e bite;
the sun had grown low in the sky, and it seemed as if they would have to
go home empty-handed, not even with a basket of roots to show; when
the youth, who had baited his hook with raw meat, suddenly saw his line
disappear under the water. Something, a very heavy fish he supposed,
was pulling so hard that he could hardly keep his feet, and for a few
minutes it seemed either as if he must let go or be dragged into the
pool. He cried to his friends to help him, and at last, trembling with
fright at what they were going to see, they managed between them to land
on the bank a creature that was neither a calf nor a seal, but something
of both, with a long, broad tail. They looked at each other with horror,
cold shivers running down their spines; for though they had never beheld
it, there was not a man amongst them who did not know what it was--the
cub of the awful Bunyip!

All of a sudden the silence was broken by a low wail, answered by
another from the other side of the pool, as the mother rose up from her
den and came towards them, rage flashing from her horrible yellow eyes.
'Let it go! let it go!' whispered the young men to each other; but the
captor declared that he had caught it, and was going to keep it. 'He had
promised his sweetheart,' he said, 'that he would bring back enough meat
for her father's house to feast on for three days, and though they could
not eat the little Bunyip, her brothers and sisters should have it to
play with.' So, flinging his spear at the mother to keep her back, he
threw the little Bunyip on to his shoulders, and set out for the camp,
never heeding the poor mother's cries of distress.

By this time it was getting near sunset, and the plain was in shadow,
though the tops of the mountains were still quite bright. The youths had
all ceased to be afraid, when they were startled by a low rushing sound
behind them, and, looking round, saw that the pool was slowly rising,
and the spot where they had landed the Bunyip was quite covered. 'What
could it be?' they asked one of another; 'there was not a cloud in the
sky, yet the water had risen higher already than they had ever known it
do before.' For an instant they stood watching as if they were frozen,
then they turned and ran with all their might, the man with the Bunyip
running faster than all. When he reached a high peak over-looking all
the plain he stopped to take breath, and turned to see if he was safe
yet. Safe! why only the tops