y had visited the water-hole the
first night. Dot's little heart beat fast as the sound of the Blacks'
corroboree became clearer and clearer, and they neared the scene of the
dance. Soon she could hear the stamping of feet, the beating of weapons
together, and the wild chanting; and sometimes there were the whimpering
of dogs, and the cry of children at the camp a little distance from the
corroboree ground.

The Kangaroo showed no signs of fear at the increasing noise of the
Blacks, but every sound of a dog caused it to stop and twist about its
big ears and sensitive nose, as it sniffed and listened.

Soon Dot could see a great red glare of firelight through the trees
ahead of their track, and she knew that in that place the tribe of Black
men were having a festive dance.

If they had gone on their way it is possible that they would have
slipped past the Blacks without danger. But although the Kangaroo is as
timid an animal as any in the bush, it is also very curious, and Dot's
Kangaroo wished to peep at the corroboree. She whispered to Dot that it
would be nice for a little Human to see some other Humans after being so
long amongst bush creatures, and said, also, that there would be no
great danger in hopping to a rock that would command a view of the open
ground where the corroboree was being held. Of course Dot thought this
would be great fun, so the Kangaroo took her to the rock, where they
peeped through the trees and saw before them the weird scene and dance.

Dot nearly screamed with fright at the sight. She had thought she would
see a few Black folk, not a crowd of such terrible people as she beheld.
They did not look like human beings at all, but like dreadful demons,
they were so wicked and ugly in appearance. The men who were dancing
were without clothes, but their black bodies were painted with red and
white stripes, and bits of down and feathers were stuck on their skin.
Some had only white stripes over the places where their bones were,
which made them look like skeletons flitting before the fire, or in and
out of the surrounding darkness. The dancing men were divided from the
rest of the tribe by a row of fires, which, burning brightly, lit the
horrid scene with a lurid red light. The firelight seemed to make the
ferocious faces of the tribe still more hideous. The tribe people were
squatting in rows on the ground, beating boomerangs and spears together,
or striking bags of skin with sticks, to make an