Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 14, 1903.djvu/380

 344 Morgan worked. Jimmy becoming tired of Gilly's constant refusal to live with himi, got another woman, as he, being an elderly man, was not strong enough to fight Morgan. He obtained quite a child-wife, but gave Gilly to Daylight. She, however, would not go to him, so one night during last week Daylight, Duncan, and Jimmy forcibly stole Gilly. Hence the fight yesterday, when Morgan and Duncan fought for possession of the woman. It ended in the defeat of Morgan, so the woman now belongs to Duncan; Daylight and Jimmy having again fallen out over her. The fight was with kylies, at which Duncan is an adept, and such a graceful thrower, whilst Morgan, who comes from another country where spear-throwing is the mode of warfare, was no good, and was caught and cut in the leg at the third throw of the kylie. Much was said, and one could see he wanted to finish with the spear, but Duncan refused, and walked away, being declared the victor. Had they fought to the death, and had Morgan won, he being from a cannibal tribe would have taken portions of the body and eaten them. The scene was most picturesque. A clearing in the bush at the back of our house was where the fight took place. We went early, Kelly being our guide. In the distance at either side we could hear shouts, and after a little while the black forms of the natives appeared, coming through the scrub, all carrying spears, woomeras, shields, kylies, &c. The friends of Morgan, who were all in full war-paint, ranged themselves on one side, those of Duncan on the other; the women followed with spare kylies and squatted down about midway. We were directed to a place near by to watch the proceedings, where we were out of danger. By-and-by the seconds (I suppose you might call them) directed the principals to get up, and fighting commenced, the men standing about thirty yards apart. Morgan had first throw, but his kylie struck the ground three or four yards in front of Duncan, and flew over his head each time; whilst Duncan's rose within a