of piccanin- nies, who ran excitedly to warn the camp of the approach of a white stranger. Harry could see a number of men seated at a little distance from the fire, at which several lubras were busily en- gaged in preparing the evening meal. At his approach some men caught up their spears; but the lad halted at a distance of about thirty yards from the fire, and raised his right hand above his head in token of friendship. Then, at a sign from one of the blacks, he advanced and stood be- fore the group seated near the fire. CHAPTER II. THE NATIVE CAMP. Harry advanced to the fire with a certain amount of misgiving, especially as he had seen some of the warriors catch up their spears; but, at a word from the chief, these men resumed their seats on the ground. Holding the spear in his right hand, the lad kept his rifle in his left. As he stood before them, the blacks looked at him, and began to chatter excitedly to one an- other, pointing to the spear which the lad had taken from the grave of their dead comrade. Harry knew that, on seeing the spear, they had taken him for the spirit of their relative returned 10 THE MAGIC SPEAR from the dead, and he also knew that he would be quite safe as long as he cared to stay with the tribe. Many of the blacks have a belief that the white people are members of their own race who have come back from the grave. Their belief is told in this legend. "When Pund-jel, the Creator, made the first blacks, he gave them orders not to go near a big tree (tainya) where Bon-nel-ya, the Bat, lived, as he was on no account to be disturbed. One day Nonga, the woman, who was gathering firewood, went too close to the tree, and frightened Bonnel- ya, who at once flew away, and in his place came Death. Shortly after this many blacks died, and after death they returned as white men to the scene of their former life." If a "newly-returned" person was deemed to be one of their own kindred he was treated well and shown every mark of respect. Harry Pascoe was fortunate in this respect, for a young warrior had died a few days before his arrival, and he was looked upon as the Uri-uri (spirit) of this youth, who had returned to his tribe, bearing the spear from his own grave as a token. After the blacks had consulted together for some time, one of them, who was able to speak English, addressed Harry Pascoe. This man had formerly worked on a cattle station , and had picked up some knowledge of the customs and language of the white men ; but he had later re- THE N ATlVli GAMP 1 1 turned to his tribe, or "gone bush," as it is called. He addressed Harry in these words: "Baas, white pfeller, Uri-uri; you comma long way ; long, long way, mine tinkit." Here he pointed to the spear in Harry's hand. "Come, baas, you bin sit by fire." Thus invited, the lad advanced into the circle. He was presented to the king of the tribe, whose name was Yang-uia, or the Left-handed. He was a man of splendid build, well over six feet in height, straight as a ramrod, and as strong as an ox. Harry shook hands with "His Majesty," who motioned him to a seat beside himself. The lad's fears for his safety had by this time quite disappeared, for he saw that he had been accepted as a friend by the whole tribe. Harry was much interested in all he saw. The camp consisted of about thirty gunyahs, or mia- mias ; some built of bushes and some of sheets of bark, while others were built of both bark and bushes. A score of children were present, play- ing about the gunyahs, or shyly watching the stranger who had so suddenly come amongst them from "the land beyond the grave." The women were busy at the fire, cooking supper for the tribe, as the smell of singed fur and charred flesh gave evidence. There are some animals, such as the Koala or native bear, which it is not law- ful for the blacks to skin before roasting ; so they are cooked, fur and all hence the strange smells that arose from the cooking fire. 12 THE MAGIC SPEAR The meal was a much better one than Harry had hoped for, judging by the odours which the tire had given forth during the cooking. There were fish that had been broiled on the coals, and roast ducks that had been cooked in a way quite new to Harry. The lubras had merely plastered the ducks, feathers and all, with a thick layer of wet clay, and then baked them. When the ducks were cooked, the clay was knocked off, and with it came the feathers, leaving the flesh beautifully cooked, and keeping all its natural juices. For vegetables there were yams, which had been roasted in the coals, and tasted like radishes to the lad. The lubras waited on the men, bringing them the whole of the food, from which they selected all that they required, the women and children being content with what was left over from the banquet. At sunset, the scene by the lake was one of great beauty ; the barred clouds catching the last beams of the setting sun, "blooming the soft- dying day, and touching the tree-tops with a rosy hue." It was a sight worth watching, and as Harry stood there, drinking in the beauty of the evening, he heard a step behind him, and, on look- ing round, he saw Quandini, the black who had addressed him in English. "How beautiful!" said the lad. "It reminds me of a poem which I have read, 'The broad sun is stooping down in his tranquility.' " THE NATIVE CAMP 13 The black knew nothing of Wordsworth's lines, but he understood the lad who quoted them. "Yes, baas," he said, "sun sink down now, go away; but him come back next day. Long time ago, baas, sun kept up in sky all 'a time ; all day ; all night too. Sun keep up much long time, so poor blackpfeller no get sleep. He lie awake all night, baas, much tired. But Nooralie, good Uri- uri (spirit) he come gibbit blackpfeller rest. He say to sun: 'Yhuko warrie, yhuko warrie, Yarrarama, wane dilya. Yanthe yanthona, wane dilya Tull, tull.' " Some time later Harry Pascoe read a translation of this native poem, as follows : "Sun, sun, burn your wood; Burn your inside substance. Go down. Go down." But Quandini's explanation was this: "Him sun burn all day, baas; he need more wood or fire go out, so sun go down at night to getum wood. He come back again next day, warm poor blackpfeller, give more light." From this speech Harry gathered that the blacks had a legend to account for the change from daylight to darkness. They thought that the sun spent the night in his storehouse, or wood-yard, renewing his supply of light and heat so as to give them service on the morrow. 14 As Quandini finished his story the sun sank below the horizon, so the white lad and his black companion turned towards the camp. The moon was now rising over the tree-tops, and Harry, eager to learn more of their quaint beliefs, asked the black how it was that the moon shone only in the night, and not by day. "Ah, baas," said the black, "him moon libbit on ground long time before. He do lot of harm to poor blacks, so Nooralie puttum up in sky, and tellum shine in night. But moon shine only when he like, so Nooralie say to moon: 'Die, you bones white, bone powder, powder.' (Die! may your bones whiten, and turn to powder.) Moon do as Noorlie say, baas. He die, then come back, gibbit blackpfeller light, like Nooralie tellum." The black also explained that the stars were formerly men or beasts, who had been taken up to the sky by the spirits. Every night they left their huts and performed the same work in the sky as they had formerly done while on the earth. Quandini pointed out the planet Mars, which shone with a ruddy hue, and said: "Dat one eagle, baas. Dat one," pointing to another cluster of stars, "him crow. All little stars alonga him bin him lubras" (wives). As they entered the camp, Harry noticed that all the blacks were busily engaged in collecting wood, which they piled near the fire, THE CORROBBORfiE 15 then told him that there was to be "one big pfeller corrobboree" that night, in honour of the guest who had returned from the spirit world. Needless to say, Harry looked forward to the performance with great interest. CHAPTER III. THE CORROBBOREE. As soon as night had fallen, a party of young blacks stole quietly from the camp. These, said Quandini, were the dancers, who had gone to decorate themselves in readiness for the Yain- yang, a Corrobboree dance. Meanwhile, more wood was thrown on the fire, until the flames leapt 1 and flared to a great height, lighting up the whole glade. The gun- yahs, the trees, and the moving figures of the blacks looked ghostly in this leaping, dancing light. It was a weird, uncanny scene, and as Harry sat watching, and waiting for the dancers, he felt a creepy sensation run down his spine. When everything was ready, a number of lubras seated