370 R. H. MATHEWS. 



used to dress it with red ochre. The younger Brambam- 

 bult at once recognized the hair and began to cry, because 

 he knew that his uncle must be dead. The elder brother 

 bade him be of good cheer, that they would by and by 

 ascertain the truth of the matter. 



The two brothers wandered on and tracked their uncle 

 to Wonga Lake, where they discovered portions of his body. 

 Upon seeing the trees lying on the ground, which had been 

 cut down by Wirnbullain, they at once knew who had killed 

 their uncle. They then tracked Wirnbullain to Pine Plain, 

 where they found him with his two daughters. They killed 

 the father and took his two daughters for wives. These 

 girls, however, inherited their father's dexterity in felling 

 trees, which scared the game away when out hunting. If 

 one brother went away round a kangaroo and turned it 

 towards the other brother, who was waiting to spear it, 

 then, just as he was about to launch the weapon, the 

 women would cut down a tree, and the noise of its falling 

 startled the kangaroo, which ran away. 



After suffering this annoyance and disappointment from 

 their wives for some time, the Brambambults one day went 

 up to the two sisters, who carried bags across their loins 

 for holding such fruits and yams as they could gather. 

 They pretended that they wanted the women to carry their 

 shields for them, and asked them to turn their backs while 

 they placed the shields in the bags. As soon as this was 

 done, the men chopped the women in the back of the neck 

 and killed them. All tarantulas have had the mark of a 

 shield on the lower part of their backs ever since. 



4. Dyuni-dy unity. — The Brambambults went to see their 

 brotber-in-law, Dyu-ni-dyu-nity, the night owl. On reach- 

 ing the camp, Dyuni-dyunity was out hunting, but his two 

 little sons were there, playing with something which 

 resembled the shoulder blade of a kangaroo. The Bram- 



