Page:The Aborigines of Victoria and Riverina.djvu/120

115 considerable pleasure, and the heated dark skinned dames also seemed to think his presence a fortunate occurrence, as they one and all, immediately began to pour forth their great grievance to him. He however soon brought matters to a very definite conclusion by commanding the oldest galour in the tribe (poor old Nip Nip), to take the baits from us, one at a time, and straightway give them to such dogs as we should point out. When the earnestness of what the old king said became apparent, the noise in the camp changed from angry clatter to direful woe, in the midst of which, not daring to refuse, old Nip Nip came meekly to us for the baits, which she administered as we desired. After concluding this very satisfactory piece of business we left the camp mid a shower of the most opprobrious anathemas that it was ever our fortune to have well hammered on our sorely tired tympanums.

For many weeks after this poisoning episode, the galour portion of the tribe grieved abundantly; mourning at morning and eventide over their canine companions; nothing could give them comfort for their loss, the much coveted tobacco even, failed to bring smiles of the faintest on their grief-worn features; some of them indeed went to the extent of cauterising their wrinkled bodies in the plentitude of their sorrow. For many years afterwards, this canine massacre was vividly remembered by the galour mind; even when wishing old Nip Nip a final good bye, and whilst her rheumy eyes were welling over with genuine tears, because of our departure, she could not help referring to the day of the dog slaughter, by the side of the lagoon.

In rough cold winter weather (which is the Australian