themselves in a semi-circle, at some dis- tance from the fire, each having an opossum rug tightly stretched across her knees. These lubras were the "band," who supplied the instrumental music for the dance. They beat upon their rugs a kind of tattoo, making a sound not unlike that 16 THE MAGIC SPEAR of a drum, and at the same time they chanted a weird corrobboree song: "Wilpon, Tho Wilpon, Me-e, Gra-a-a." Seated in front of the "music" makers was an old black who acted as bandmaster. He beat time with a pair of corrobboree sticks. These sticks were made of hard, dry wood, sharpened at each end, and gave out a loud, ringing sound when beaten together. At last the dancers appeared. There were twenty young men in the party, and weird figures they looked as they stepped into the circle of fire- light. Their naked bodies were painted with pipe- clay, of which there was a plentiful supply on the banks of the lake. Each man was decorated according to his own ideas of taste, though all the dancers had painted white rings around his eyes, and a streak across his forehead. Lines were painted on their bodies, too ; the streaks and daubs being put on in such a manner as to make the bodies of the dancers look like skeletons in the light of the fire. The dancers had green boughs tied to their legs just below the knees; they also wore aprons of dressed opossum skins. As they advanced they raised their hands, in which they carried corrob- boree sticks. Taking their time from the band- master, they struck the sticks together, at the same time swaying their borlios from side to side. THE CORROBOREE 17 As the music grew faster, they bounded into the air, knocking their sticks together, and chant- ing their song over and over again. Then they formed up in column, four deep, and advanced towards the singers. Then, as they bounded for- ward, they appeared to become mixed up, and the flying sticks looked very dangerous; but no mishap occurred, for the whole action was concerted and well planned. Shouting, jumping, stamping, and making a blubbering noise "br-r-r-r, br-r-r-r," with their lips, they made the night ring, for they sang at the top of their voices, while the women beat upon their rugs, and sang with all their might, adding to the general clamour. Suddenly the dancers retired in a body, like one man, but reappeared a moment later, marching in a curved line. The performance was then varied, for they imitated the movements of the dingo, the emu, the kangaroo, and other animals, to the great delight of the onlookers. To see the whole party bound forward in imitation of a mob of kangaroos was a very funny sight indeed, and Harry laughed till his sides ached. Next a frog dance was performed, and the antics of the dancers were very amusing. The whole dance was a fine imitation of the movements of the wild animals, and Harry Pascoe was delighted with the performance, which was held in his honour. While the dance proceeded, the remainder of the tribe watched from a distance. The lubras sat with their rugs stretched over their knees, while 18 THE MAC1C SPEAR the men stood or lounged about, their spears stuck in the ground beside them. All appeared to be delighted. The women beat out the time and sang, while the men conversed in low tones, praising the performance, and comparing the skill of the different dancers. One tall black acted as policeman, his duty being to keep back the onlookers, so that the dancers might have plenty of room. He strutted up and down, feeling very proud of himself and his office. Harry was much amused to see the air of importance of this man, especially as the spec- tators were all at some distance from the dancers, and did not require the strong arm of the law to keep them in order. When the bandmaster considered that the per- formance had lasted long enough which was not until some of the dancers were nearly dropping from fatigue he raised his sticks above his head and struck them heavily together. The women then took up their rugs and retired to the gun- yahs, while the dancers, forming into line, marched to the spot where Harry was standing with Quandini. As a sort of wind-up they pointed their corrobboree sticks skywards, and gave three tremendous shouts. The leader then advanced, stroking himself upon the breast in token of friendship. Harry held out his hand, which was taken by the leader; then, as each of the dancers came up in turn, the lad, having made a beginning, was THE BUNYIP 19 obliged to shake hands with the whole party. By the time they had all filed past, his hand was nearly shaken off. However, as Harry afterwards said, it was worth it. As the corrobboree was ended, preparations were made for retiring for the night, and Quan- dini approached Harry, saying: "Baas, you bin sleepit mine gunyah." So the lad went with the black to spend his first night in a native hut. CHAPTER IV. THE BUNYIP. When Harry entered Quandini's gunyah, he found an abundance of opossum rugs in one corner, and the lad guessed that these had been borrowed from neighbouring huts in order to make him more comfortable. He lay awake for a long time, turning over the day's adventures in his mind, and thinking of his home and the anxiety of his uncle and aunt when he did not return. What a fright they would get if his horse came back without him? "If only I could send them word of my safety, I wouldn't care," he mused. "I could put in a splendid time here for a week or so, but they are bound to be anxious about me." After a while he became drowsy, and was just on the point of dropping off to sleep, when he heard a squnc} that banished sleep at once. What 20 THE MAGIC SPEAR was that? Harry listened intently. Yes, there it was again a low, rumbling noise that grew louder and louder, ending in a roar like that of a bull. Harry jumped up, grasped his rifle, and started for the door of the gunyah ; but a hand was laid on his arm, and on looking round, he saw Quandini standing beside him, his teeth chatter- ing with fright. "Baas," he gasped, "no go outside. You stop in gunyah." "Why, what is it?" asked Harry. "Bunyip, baas. No go outside," gasped the poor black, who was almost beside himself with terror. When the noises had died away, and the black had grown somewhat calm, Harry asked him about this strange creature, of which he appeared to be in such dread. The black replied that the bunyip was a dreadful monster, which lived in the lagoons, lurking in the shadows, ready to spring upon any poor human being who strayed from the gunyahs. His body was not like that of any known animal, but he had a big head and ears, and a body covered with fur or feathers. Nobody could describe him clearly, for none who had been close enough to have a good look at him had re- turned to tell the tale. "He no eat poor black," said Quandini. "He holdum under water till him die." The bunyip was believed to come suddenly upon the blacks when he meant to destroy them. He THE BUNY1P 21 only appeared when the weather was calm, and the surface of the water smooth. He had great power, and could cause sickness, disease, and death. Only the Koradgee men (doctors or wizards) could tell where he lay hidden, and were able to inform the rest of the tribe concerning him. Sometimes his lair was a deep water-hole; sometimes a lagoon surrounded with reeds. Harry had heard his uncle talk of the power exercised by the Koradgee men, who took advan- tage of the fears of the other blacks, and when he heard Quandini say that they alone knew where the bunyip lived, he suspected that these wizards knew a good deal about these midnight noises which, to his ears, sounded distinctly human and were using this means of keeping up their power over the rest of the tribe. These "doctors" were old men, and were ap- pointed in a special way. When a Koradgee died, his spirit was said to return and appear to the man who was to succeed him in his office. This man then performed certain duties, and received great powers. He slept one night on the grave of the dead Koradgee man. During that fearful sleep, the spirit of the dead wizard would come, seize him by the throat, and take out his intes- tines, which he would then put back, and close up the wound. After going through this ordeal, the new Koradgee would be free from all dread of future ghosts. He at once took up his duties as a wizard, and was looked up to with respect^ 22 THE MAGIC SPEAR The old men kept all the power in their own hands, and made laws for the rest of the blacks. There were certain kinds of food which it was not lawful for any but the old men to eat. Instant death would result if a woman or a young man were to eat these foods. The old men were thus sure of a supply of good