“Half valiant, yet half affrighted,
Arm’d with dark words recited,
March on they, eager for the fray,
Thirsting for their insatiate prey.
“O’er hill and dale they longing seek,
Through prickly scrub and winding creek;
Anxiously from the heights, review
The land of the Red Kangaroo.
“Suddenly, in a gulley deep,
Behold the creature fast asleep!
Each at each in mute wonder stare,
While sinking, almost, with despair.
“Kupirri moves his wondrous tail,
Their courage ’gan direct to fail!
His ears, immense, he wags about,
And opes, awide, his awful snout!
“He sleeps—shut are his dreadful eyes,
Nor heeds his daring enemies,
Who in right earnest now prepare,
To slaughter him as he lies there.
“Strike him with the blood of circumcision!
Strike him with the tuft of eagle feathers!
Strike him with the girdle—the paltando!
Strike him with the manga, the kundando!
“With mystic curse they imprecate!
More soundly sleeps the monster great!
Forth fly the deadly quiv’ring spears!
Kupirri only shakes his ears!
“Trying then the long uwinda:
Fearlessly the hunter, Inda,
Steps up, and gives a deadly thrust,
He sprawling, kicking, sends the dust!
“Now Pilla, bold, with strong wirri,
Batters, manfully, Kupirri,
Madden’d by pain he vainly tries
From his enchanted sleep to rise.
“Then they the blood-drench’d warpoo try,
Sneaking upon him, very sly;
Though standing by his panting side,
In vain they try to pierce his hide.