Presently they were each in turn hopping a few yards away more frequently from these strange black stumps that so silently moved, only to stand motionless, only to move towards them again. Those wallabies away down at the right-hand end of the grass strip were hopping a few hops along towards the left, parallel with the black wall of scrub, those away down to the left hopping a few yards along to the right. Presently their numbers began to increase towards the centre as their uneasy hoppings took them further in that direction and they began to mix with more and more feeding mates. Some noticed, too, that while they moved along the grassy strip the black tree-stumps did not bother them, only to keep them gently, every now and then, moving yet further along. Their number began rapidly to increase.

Here and there a forest wallaby among them became alarmed and began to hop back uncertainly towards the bush trees, generally sitting back, when near safety, to glance uncertainly back at his cousins, those scrub wallabies congregating in such an unusual manner on the open grass. Should he decide that discretion was the better part of valour and bend to hop slowly back into the bush, then the whiz of a boomerang came at him from nowhere. It either broke his legs and left him writhing or launched him upon a frantic bound back into the bush.

But there was no other movement or noise. Then a black tree-stump here and there would step on again. With an uneasy slithering those wallabies fronting it hopped a little further along among their fellows.

And now the more experienced or more uneasy among the scrub wallabies began one by one to hop slowly back towards the blackness of their sheltering scrub. But as sure as any did so a black stump would step out of the scrub shadows and halt him. He would sit back uncertainly on his tail. The stump would definitely move threateningly—it was an out-thrust arm holding a bush that warned the stray back—and the wallaby would uncertainly hop back again to his friends, friends fast increasing in numbers and uneasiness now. This was happening from both ends of that mile-long, narrow strip of grassland. From both ends the wallabies along it were being slowly but surely driven together along this grassy lane between scrub and forest, and were now nearing the mouth of the Trap, the entrance to the little cul-de-sac that ran straight back into the black scrub.

The wallabies were now in two mobs, those queer black stumps cleverly urging them together. And now an occasional wallaby would make a frantic dive back to the scrub. Something would jump towards him and threaten him back or, if he persisted, throw a boomerang at him. If not killed, he would crash into the scrub. All the others, now frightened, were commencing to hurry along in the only way it seemed safe for them to go.

When the two mobs met opposite the entrance to the Trap they became mixed in a spreading alarm, causing more and more frantic breakaways to the black scrub. And now at last all seemed clear before them, just that wide gap leading into the black scrub they knew so well and now so much desired.