food, and, at the same time, were respected by the other blacks because of their superior position. Having turned the matter over in his mind, Harry addressed Quandini. "How do you know," he asked, "that there is such a creature as thebunyip, if nobody has ever seen him?" "Baas, you bin hear him," answered the black. "Yes, I heard something; but it need not have been a bunyip." "Listen, baas," said Quandini. "Mine tinkit I show you. Long time before, way down that way" (pointing to the south) "a tribe of blacks camp by big lake. They catch plenty much eels five, ten, plenty much. Lubra pullem eels out of water as fast as black pfeller bin carry him to gunyah. Black pfeller wonder why so many eels. He go gunyah ; lubra stay to catch eels. He come back ; lubra gone. No lubra him see; no, not nowhere, baas. "Bunyip come, catch lubra while black-pfeller in gunyah. Bunyip send plenty eels; lubra much busy catchem eels. Bunyip come up much quiet, pull lubra under water. Black pfeller much heap F1RE-MAK1NO 23 frightened ever since, when he hear bunyip make noise in night." "But," asked Harry, "how do you know it was the bunyip that took the lubra? Nobody saw him." "Well, baas," replied Quandini, "when black pfeller come one time, he find lubra there. Him go gunyah. When he come two time, no lubra there. Bunyip come take lubra. Dat prove Bunyip, baas." This, to Quandini's mind, was a complete proof of the existence of the bunyip. Harry lay still for a while, turning all this over in his mind, and wondering at the ignorance of the poor blacks, who put all their misfortunes down to this fearful creature which dwelt in the lake. After a while he dropped off to sleep, and when he awoke, the sun was shining through the door of the gunyah. CHAPTER V. FIRE-MAKING. Harry jumped up, and, after a dip in the lake, dressed himself and made his way to the scene of last night's corrobboree. During the night there had been a smart shower of rain, and the fire had gone out. Harry was much interested as he watched the blacks preparing to light an- other. 24 THE MAGlC Sf>EAfc One of the men went to a gunyah, and brought forth a "fire-stick," with which he proceeded to make "bikya" (fire). This fire-making apparatus consisted of two straight sticks, which fitted closely into a round lump of resin, or gum, shred- MAKING FIRE aed over with red berries. Below this head, the sticks were wrapped carefully in folds of yellow reed, which were lined with gum to keep the sticks perfectly dry. The black drew the two sticks from their case and, placing one on the ground, he fitted the point of the other, which he held upright, into a socket FIRE-MAKING 25 in the horizontal stick, and twirled it rapidly be- tween his hands. Soon a tiny column of smoke rose from the socket, showing that the wood was becoming hot enough to burn, as the result of rub- bing the two sticks together. Some finely-shredded bark and leaves were now placed around the smoking stick, which was twirled faster than before, two men working to- gether, and drawing their hands down the upright stick as they twirled it, causing it to press more heavily in the socket underneath, and thus cause greater heat. This was kept up until the stick became red hot, and a smoking coal broke off the end. Picking up a handful of tinder, with the red- hot coal in the centre, the black waved it to and fro until it burst into flame. He then placed it under a small heap of dry leaves which had been gathered from the gunyahs and other sheltered places, and soon had a fire burning merrily. Harry was keenly interested when he saw a fire kindled without matches, and said to Quandini: "Now, I call that really clever. I'll never be stuck in future when I want to make a fire." Quandini then related to him the legend told by the blacks to show how they obtained fire in the first place. "Long time before, baas, black pfeller no have fire. Everything very much bad. He no cook 'possum or kyemery (kangaroo). No keepum 26 THE MAGIC SPEAR warm on cold day. Then Uri-uri (spirit) come gibbit fire to two lubras. They belonga bad spirit, he hate poor blackpfeller berry much, baas. Lubras keepit bikya (fire) all to self; no gibbit blackpfeller. One day one man come; he good friend to blacks. He come say he get bikya from lubras, gibbit bikya to blacks. So he go to lubras, makit out him friend. He stay with lubras every day. One day he steal bikya, and puttem it behind him back. Bikya burnit him back; him no care. Then he go away from lubras, takit fire-stick, too. Him gibbit fire to blackpfeller. "Long time after, baas, him turned into little bird by Uri-uri, gibbit him little red mark on tail. Dat red mark made by fire, baas. Eber since dat time, poor blackpfeller habbit bikya to make him warm and cookit 'possum." Harry listened to this story with interest ; then he said: "Oh yes, I know that bird, Quandini. We call him the fire-tail." "Dat right, baas ; him fire-tail. Him gibbit fire to blackpfeller long time before." Harry now thought it was time for him to show the blacks how he could light a fire; so he collected a little heap of dry leaves and grass, and, having struck a match, soon had a bright fire burning. The blacks were filled with awe when they saw this magic, and gazed at Harry with wonder. The lad then offered the box to Tomboko, one of the tribe, who stood near, but the black was afraid to touch the magic box, much less attempt to use it. "Too much debbil debbil, him tinkit, baas," said Quandini. "Him say it bad Uri-uri come takit poor Tomboko, so him no touchit firebox." King Yang-uia (the left-handed) then held out his hand, as he wished to try the magic fire-box of the white men. Harry handed him the box and, for a joke, held out the spent match, which he had blown out after lighting the fire. Yang-uia rubbed the dead match up and down the edge of the box, but without result. Then he handed it back to Harry, who quietly took out an- other match while he explained matters to the King by means of dumb-show. Then he struck the match on the box, and a light instantly flamed up. This was too much for the King and his tribe, none of whom would touch the magic fire-box, and Harry was looked upon as a wizard, who could make bikya by means of magic. Meanwhile the lubras had been at work cook- ing breakfast, so the warriors, with Harry among them, sat down and enjoyed a hearty meal. H THE MAGIC SPEAR CHAPTER VI. A DAY IN THE CAMP. After breakfast the blacks settled down to per- form various duties about the camp. They had been engaged in hunting on the previous day; and, as game was plentiful, there was plenty of food on hand for the present needs. Harry in- quired of Quandini in which direction they had been hunting, and, on hearing his reply, came to the conclusion that the hunters were indirectly responsible for the accident which had cast him, a stranger, amongst them. It was when attacked by the hunters that the mob of kangaroos had come crashing through the bush, frightening his horse, and causing it to break away from the camp, while Harry was resting beside the creek on the previous day. Harry wandered about the camp, an interested spectator of the various groups. He was eager to learn something of the lives of the natives, and as he watched the various workers, and noted the skill with which they performed their different tasks, he was filled with wonder. He had always heard the blacks spoken of as a very stupid race, very low down in the human scale; but as he watched them at their tasks, and saw the amount of skill and intelligence which they put into their work, he realized that they were capable of teaching many people who thought themselves far superior to the poor blacks. A DAY IN THE CAMP 19 First he watched the lubras at work over the fire, and noticed that their cookery consisted chiefly in baking and roasting. They knew no- thing of boiling, as they had no skill in the making of pots. Some of their baskets were capable of holding water, but, of course, they would not stand the fire. A favourite method of cooking was by covering the animal or bird with clay and roasting it, fur or feathers and all, just as Harry had seen the ducks treated when he had his first meal with the blacks on the previous evening. A porcupine, spines and all, was covered with wet clay and roasted in the ashes. When it was well cooked, the clay was knocked off, and the skin, spines and all, came away, leaving the flesh ready for eating. Harry was much amused at this novel method, and made up his mind to tell his aunt all about it when he reached home. One of the lubras offered him a piece of the porcupine, but the lad did not fancy such food, as the porcupine lives chiefly on a