She was lying on the ground under a huge gum tree. A fire of the dry twigs of the gum tree burned brightly, as a young black boy whom she had seen the night before fanned it with a huge fern leaf.
"Little Missa hungry," he said, smiling kindly down at her. "Kadok make eat. Be good little girl and lie still."
He took a hatchet which hung on the belt around his waist and quickly cut off a piece of bark from the gum tree, then took some flour from a bag and piled it on the bark. Water from the water-hole he dipped up with a leaf cup and mixed with the flour, baking it on the bark over the fire. Kadok then dipped fresh water from the water-hole, around which ferns grew as high as Jean's head, and turned over the ashes of the fire to roast in them a turkey's egg which he had found in the bracken.
"Now Missa eat," he said, giving Jean a piece of damper[9] and the egg, with a cup of water. "Little Missa not be afraid. Kadok take her to see Mother."
The boy's face was kind and Jean tried to smile at him in return, finding courage to say,
"Are you Kadok? How did I get here?"
"I am Kadok, yoia.[10] Black man found little Missa asleep by the corral. Want to show her to his woman who had no girl, all die. He take little Missa and mean to bring her back. Then white police ride and hunt. Black man scared, hide Missa, hide selves. Some black men say kill little Missa. Kadok say 'No.' His father chief, and chief say, 'Take back white Missa to mother.' So Kadok will take."
"Thank you, Kadok," said Jean simply, accepting all that he said. "How soon will I see my mother?"
"Don't know. Missa come long way on man's back. Must go back on two feet. Take days and nights. Not cry," he said as her face clouded. "Kadok take one good care of little Missa. Eat plenty meal, then we start walk."