Louisiana capitolian., 1880-05-27
.me forth cut of The ends with Almighty


Epoi these strange warriors have como
to take our land. They will point their
weapons at us, we shall be deyoured by
fire as were the sea birds. When | saw
the birds fall dead, far beyond the reach
Of our ljghtest spear, terror seized me
and fled. Let the ancients OF tho
tribe now say how We shall meet this
terrible foe. Tho tale Of Windaru is
DONE"
Tho men of the tribe, old and young,
listened with wonder and fear to these
awe-strikiug tidings. In their faces
was visible the hopeless, withered look
common to men about to engage over
whelnlins odds. Winlaru pulled up his
spears, spoke a few words in Il low tone
to tho girl coiIed at lis fect,then walked
slowly towards bis mia mia. When
there he placed the spears erect at the
entrance and sat moodily before the
fire.
The girl followed him. Purceiving
that he did not attempt to address her,
she spoke in the soft, low gutturals of
the Epoi tongue: "Shall Oondilla bring
Windaru the bright honey or tho young
of the wood duck? Tho stones of the
oven are hot. lie has travelled far and
fast f; ho must be weary. II these strange
white beings arc strong. the brayost
warrior of the E,poi should eat and be
strong to fight with them"
The pleading tones and low, soft voice
had their effect. Wiudaru was at the
uext moon TO take OondillA to his mia
mia. Ho answered wcari!y: eff Oon-
dilla will bring the honey and the duck,
Wiudaru will eat and be strong" When
Oondilla wont for her share, the old
men wcru dividing the spoils. The
women were permitted to eat Of certain
portions of the kangaroo, young wood
duck, band;coots, opossllm and honey !;
the elders and hunters reserving to
themselves the hauncll of the kangaroo,
the emu, the black duck and isuanas.
OondilIa returned to Windaru laden
with honeycomb, plump young wood
duck and pieces cut from the fattest
emu. These latter slr placed in the
oven, covered with aromatic gum leaves,
heaped over with earth to retain the
heat. Windaru gazed on her sadly.
From time immemorial his primeval
people, when conquered, had forfeited
tho flower of their womankind to the
conQuerors he loved Oondilla as
few of his race had ever loved.
Sadness brooded in the air above the
camp. Instead Of tho gay, incessant
chatter of tho women and children, min
Cling with tbs deeper tones of the men,
there was q mournful hum as of dis
turbed hive of bees. The old women
kept up waili"g corroboree chant,
beating with feeble hands the rolled
opossum rugs between their knees. The
old men sat in council-the younger men
taking no part in the debate, but pass
| ing to and fro between their own fires
and where the grey-beards sat. Some
in an irrosolute mauner, flushed half,
made weapons or slarpened blunted
spears, hardening their points in the fire
As tho night wore on the encampment
became silent. The fires grew dim. But
the grey hunters and warriors taked
! on. 10.
On tho morning following the evil
tidiugs of Wipdarn the camp of the Epoi
was early astir, A.slent meal was made
from the Fragments of the evening feast
| As the sun appeared III the east twelve
greybeards Of the tribe, headed by Wor
augou, chief of the Epoi and father OF
Windaru, stalked into the open space
reserved in the centre of the camp
Worangou planted his weapon in the
ground, and stood beside it. Then eacl
of the eleven thrust his spear into the
earth, forming circle round their chief
every man standing beside his weapon
in the inside of the ring.
At signal from Worapgou, the mer
of the tribe drew near to hear the decl
sion of tho wise men in tbisnOyel danger
When all were present the chief spoke
"My children" he said, "you haye al
heard the tale of sorrow told by Win
daru. A floating island has approached
our shores, from which have landed mel
of different color, covered with skin!
of animals unknown to us, and bearing
in their hands weapons which destroy
with fire. How shall our spears sue
cessfulIy contend against warriors wh'
have but to mold forth an arm to destroy