diet of ants; but he sampled a piece of brush turkey which had been treated in the same way, and found it very good. He then strolled across to where a group of men were at work sewing skins together to make rugs. The thread used was made from the tail sinews of the kangaroo, and the work was beautifully done. Some lads were engaged in scraping the skins and tanning them for the rug makers. Other blacks were at work mending weapons, which had been damaged in the chase, and carving JO THE UAGlC new ones. Their tools consisted of a stone chisel for the rougher work, while for the delicate carving they used a sharp tool made from an opossum's tooth, firmly fixed into a wooden han- dle. The carvings were all worked out without any curved lines, only patterns of straight lines and herring-bone being used; but many of them looked very neat indeed. One man was repairing spears which had been broken. Some of these were made of reeds, chosen because of their straight stalks, and tipped with emu's bone. Others were made of myall, or other hard wood, which had been charred in the fire, and fastened to reeds. These were so well joined that, when poised on the finger, the reed and the wooden part balanced each other perfectly. A number of lubras sat at a little distance, weaving baskets and nets, and plaiting fibres of bark. Each woman used a heavy stone to keep her work in place, and this allowed her to use both hands (peeyin) constantly, the band of fibre being looped about the big toe (daybon) of the right foot. These women chatted or sang while they worked, just as white women chat with their friends or read books while engaged in knitting. Some other women were preparing thread from the fibres of the balyan (bulrush). They stripped the root of its outer bark, and placed it in the ashes for a few moments; they then twisted it to loosen the fibre, and by chewing the root obtained a quantity of gluten, which looked very A DAY IN THE CAMP 31 much like wheaten flour. This gluten forms a plentiful and wholesome supply of food for those tribes who live in swampy districts. The women chewed the roots till nothing was left but the fibre, which looked like hemp. A ball NATIVE IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS (1) Stone Knife; (2) Sheath; (3) Stone Pick; (4) Stone Axe; (5) Boomerang; (6) Stone Chisel; (7) Possum-tooth Chisel; (8) Firemakers; (9) Spear; (10) Bark Canoe of this fibre was then drawn out and rubbed with the palm of the hand on the bare thigh, while the fingers of the other hand twirled a small wooden spindle, which twisted and held the finished thread. 32 THE MAGIC SPEAR Harry was amused at the novel method in which the lubras carried their picaninnies. A narook (opossum rug) was slung over the mother's shoulder in such a way as to form a bag, and here the little one nestled in comfort, while the mother had both her hands free to perform any task she wished. The babies wore bracelets and anklets of opossum skin, for the mothers believe that these act as charms to ward off illness and to make their children grow up strong and healthy. After watching the basket and net makers for some time, Harry strolled in the direction of the lake. Here he saw several blacks busily engaged in making a bark canoe. Having selected a tainya (big tree) with a good, smooth trunk, one of the blacks climbed it, notching the bark with his byaduc (stone axe) to secure a foothold, but taking care not to mark the selected piece of bark. Then he proceeded to cut the bark in the shape of a canoe, and, by pressing the handle of his axe and a piece of wood between the bark and the trunk on either side of the cuts, he and his mate soon stripped the koon-toom (sheet of bark) from the tree. The bark was then warmed over a fire, and beaten into the required shape, after being turned inside out. The tree selected was a stringy bark, and as the bark on the outside was very porous, the inner surface was used to withstand the action of the water. When a red-gum was selected, the bark was not turned inside out. When the shaping of the canoe was finished to their liking, the blacks tied the two ends A DAY IN THE CAMP 33 securely with fibre, and plugged clay into the chinks to make a water-tight joint. Any small holes or cracks in the bark were then blocked up with gum, and several sticks were fastened inside the boat to act as spreaders. It was then ready for use. It was a fine canoe, eighteen feet long, and capable of carrying six men. When the canoe was finished Harry strolled back to the camp, where several old men were seated near the fire. As any young black finished a piece of work he brought it to one of the elders for his opinion. The old men were looked up to by these young blacks, for they had had much experience in the making of spears, boomerangs, shields, and other weapons, and were able to in- struct the younger members of the tribe. The old men are of great importance in every native camp. They are not equal to the fatigue of the chase, so they remain in the camp, where they see that the laws are obeyed, and keep order amongst the members of the tribe. They also receive any visitors from other tribes, and arrange any business between their own tribe and out- siders. On the whole, they conduct themselves with dignity, and hold a position of honour. After wandering about all the morning and watching the various members of the tribe at work, Harry began to feel hungry, and was not sorry when the signal was given that the mid-day meal was ready. 34 THE MAGIC SPEAR CHAPTER VII. HOW THE PICCANINNIES ARE TAUGHT. As soon as dinner was over, Harry noticed a party of boys, each armed with a light spear, . moving towards the lake, accompanied by one of the old men. He at once followed this party, as he wished to see what was about to happen. The old man went to a gum-tree, from which he cut a round piece of bark about the size of a dinner plate. Then, choosing a level grassy plot of ground, he ordered the boys to stand in a line. When they were quite ready, the old man threw the disc of bark with a sharp, down jerk, so that it bounded over the turf. Then each boy, in turn, threw his spear at the moving target, no boy being allowed to throw out of his turn. In this way they were taught, not only to become success- ful hunters, but also to learn such fine qualities as steadiness, obedience, self-command, and a sense of fair play. Another group of lads was being trained in throwing the boomerang. The old man who acted as teacher stood facing the wind, holding a boomerang in his right hand. He then threw the weapon with a slight, downward jerk of his arm. The boomerang skimmed along the ground; then rose into the air, described a circle about fifty yards in diameter, and dropped right at the feet of the thrower, The boys then tried, using THE PICCANINNIES ARE TAUGMt 35 smaller boomerangs, suitable to their strength. Some were successful in their efforts, and were able to catch their boomerangs as they returned, for by this time they were moving quite slowly. A LESSON IN BOOMERANG THROWING Others were not so fortunate, for their weapons fell at some distance from where they stood. The old black was a very patient teacher, and praised any boy who made good progress. Needless to say, they all tried hard to win words of praise from their teacher. Nothing seemed to be too M THE MAGfC SPEAR much trouble in teaching the boys, who would one 3 day take their places as men in the ranks of the warriors. Some other boys were being taught to use nets on the lake, but Harry did not stay with them long, as he had already had some experience in this work, and knew as much about it as they did. He was more interested in watching a party of lads who were learning to track game in the woods. The slightest signs were pointed out by the old man in charge of the party, and the boys were most watchful, each trying to discover some faint sign that had escaped those trained, ex- perienced eyes. A few grains of sand on the trunk of a tree ; the faintest scratch on the bark ; a hair on a leaf such faint signs were noted, and pointed out with pride by the sharp-eyed pupils, who were anxious to hear the old man praise their powers of observation and their patience. While the boys were being trained in those arts which would fit them for taking their places among the hunters and warriors of the tribe, the girls were not idle. Under the guidance of an old lubra, a party of girls was engaged in collect- ing gum, and in choosing suitable rushes and grasses for- the purpose of weaving baskets and nets. Another band of girls sat together, learning to weave baskets from these reeds and grasses. Another party was being taught