Adventures in Australia | Page 6

sounds were produced by natives we could have no doubt. We
quickly made Toby spring to his feet.
"What's all that noise about?" asked Guy.
"He-he-he, ho-ho-ho! dat corroborree," answered Toby who did not
appear, as we expected would be the case, at all astonished at the
uproar.

Bracewell at length awoke and confirmed what Toby had said, that the
savages were indulging in one of their native dances.
"I should like to go and see it," I exclaimed; "can we do so without risk
of being discovered?"
Taking Toby to guide us, while Bracewell remained in camp, we set
out. We were scarcely prepared for the strange and weird sight which
we saw as we looked over some low bushes we had just reached.
Before us was an open glade, beyond which the moon was rising
brightly. In the centre of the glade burned a fire. Seated on the ground
were a number of figures rattling sticks together. Suddenly there burst
forth out of the darkness a score of skeleton-like figures who threw
themselves into every possible attitude, now stretching out their legs,
now springing up and clapping their hands, and all the time shrieking,
laughing and singing, and following a big black fellow who acted as
fugleman and stood on one side with stick in hand to direct the
proceedings.
Not for a moment did they cease, though every now and then we might
have fancied that they had disappeared had we not distinguished their
black backs turned towards us. We watched until we grew weary of the
sight, but the dancers appeared in no way tired; and as we saw no
chance of their giving in, we retreated to our own camp, pretty well
tired out and assured that they would not molest us during the night.
CHAPTER TWO.
The night passed as Bracewell had predicted, without a visit from the
natives; and as he assured us that they were not at all likely to attack
four armed men in the day-time, we, being anxious to become better
acquainted with them, agreed before setting off to pay a visit to their
camp. They were sure indeed to find ours out; so that it would be as
well to show that we had no fear of them, and to gain their friendship.
On examining the birds we had cooked the previous evening we found
they had been nearly devoured by the white ants, a large nest of which
we discovered a short distance from the camp. We had therefore to look

out for some fresh provisions. Bracewell was a much better shot than
either of us; and, taking my gun, in a few minutes he killed a small
kangaroo which he found as it was about to spring out of the bush
where it had spent the night, scarcely a hundred yards from the camp.
Having skinned it in the most scientific fashion, the joints were put on
to roast. We had now an abundance for our noon-day meal; for, as the
animal was about four feet long, including the tail which was nearly
half its length, it afforded us a good supply of meat. We should have
preferred starting at day-break, but without food we none of us felt
inclined to commence our journey. Toby indeed gave us to understand
that he could not think of leaving while so much good meat remained
to be eaten. Having given him as much as we all three consumed, we
packed up the remainder in our saddle-bags and then--I insisting that
Bracewell should mount my horse while I walked--we set off for the
native village which we caught sight of a short distance to the north of
our camp. The inhabitants were lying about in front of it, evidently
enjoying the otium cum dignitate. The men mostly stretched on the
ground surrounded by their dogs, while the women were squatting
outside their leafy bowers. The huts, if so they can be called, were
placed in a semi-circle, and were formed by thick boughs stuck in the
ground joining at the top on which other boughs were lightly thrown.
They were scarcely more than four feet in height and might be
described rather as screens than huts, as their only object appeared to
be to keep off the wind from the inhabitants and the small fires which
burnt before them. On the outside were stuck their spears ready for
instant use. Except some pieces of opossum skin round their loins, the
men wore no garments, though several of them had fillets bound round
their brows. Two or three were smoking short clay pipes obtained from
shepherds or hut-keepers with whom they had come in contact. Several
of the men started up, and seizing their spears advanced as they saw us
approach, but the