286 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



make noise. Me hear that fella cry, cry, sing out like 

 anything. He earn walk about. Me go quiet along a 

 grass long way. Come round 'nother side. That boy no 

 bin see me. Bi'mby me see gins — big mob. Sing out — 

 ' One fella boy bin catch 'em spear. He very bad. Close 

 up dead now.' Billy plant himself long way. Boys and 

 gins come up, where boy sing out. 'Carry 'em alonga 

 camp.' Me go long way, where auntie belonga me sit 

 down. That spear earn pull 'em out. He got hook. All 

 a time that boy sing out, ' Pull out spear.' Bi'mby Billy 

 come back. He very sorry. He say — ' Me no wan' spear 

 you. Me no look out you. Me wan' catch 'em wallaby.' 

 That boy say, ' All ri', Billy. You good mate belonga me.' 

 Three days that spear inside yet. Me come alonga camp. 

 That boy look 'em all ri'. Me say — ' Me very sorry. Me 

 think you dead now.' He say — ' Me no dead. Me feel all 

 ri'. Me want pull out spear.' Old men pull out hard. 

 Carn shift 'em. Old men say — 'We cut 'em now.' Get 

 knife, sharpen 'em, cut 'em, cut 'em, cut 'em. Three strong 

 boys pull 'em spear. Pull 'em hard altogether. Pull out 

 plenty beef longa that hook. That boy no sing out. My 

 word. He carn stop. Two weeks dead. Gins no bin 

 bury 'em. What you think ? Cut 'em up beef from bone ; 

 put beef in bark, put white paint alonga bark, tie 'em up 

 and hung up 'em a longa dilly-bag. My word, puff! 

 Bi'mby you se-mell 'em stink." 



George was not pressed to display his accomplishments. 

 He chose during many months to hold himself in reserve, 

 and to live up to the reputation of being quite a scholar, as 

 far as scholarship goes among blacks. But in accordance 

 with expectations, his pride and enthusiasm got the better 

 of him. He produced two scraps of paper, on each of 

 which were a number of sinuous lines and scrawls, 

 saying — 



" You write all asame this kind ? " 



" No," I said, " I no write like that." 



" This easy fella ? All the time me write this kind." 