the art of building a gunyah. The old woman in charge THE PICCANINNIES ARE TAUGHT 3? collected bushes, which she wove together so as to form a bush shelter. The girls watched care- fully; then, working in pairs, tried to copy the work of the old lubra. Each pair built a small gunyah. When the work was finished, it was inspected by the old woman, who praised those girls whose work was neatly done. After spending a couple of hours at work, the youngsters were dismissed to amuse themselves. A favourite game among the boys was dialk (ball). A bladder was blown up, and thrown or kicked by the boys, who stood in a circle, the win- ner being the boy who caught the ball the greatest number of times. Another popular game was wrestling. If any boy wished to challenge another, he threw a handful of dust in his direction. Then a tussle began in real earnest. The older blacks took great interest in this sport, and gave all kinds of advice to the boys. A good wrestler was held in high esteem by the tribe, as he was able to hold his own when brought into a hand-to-hand conflict with an enemy. The boys were therefore en- couraged to practise this sport as often as possible. The younger children played a game something like our "hide-and-seek." A boy hid himself in the depths of the forest, and, when ready, whistled to the others, who then sought him, following the direction from which the sound had come. Another game in which they delighted was "digging the wombat." In this game a boy got 38 THE MAGIC into a hole, and the others attempted to dig him out. Judging by the laughter and chattering, the picaninnies enjoyed this game very much. Harry noticed that, while the youngsters were enjoying themselves, several blacks had gathered about a high tree, towards which the lubras were carrying firewood; so he left the youngsters to enjoy their game, and walked across to see what was happening at the foot of the big tree. CHAPTER VIII. THE COMING-OF-AGE CEREMONY. When Harry reached the party of blacks who had gathered at the foot of the big gum-tree, he saw that they were stacking brushwood around the butt. Presently one of the Koradgee men applied a fire-stick to the tinder, and in a few minutes the butt of the tree was ablaze. Before long it was a charred, blackened mass. Harry thought it a pity to spoil so fine a tree; so he sought out Quandini, in order to ask the reason. "Ah, baas," said the black, "him one younga blackpfeller pucka (die). This tree belonga him moa (dead man) so we makit bikya (fire) around him tainya (tree), then tainya belonga him al- ways." From this speech of the black, Harry gathered that the tree was being charred as a THE COMING-OF-AOE CEREMONY 39 monument to the dead member of the tribe. It had been his tree while he was alive, and now that he was dead, the tree was being killed also, in memory of the dead man. Quandini also told the lad that, when a boy reached the age of fifteen years, he was admitted as a full member of the tribe. Before he was taken as a member, however, he had to go through a trial, and prove that he could bear pain without flinching. He was taken by the Koradgee men into the depths of the forest, where his two front teeth, in the upper jaw, were knocked out. These teeth were then brought back into the camp, and handed over to the mother (kama) of the youth, who selected a high tree, among the topmost branches of which the teeth were safely hidden. This tree was then said to belong to the young warrior, though he himself did not know where his teeth were hidden. That was a close secret, known only to his parents and the Koradgee men. If the son (yaka) died, the tree which held his front teeth was killed by fire, and its dead trunk left as a monument to the dead warrior. The coming-of-age ceremony, or Narra-mang, as it was called, was a form of religious service with the blacks, and no white man was allowed to witness it, unless he had been admitted to the tribe as a brother, and was held in favour by the old men. It so happened that there was to be a Narra-mang performed that evening, and as Harry Pascoe had been admitted as a brother of 40 THE MAGIC SPEAR the tribe and a corrobboree held in his honour, he was allowed to be present. The lads who were to be admitted to manhood, three in number, were led into the dense forest. Here, in the centre of a glassy glade, a circle was marked out on the ground, and a gunyah was built near it. A Koradgee, painted with pipeclay, and adorned with emu feathers, led the youths into the circle, while the other Koradgee men chanted these words: "Kannaka kanya, marra, marra, Karndo kanya, marra, marra, Pilberri kanya, marra, marra." The boys were then taken back to the gunyah, from which they were brought forth one at a time. As each took his place in the circle, a Koradgee stepped forward, armed with a stone tomahawk and a piece of wood shaped like a punch. The boy was ordered to lie on the ground ; then the Koradgee held the punch against his two upper front teeth, and with a blow of the toma- hawk knocked them out. When this operation, which, to say the least, must have been very pain- ful, had been performed, the lad was taken back to the gunyah, and another took his place in the circle. When all had been treated in the same manner, the Koradgee men took the newly-made members of the tribe into the gunyah, which was so closely woven that not even a beam of light could be seen from the outside. The rest of the war- THE COMiNG-OF-AQE CEREM6MY 41 riors sat about on the grass. They were silent, and Harry noticed that they looked in the direc- tion of the camp, as though expecting somebody. Soon a wild chanting was heard in the forest; it gradually came nearer, and a party of lubras came into the glade, each carrying a lighted pine torch. They marched round the gunyah, chanting a weird strain in honour of the newly-made mem- bers of the tribe. Harry did not understand a word of this song, but he learned afterwards that it meant: * " 'Tis now that you are ill ; But soon will grow your beard, And on the magic musk-duck You with the men shall feed." The three Koradgee men now came from the hut, each bearing the front teeth of one of the three lads. These they handed to the mothers of the youth and the women, accompanied by one of the Koradgees, went away to hide the teeth in the forest, as has already been told. According to the custom of the black race, the youths who have been newly admitted to the ranks of the warriors are compelled to stay in the forest for the period of one moon. They are hidden from the sight of all but the Koradgee men. Should they chance to be seen by a woman during that period, they would, according to Quandini, be stricken with instant death, for Pund-jel is very angry if the law is not strictly obeyed. 42 THE MAGIC SPEAR When the month is over, the youths return to the camp, and take their places among the men around the camp-fire. They are then treated as full members of the tribe, and are allowed to eat the flesh of my-loa (the black swan) ; joh-gah (the musk-duck) ; also the fat of the emu. Harry Pascoe was not sorry when the man- making scene was over. He shuddered as he watched the dentists at work, but the youths did not murmur; they bore the fearful pain bravely, for it was an important day in their lives, when their powers of endurance were being tested, and it was considered unmanly to show fear or to cry out. As the party returned to the camp, Harry thought of all he had seen, and thanked his lucky stars that he was a white lad, who had to pass through no such trying ordeal upon coming of age. As he lay awake that night, he thought of his home and the anxiety of his people. He knew that his uncle would be searching for him, and that his aunt would perhaps be mourning him as dead. "Poor Auntie!" said Harry to himself. "If she only knew that I was in no danger, I wouldn't care a scrap." He tossed about for a long time, and at last dropped off to sleep; but his rest was disturbed by a fearful nightmare. There before him stood his Uncle Jim, armed with a big axe and a mighty pair of pincers, ready to extract all his front teeth, A DAY WITH THE HUNTERS 43 while all around him lurked little demons, who laughed and jeered at him in a horrible manner. His uncle raised his arm, ready to strike, when ah, joy ! He awoke, to find that day was break- ing, and that the fearful laughter was not made by demons, but by a flock of kookaburras perched on a gum-tree overhead. CHAPTER IX. A DAY WITH THE HUNTERS. Harry jumped up, glad to see the daylight, and to escape from the horrors of the nightmare. He found the camp in a state of bustle and hurry; and, on asking the reason, was told by Quandini