Page:The Aborigines of Victoria and Riverina.djvu/119

114 poison the mangey mongrels, at the same time giving us many cautions about the galours, lest during the distribution of the baits, they should fall upon, and maltreat us, with their potent yamsticks.

Haying the terror of the yamsticks when wielded by irate galours brought thus vividly before us, ere making a start for the camp with the bag of poisoned baits, we provided ourselves with a gun for protection, not that we had any intention of using it on the angry old women, but we were quite aware that such a weapon in the hands of a white man, even if they knew it was unloaded, was more powerful to keep them in check than any other argument which could be adduced.

In due time we reached the camp, with a bag containing forty baits; at a glance the old dames knew that the bag held poison, therefore commenced incontinently to call their wirrangins (dogs) into the loondthals, thinking thereby to prevent us from having a chance to administer the baits, and when we told them, that we had come for the express purpose of killing their dogs because of the havoc made by them amongst the sheep, they actually laughed us to scorn in concert. In arguing the point with them, they did not give us a ghost of a chance; their concerted volubility being greater than any one man could pretend to cope with, even although backed up by the possession of a gun. We were nearly beginning to look upon our errand, as a very profitless undertaking indeed, when old Pinbocoroo crossed the lagoon upon which the camp was situated, and stalked majestically into the middle of the billingsgating galours. His opportune arrival upon the exciting scene, was hailed by us with