d better adopt to
elude the black fellows, for well they knew that should they ever meet
any of them again they would be killed without mercy. And as they
talked they satisfied their hunger by eating some of the emu flesh.

After a while the black fellows returned, and soon was the stone
removed from the entrance. Some of them crept into the hole, where, to
their surprise, they found only the remains of the emu and no trace of
the Weeoombeens. As those who had gone in first crept out and told of
the disappearance of the Weeoombeens, others, incredulous of such a
story, crept in to find it confirmed. They searched round for tracks;
seeing that their spears were all in the emu it seemed to them probable
the Weeoombeens had escaped alive, but if so, whither they had gone
their tracks would show. But search as they would no tracks could they
find. All they could see were two little birds which sat on a bush near
the hole, watching the black fellows all the time. The little birds
flew round the hole sometimes, but never away, always returning to
their bush and seeming to be discussing the whole affair; but what they
said the black fellows could not understand. But as time went on and no
sign was ever found of the Weeoombeens, the black fellows became sure
that the brothers had turned into the little white-throated birds which
had sat on the bush by the hole, so, they supposed, to escape their
vengeance. And ever afterwards the little white-throats were called
Weeoombeens. And the memory of Piggiebillah is perpetuated by a sort of
porcupine ant-eater, which bears his name, and whose skin is covered
closely with miniature spears sticking all over it.

7. BOOTOOLGAH THE CRANE AND GOONUR THE KANGAROO RAT, THE FIRE MAKERS

In the days when Bootoolgah, the crane, married Goonur, the kangaroo
rat, there was no fire in their country. They had to eat their food raw
or just dry it in the sun. One day when Bootoolgah was rubbing two
pieces of wood together, he saw a faint spark sent forth and then a
slight smoke. "Look," he said to Goonur, "see what comes when I rub
these pieces of wood together--smoke! Would it not be good if we could
make fire for ourselves with which to cook our food, so as not to have
to wait for the sun to dry it?"

Goonur looked, and, seeing the smoke, she said: "Great indeed would be
the day when we could make fire. Split your stick, Bootoolgah, and
place in the opening bark and grass that even one s