that the men were going on a hunting expedition. Harry heard this news with pleasure, as he was hoping to learn something as he watched the blacks at work tracking and hunting game. He had already had one lesson, amusing as well as instructive, which showed him that the blacks can hold their own, even with so cunning a bird as the crow. On the previous day a flock of crows had been cawing noisily among the trees. Now the crow's flesh is considered by the blacks to be a special dainty, whether his song is sweet or not ; and one black, Tomboko by name, when he saw the crows in the trees and heard their harsh notes, felt that there was nothing he desired so much $s a 4-4 THE MAGIC SPEAR meal of crow's flesh. He set to work in a novel way to procure that dainty fare. Holding a piece of fish in his hand, he stretched himself upon a rock, as if asleep in the sun. One of the crows, seeing the piece of fish and not observing any movement on the part of the native, at once pounced down upon the fish, and was caught in an instant by the wily black, who, after killing it and cooking it over the fire, settled down to a meal which, for pure enjoyment, might have been envied by anyone. After an early breakfast, the hunters set out. They were well prepared ; their spears were sharp ; their boomerangs and axes were thrust into their opossum-skin belts; while each man had a bag, woven from bark-fibre, thrown over his shoulder. Quandini told Harry that he and Tomboko were going after a mob of kangaroos, whose tracks they had discovered not far from the camp; so Harry followed them as they crept silently through the bush. Soon they caught sight of a mob of kangaroos feeding in a grassy glade. Taking note of the direction of the wind, the two blacks separated. Quandini remained where he was, while Tomboko crept off through the under- growth, so as to come up on the other side of their quarry, against the wind. Kangaroos are very keen of scent and hearing, so that, unless this pre- caution is taken, it is a difficult matter to approach within spear-throwing distance. As the ground beyond the kangaroos was not A DAY WITH THE HUNTERS 45 well timbered, Tomboko had made himself a screen of bushes, behind which he crept steadily nearer to his prey. Meanwhile Quandini, who remained CATCHING KANGAROOS hidden from view, began to make slight noises by breaking twigs, in order to attract the atten- tion of the kangaroos in his direction, and 46 THE MAGIC SPEAR gave his mate a chance to creep upon them unseen. Suddenly Tomboko dropped his leafy screen, and, running forward, hurled his spear with all his force. His aim was true, for a fine kangaroo fell, pierced through the heart. The rest of the mob, alarmed by the suddenness of the attack, dashed off like the wind. Having secured their prize, the blacks prepared to follow the mob, and after half an hour's tramp, saw them in the distance, feeding on a patch of plain country. As there was no cover within two hundred yards of the mob, there was not much hope of creeping upon them, especially after the fright they had just received. Harry then offered to shoot one of the kangaroos with his rifle. He lay on the ground, and after taking careful aim, fired. There was a flash and report; then a fine young buck leaped into the air, and fell back, dead. At the sound of the shot Tomboko, who had been watching Harry intently, fell to the ground in terror, and lay there writhing and jabbering in his own language, which the lad did not under- stand. "Why, what's the matter with your mate?" asked Harry, of Quandini. "Baas, him tinkit your gun one debbil-stick," answered the black. "Him say 'no kill poor Tom- boko with thunder and lightning/ " "Oh, I won't hurt him," laughed Harry. "Tell him to go and get the kyemery" (kangaroo), A DAY WITH THE HUNTERS 4? CLIMBING TREES AFTER OPOSSUMS 48 THE MAGIC SPEAR During the morning the lad shot several kan- garoos, and the blacks were delighted with the plentiful supply of meat which he had secured so easily with his "thunder-stick." As they were returning to the camp, Harry saw a couple of blacks climbing trees after opossums, which during the day were lying asleep inside hollow tree-trunks. Before climbing a tree, the blacks carefully examined the bark for signs of 'possum. They breathed on the bark, in order to detect the presence of hairs or grains of sand; they looked for the faintest scratches on the sur- face. If they found traces of 'possum, they climbed the tree. First, a black cut a notch in the trunk, about four feet from the ground. Putting his big toe into this hollow, he drew himself up; then, holding on tightly, he cut another notch. In this way he climbed up to the place where a branch had broken off. Then, hav- ing found the 'possum, he soon got him out by cutting a hole in the tree-trunk. As he watched these men, Harry realized why the old blacks had taken such pains in teaching the boys the science of hunting. No sign was unim- portant in their eyes; they neglected nothing, however small it might appear. It was this thorough attention to detail that made the blacks such wonderful hunters. While Harry was watching the 'possum hunters, lie saw a black rushing towards him through the forest, as though he had suddenly gone mad. But A DAY WITH THE HUNTERS 49 the black was not mad ; he was engaged in nothing more dangerous than gathering honey. The native way of finding a hive was rather clever. Having caught a wild bee which is little bigger than the ordinary house-fly the native stuck a bit of white down or feather to its body, and gave it its freedom. Then he watched the direction of its flight, and rushed after it like a madman, stum- bling over rocks and roots, but never for an instant losing sight of the bee. In this way he found the tree in which the hive was hidden, and was well paid for his trouble. Though not so firm as garden honey, the wild variety has a very fine flavour, and is much prized by the blacks. Another thing that interested Harry very much was the way in which a black stalked a wild tur- key. He carried a snare made from a long stick like a fishing rod, and provided at the small end with the skin and feathers of a little bird. There was also a running noose, the end of which was held in the hand of the black. Hidden behind a leafy screen, and waving his decoy to and fro, the man slowly approached the turkey, the attention of which was soon caught by the fluttering wings of the little bird on the stick. When near enough the black slipped his noose over the turkey's head and, bearing his prize in triumph, returned to the camp. While the men were hunting, the lubras had not been idle, but had been engaged in digging for yams and truffles. These fungi, which grow under 50 THE MAGIC SPEAR the surface of the ground, are regarded by the blacks as a great treat. When cut open they have the appearance of unbaked loaves of brown bread. Sometimes they grow to a great size; the lubras found one that was at least fifty pounds in weight. Another kind of food collected was the leaves of the "pig-face." These thick, pulpy leaves werr gathered either before the tips had turned red, or after they had quite dried up. As it was by this time well past mid-day, Harry was very glad when "luncheon was served." He made a hearty meal of kangaroo steak, roasted truffles, and yams ; which he found very much to his taste. After lunch he went for a walk by the lake, where a band of blacks had gone fish- ing, also snaring wild-fowl. Here he found much to interest him, and the afternoon slipped by all too soon. CHAPTER X. ON THE LAKE. As Harry reached the lake, the blacks launched their large bark canoe, which he had seen them strip from the tree on the previous day. They made signs to him to take a seat; then they paddled out to the middle of the lake. Harry was charmed with the beautiful sight. The water was fringed with rushes and reeds, ON THE LAKE 51 CATCHING WILP DUCK 52 THE MAGIC SPEAR while the sloping banks were hedged with green trees and undergrowth. Scores of wildfowl were dotted here and there on the surface of the water, while many more were wading among the reeds in search of food. The lad was greatly interested in the method employed by the blacks in catching ducks. A net, about fifty yards in length, was stretched across the lagoon, and held by two natives so that the lower edge was about four feet above the surface of the water. Two other blacks then went along opposite shores for some distance and, moving slowly and cautiously, so as not to frighten the birds into rising, they succeeded in driving them close to the net. When he judged them to be near enough, one of the blacks drew a piece of bark