“In their language a canoe or any ship is ‘woolgoora;’ water, ‘doongalla.’
“They believe that the moon is a human being like themselves; that one tribe throws it up, and it rises, and then comes down again, when another tribe catches it to prevent its hurting itself. Falling stars mean danger or something extraordinary, in the direction in which they fall. They declare that some fell over the sea just before Tim and I landed; we didn’t see them, however. An eclipse frightens them terribly, and they cower down and mumble grass till it is over.”
Much more to the same effect wrote Mat, and to his jottings copious notes were added by Tim. These dilapidated books, the margins of which were covered with their pencilled notes, they preserved with the most jealous care; noting also the seasons as they passed, and the hot Christmas time.
Nothing very eventful had, so far, happened to them; the same routine of hunting and fishing every day, varied by an occasional tramp to the beach, partly to collect crabs and shell-fish, but more particularly to look out for any passing vessel; and though more than one was seen during these years, they always proved to be far beyond any signalizing by smoke.
And what was Jumper doing all this time? Though beyond the middle age of dog life, he was as fleet and strong as ever; the only ailment he suffered from was a slight deafness, which first became apparent after his long swim from the wreck. He had long got over his dislike to the natives, though suspicious of any belonging to other tribes. He proved of great use in running down wounded kangaroos and wallaby, but more especially did he distinguish himself when the great nets were set and the hunters drove the game into them; then the dog was in his glory, helping, as he had before done at home when cattle had to be driven in a certain direction. He was a great favourite with the Waigonda tribe, and the dingoes, or half-wild dogs, belonging to the camp, treated him with the greatest respect.
CHAPTER VIII.
Gold—Hostile natives—Flight by night—The great battle—Clubs—Fists—New Forest wrestling—“Old Joe.”
Though our foresters were looked upon and treated as brothers by the Waigonda tribe, signs were not wanting to show that some of the neighbouring blacks, who had been present at the Boorah, were envious of their position, and of the goods which they possessed, and an incident happened before long to prove this in an unpleasant way.
The brothers had gone on a distant hunting expedition by themselves; they eventually reached a country of dry gullies which they knew of old. Resting after their long march, Tim happened to scrape in the sand for water under the roots of a tree, when he suddenly called to his brother with a startled exclamation.
“What’s up?” answered Mat, running up, thinking he had been bitten by a snake.