played
about. After a little time Wirreenun went up first behind one black
fellow and then behind another, until at length he had been round them
all, and taken from the back of each one's head lumps of charcoal. When
he went up to each he appeared to suck the back or top of their heads,
and to draw out lumps of charcoal, which, as he sucked them out, he
spat into the water. When he had gone the round of all, he went out of
the water. But just as he got out a young man caught him up in his arms
and threw him back into the water. This happened several times, until
Wirreenun was shivering. That was the signal for all to leave the
creek. Wirreenun sent all the young people into a big bough shed, and
bade them all go to sleep. He and two old men and two old women stayed
outside. They loaded themselves with all their belongings piled up on
their backs, dayoorl stones and all, as if ready for a flitting. These
old people walked impatiently around the bough shed as if waiting a
signal to start somewhere. Soon a big black cloud appeared on the
horizon, first a single cloud, which, however, was soon followed by
others rising all round. They rose quickly until they all met just
overhead, forming a big black mass of clouds. As soon as this big,
heavy, rainladen looking cloud was stationary overhead, the old people
went into the bough shed and bade the young people wake up and come out
and look at the sky. When they were all roused Wirreenun told them to
lose no time, but to gather together all their possessions and hasten
to gain the shelter of the bark dardurr. Scarcely were they all in the
dardurrs and their spears well hidden when there sounded a terrific
clap of thunder, which was quickly followed by a regular cannonade,
lightning flashes shooting across the sky, followed by instantaneous
claps of deafening thunder. A sudden flash of lightning, which lit a
pathway, from heaven to earth, was followed by such a terrific clash
that the blacks thought their very camps were struck. But it was a tree
a little distance off. The blacks huddled together in their dardurrs,
frightened to move, the children crying with fear, and the dogs
crouching towards their owners.

"We shall be killed," shrieked the women. The men said nothing but
looked as frightened.

Only Wirreenun was fearless. "I will go out," he said, "and stop the
storm from hurting us. The lightning shall come no nearer."

So out in front of the dardurrs strode Wirreenun,