The native whom Mat had thrown so heavily was found moaning near a water-hole, to which he had dragged himself, his spine being injured.
As soon as he was discovered, he was brought up by the Waigondas to be butchered by Mat, as they said that they had reserved that honour for him; but on being told that white men were not such cowards as to kill a helpless prisoner, one of the natives jumped up and said that he would willingly club him then and there.
The brothers insisted that the life of the prisoner should be spared, but it was not until Mat threatened them with the gun if they attempted to carry out their threat, that they agreed to spare the life of their enemy for the present.
Shortly afterwards he was brought up before a council of the elders, who told him that he was not to be killed because the white men so wished it, that that being the case he should be cared for until he recovered, when he was to go back to the remnant of his tribe, and to tell them and certain other tribes that the first time they molested man, woman, or child of the Waigondas, the white men would at once come and crush the whole lot by thunder.
The effect of this speech was to cause the prisoner to tremble violently, for when lying helpless in the grass he had been a witness of the death of Dromoora’s assailants, and, as he acknowledged, had nearly then and there died of fright at the reports of the weapon, and the result of the discharges.
Our foresters tended the man carefully, as the Waigondas would have nothing to say to him, yet the Tingura man never showed the slightest sign of gratitude for this conduct, but scowled, at Mat more especially, to the last, and at length departed, cured, but with a look of hatred in his eyes.
As soon as he was sufficiently recovered, Dromoora sent for the brothers, having heard that they wished to get rid of their war-paint. When they appeared before him, he thus addressed them,—
“Two such brave men, who have saved our tribe, must be made chiefs, and for this ceremony join in a ‘Corroboree’ of triumph as well.”
Mat and his brother, who hated this everlasting foolery, as they termed a “Corroboree,” begged to be excused from taking part in it, on account of their bodies being so bruised and stiff from the effects of the late strife, and for the same reason requested that the ceremony of making them chiefs might be deferred.
The chief said there was reason in their request, and continued,—