from his belt. This was cut in the shape of a hawk. Watching his chance he hurled the bark hawk amongst the ducks, at the same time making a cry like that of a hawk. The ducks, hearing this cry, dipped under the surface, and at the same moment the two blacks allowed the net to fall, and several ducks were caught in its folds. The canoe was then paddled across the lake towards a large bed of reeds, near which many ducks were swimming about. When they were as near as they could go without alarming the birds, one of the blacks slipped into the water, earrying a hollow reed in his hand. Swimming under water, and breathing through the reed, he approached the ducks without noise. Reaching ON THE LAKE 53 up his hand, he seized a duck by the feet, and pulled it under quickly to prevent splashing. Having wrung its neck, he thrust it into his belt. In this way he captured six ducks, with which he proudly returned to the canoe. The blacks were expert swimmers and divers, and seemed to be as much at home in the water as on dry land. Some of them could remain under water for as long as two minutes without coming up for breath in fact, one of them stayed under for so long that Harry began to fear that the poor fellow had been caught among the reeds or snags; but he reappeared after a while, and seemed none the worse for his long stay under water. Among the reeds were several fine pelicans, with bills almost as large as their bodies. They waddled about in the mud, searching for yabbies and frogs. Harry pointed them out to Quandini, and asked why the blacks did not hunt them as they did swans and ducks. "Ah, baas," said Quandini, "him pelican that pfeller. He no lubbit blackpfeller. Listen, baas, mine tellit you story. Long time before, many moons six, ten, plenty much," and Quandini rolled his eyes, as if to convey by these words that it was a very long time ago "there bin plenty big flood. Water cover ground everywhere; all blackpfeller him drown; only one man, three lubras left. They libbit on mud-bank, baag, ir middle of water. Then him pelican come in canoe. 54 THE MAGIC SPEAR When he see people, he go helpit them. He see one lubra, and wantit her for him lubra. When she try to get in canoe, him pelican say 'not now, you waitit next time.' "So he takit the others, and say he come back for lubra. While him gone, lubra left alone, gettit much frighten, baas; so she wrappit up log of wood in 'possum rug, makit log look like lubra bin sleep; then she swimmit away. "When pelican come back he say to log, 'Come on now, mine takit you.' But he gettit no answer. Then he gettit wild, and gibbit kick to log; makit him toe sore. When he findit out that lubra gone, he gettit mad. He paint himself white, to look out fight with blackpfeller. "When him half painted, black and white, one more pfeller pelican comit along and see funny black and white pfeller pelican. Then he gibbit a hit with him beak, and killit painted pelican. Be- fore that, baas, pelican black all ober; now he black and white like you see." Harry was delighted with this story. He had often heard his uncle speak of the quaint legends of the natives, and now he was learning some of them for himself. He realized from Quandini's story that even the blacks had some idea of a great deluge, in which the world was drowned, and thought to himself that he would be able to surprise his uncle, when he told him all the things he had seen and heard. Soon after this the canoe was paddled inshore, ON THE LAKE 55 and, stepping out, Harry strolled along the water's edge. At that moment a flock of galahs came cir- cling over the lake, their beautiful rose-tinted plumage glowing as they wheeled in the sunlight. As the birds approached the shore, one of the natives took a boomerang from his belt and stood ready for action. Suddenly he darted forward and hurled his weapon. It skimmed over the surface of the water; then rose with a peculiar zig-zag motion which completely puzzled the birds. Right amongst them flew the boomerang, dealing death as it went. Three galahs fell to the water; two dead, the third with a broken wing. Taking the wounded bird, the black fastened it to a tree to act as a decoy. Its cries soon had the desired effect; for the birds, hearing the call of their wounded mate, circled over the lagoon again and again, with the result that, in a little while, the hunter had captured more than a dozen birds. Next, Harry visited the fishermen, who were at work at the lower end of the lake. The King, Yang-uia, was an expert at spearing fish. As he stood upon a log overlooking the water, his three- pronged fishing spear poised in his hand, he looked like a figure carved in ebony, so motionless was he. Suddenly the figure awoke to life as a fine perch rose to snap at a fly. There was a quick thrust of the spear, and in a twinkling the fish lay struggling on the grass. Two or three men were engaged in netting fish a short distance away. Each was armed with a 56 THE MAGIC SPEAR net, semi-oval in shape, about twenty inches long and seven inches deep. These nets were kept ir shape by a wooden hoop at the top. The native? SPEARING FISH dived to the bottom of the lake, searching among the weeds for fish. As soon as he located one, the black gently pushed his net under the fish: then, rising suddenly, he held his victim at arm's length above his head. Having bitten the fish's THE KORADGEE'S MAGIC 57 head to kill it, he threw it on the shore, and dived again. The natives were very skilful at this kind of work, and it was an interesting sight to watch several men diving together in a friendly contest to see who could secure the finest fish. Meanwhile, the scared fish swam wildly about, seeking shelter in the mud and weeds, where they only succeeded in becoming an easier prey to the clever fisher- men. As Harry watched the different parties at work, he realized that, after all, he knew very little about bushcraft, and his respect for the blacks rose considerably. CHAPTER XI. THE KORADGEE'S MAGIC. It was Hippy-Yhuko (sunset) when the party of fishermen returned to camp, where a variety of smells announced the fact that the lubras were busy over the fires. There was to be a feast that evening, for both the hunters and fishermen had been successful and there was plenty of food. Plenty was needed, too, for it was surprising to see the amount of meat which a hungry black could dispose of at a sitting. When the blacks saw the kangaroos which Harry Pascoe had shot, they were loud in his praises, and his magic fire- stick was the object of much attention. Harry 58 THE MAGIC SPEAR took care to unload the rifle, as he did not wish to see anyone injured while examining the won- derful stick which could make thunder and light- ning, and kill kangaroos so easily. Just as the feast was about to begin, a man was seen tottering towards the camp as though badly wounded. This was Toolabor, one of the tribe, who had been hunting during the day. He appeared to be very weak, though Harry could not see any marks on him. The poor fellow told his story with difficulty. He said that, while re- turning to the camp, he had been pounced upon by a bad uri-uri (spirit) who had held him fast, and, opening up his back, had robbed him of his kidney-fat. When one of the blacks becomes ill or dies, his friends believe that he has been bewitched. Some- one is therefore to blame, and the death of a rela- tive must be avenged. When wounded in battle, a black will bear great pain without a murmur. He understands his condition then ; he has fought and has been wounded by an enemy. But when sickness comes and there are many causes, such as hunger, or over-eating, or drinking bad water then he thinks that he has been bewitched, and that some wizard or spirit is trying to take his life. Thus it was that Toolabor, feeling ill, had come into camp, firmly believing that he had been set upon by a wild spirit, who had stolen his kidney-fat. Harry could see from the looks of fear on their THE KORADGEE'S MAGIC 59 faces that this was looked upon as a very serious case by the tribe. The men at once seated them- selves around their sick comrade, forming a three- fold circle with the old men in the centre; next came the middle-aged warriors, while the younger men occupied the outer circle. Orders were given for silence to be kept, and everybody was told to tread very softly, so that no breaking of branches or twigs should be heard by the bewitched man. About three paces from the sick man a small fire of bark had been made. No flame was allowed, but only a smouldering, smoky fire. From this fire, smoking pieces of bark were laid, at intervals of about one hundred yards, in the direction of the place