368 R. H. MATHEWS. 



him, and caused a spring to break out at a place called 

 Gurabo, where he used to frequent. Having obtained the 

 leg bone of a kangaroo, they ground the smaller end of it 

 to a sharp, keen point, and placed this weapon, point up- 

 ward, under the water close to the bank. Then they 

 changed themselves into two dead trees — one on either side 

 of the spring. 



One very hot day Ngaut-ngaut came up and looked at 

 the water, but lie was suspicious. He came again next 

 day and stood between the two trees, with a hand on each. 

 He shook one of the trees, saying "This is you, Brambam- 

 bult;" then shaking the other tree, he said, "And this is 

 your brother." Receiving no answer, he shook the trees 

 more forcibly, and could hear bits of the rotten core rum- 

 bling down inside, the same as one can hear if a dead, hollow 

 tree be struck heavily with the back of an axe. This 

 satisfied him that they were really trees. 



But Ngaut-ngaut still thought there might be enemies 

 lurking about, so he went some distance away to search 

 for them. The Brambambults then began to "sing" quietly 

 to themselves to make him more thirsty, and he came back 

 and shook the trees again with the same result. He went 

 away the third time, but not so far, because his thirst was 

 increasing, owing to the necromancy of the Brambambults. 

 On returning the third time, he put his mouth close to the 

 water, but changed his mind and did not touch it. Then 

 he went away again, but only a little distance. This was 

 repeated a few times to satisfy himself that there was no 

 danger near. He now lay down on his hands and knees 

 and dipped his mouth into the water to drink. The hidden 

 bone spike immediately shot up like a living tiling and 

 went through his tongue into his head, killing him on the 

 spot. 



