The Sudden Report Of Jack's Carbine, Which Occasioned A Momentary Halt, And
The Few Seconds Required To Burst Through The
Scrub, afforded sufficient
time for the male portion of the encampment to make their escape at speed,
in different directions,
Some taking to the water, where they were picked
up by the fishermen in the canoes; others diving into the nearest cover,
and being lost to sight without hope of recovery. The women and children
followed the tactics usual on such occasions, and flung themselves into a
heap, similar in colour and contour to that described in a previous
chapter, when we searched the Herbert River. The same thing took place
again exactly; we sat down in a circle round them, waiting for the
deafening "yabbering" to die away, which "yabbering" burst forth in all its
pristine discord, whenever one of the party made the slightest movement.
Time and patience, however, had the desired effect, restoring tone to their
not over sensitive systems, and at the expiration of half an hour, we could
distinguish sharp, bead-like black eyes peering at us out of the mass,
which had now sunk into silence, but burst out again louder than ever, when
Lizzie made her appearance from one of the gunyahs - perhaps the paternal
roof, who knows? - where she had retired, swelling with indignation, and
as sulky as a whole team of mules. Finding that no one took any notice of
her, and half an hour's reflection having, I suppose, convinced her, that
if she wanted to make a display before her relations, now was the time, her
ladyship came slowly up to the circle, and commenced an attack on poor
Dunmore, as she knew him best.
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