where Toolabor had been bewitched. When all these preparations had been made, Kooloorlook, the chief Koradgee man, appeared on the scene. This wizard, or doctor, professed to have great powers. He claimed to be able to fly through the air as fast as an eagle ; he could also leave the earth and visit the abode of spirits when- ever he wished. In fact, if one believed his own account, he was quite a wonderful person; and, strange to say, he was able to convince all the other blacks that he was a wonder, too. These wizards are great imposters. They claim to know all things. They can not only cure, but also cause, disease by means of their charms. They pretend to draw stones, such as pieces of quartz crystal, out of the bodies of persons who are said to be bewitched, and in this way they cure the 60 THE MAGIC SPEAR evil, or claim to do so, and win great respect from the other blacks. They are lazy, and seldom hunt or fish for a living or do any kind of work, for that matter. Their trade is to deceive the rest of the tribe. They wander about at night, when the other blacks are in their gunyahs, and make fearful noises, in order to terrify them. They sleep in the daytime, while the rest of the tribe are at work. By means of their cunning they are able to deceive their fellows, and at the same time live very comfortably on the profits of their power over them. Kooloorlook advanced to the inner circle, and looked at poor Toolabor. Then he said that he must make a flight over the tree-tops to the sky, in order to bring back the stolen kidney-fat. After commanding the whole party to sit quite still, he went off into the darkness, while the rest of the blacks sat motionless, as they feared that any movement on their part would bring about the instant death of the bewitched man. Soon a great crackling of bushes announced the fact that the old wizard was winging his way above the tree-tops. Then Kooloorlook's voice was heard, shouting "Goo, goo, goo," a great way off. "Goo, goo, goo," answered the elders, who were seated close to the sick man. Kooloorlook did not at once find the evil spirit, so he was compelled to make quite a long trip through the sky. After about twenty minutes, THE KORADGEE'S MAGIC 61 the rustling of branches announced his return. The old men then called in their language: "Come, bring back the fat! Make haste!" Kooloorlook soon appeared, and without utter- ing a sound, seized the almost dying man in a savage manner, rubbing him violently and beating him on the sides and back with all his force. After a few minutes of this treatment, he jumped up. and announced that the cure was complete. Great was the joy in the camp, where a short time be- fore had been silence and grief. Then, to Harry's astonishment, the sick man got up, quite well again, and took his place amongst his friends by the fire, quite at his ease. Quandini told Harry that Kooloorlook had flown as a hawk, swooped down on the spirit of the wild black, and taken the kidney-fat before the spirit knew that the wizard was near him. Had he been one minute later, the wild spirit would have eaten part of the fat. "Den, baas," said Quandini, "him Toolabor bin die; no save him. He havit no kidney fat." "But how did the old wizard fly up to the sky?" asked Harry. "Nobody saw him do it, you know. Besides, he brought nothing back with him." "Baas," said Quandini, in a serious tone, "you bin see him Toolabor sick, lostit kidney fat. Koo- loorlook him come to him. He go away, then he comit back, gibbit kidney fat to Toolabor, he get better. He sick ; he get better. That sure proof, baas." 62 THE MAGIC SPEAR Yong-wida (the moon) had risen over the tree- tops and bathed the camp in her silver light, be- fore the tribe settled down again to the feast. The meal was in full swing when there arose a great barking of dogs, which announced the arrival of strangers. Then a black lad came run- ning to the fire, shouting something, which Quan- dini explained to Harry thus : "White pfeller him come; kee-gap, pullet, big heap plenty." (One, two, very many). At this news Harry jumped up, and ran to meet the newcomers, for he knew that his own people had found him, and that his stay with his dusky friends was at an end. CHAPTER XII. CONCLUSION. When Harry's horse had bolted from the camp by the creek, it had made its way back to the homestead. It must have travelled all night, for when Mr. Pascoe arose next morning, he was sur- prised to see the animal standing there at the slip- rails. He at once called Sam Treloar, and pre- pared to go in search of Harry, who was, more than likely, lying wounded by the roadside. Sam Treloar at once rode off to the homestead of John Harris, their nearest neighbour on the river, with the news of Harry's accident. The news soon spread, and before long there was a party CONCLUSION 63 of horsemen assembled at the farm, ready to go in search of the missing lad. They knew the direction in which he had gone, and soon found the tracks of his horse; but these were hard to follow, as they were two days old; besides, there had been a shower of rain in the meantime. Just before sundown they came to the place where Harry had camped beside the creek, on the night he had left home. They knew that they were on the right track then, and decided to camp at the spot for the night, and to scour the bush next day for signs of the missing lad. During the next afternoon they found the place from which Harry's horse had bolted, and decided to separate, in the hope of picking up the lad's tracks. Soon they heard a shout from the direc- tion of the creek. It was Sam Treloar, who, in following the course of the stream, had come across the prints of Harry's boots in the soft mud. This showed that the lad had travelled down- stream, so the party followed the creek till they came to the waterfall at the head of the lagoon. Here they lost all traces of the lad; and, as it was sunset, they decided to camp, and in the morn- ing to divide their party and search both sides of the lake. Just then one of the party gave a shout, and pointed to the far end of the lake, where a thin column of smoke could be seen curling above the tree-tops. The party at once pressed forward, and soon caught sight of the camp-fire. Their ap- proach was soon made known by the native dogs, 64 THE MAGIC SPEAR and the shouts of the young blacks. You may imagine their joy when they found Harry, alive and well. Mr. Pascoe was most grateful to the natives for their kind treatment of his nephew, and pro- mised that, when he reached home, he would do something practical to show his gratitude. The rescue party sat about the fire till a late hour, listening to Harry's story; then they "turned in," as they wished to ride away early. In the morning Harry said farewell to his coloured friends, and set out for his home. He was received with open arms by his aunt, also by Mary, the kitchen maid, who looked upon Harry as a hero. What stories he told them, as they sat around the fire in the comfortable farm kitchen ! Mr. Pascoe did not forget his promise. He and Harry returned to the camp, their pack-horses laden with those things which blackfellows love bright steel axes, knives, red cloth and beads; but best of all in the eyes of the chief, at any .rate was a brass plate, in the form of a half-moon, on which was rudely engraved : To Yang-Uia, the Left-Handed, As a token of gratitude, from J.P. THE END. MUSIC BOOKS FOR AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN a n n Songs of the Bush for Children Twelve Delightful Songs written and composed By ISOBEL LANGLANDS With many Charming Illustrations FIVE SHILLINGS "The Songs are very simple, and should prove captivating to the young mind. The publica- tion is attractive in every way." Melbourne "Age." a n n s, The New First Pianoforte Teacher MUSIC A JOY By DORATHEA MACMASTER Fifteen Practical Pianoforte Lessons for the Beginner. The title reveals the secret of success. Practice will be performed with keen interest and every lesson will prove a delight. an n EDWARD A. VIDLER, PUBLISHER, MELBOURNE AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL WORK Prescribed by the Education Department of Victoria nun Teaching Number To Junior Classes By FANNY M. HAMBLETON, T.T.O, LT.C. Late of Glenferrie Observation and Practising School ODD The authoress, after many years of teaching and observing in Australian schools, has endeav- oured to show in this work a proved method whereby the child is able to deduce principles and become a factor in his or her own develop- ment. ana With. Tables and Diagrams CLOTH FIVE SHILLINGS a a a EDWARD A. VIDLER, PUBLISHER, MELBOURNE W. A. BUMF, 205-217 Peel Si.. Nth. Melbourne. N.I.