Just to make the people feel that the world was all their own old Nundoba the witchdoctor solemnly prophesied, before all the tribe, that from now on the seasons would be good for many a summer and winter, the game and the roots and bulbs of the bush would be plentiful, the birds and the fishes multiply and fatten, and that the Gunn-e-darr tribe of the Kamilaroi under the Red Chief would grow and increase and prosper with the seasons as it had never done since the Dream Time. The moon and the stars and the night and the whisperings of the Spirits of the Bush had told him so.

And time was to prove that Nundoba the witchdoctor prophesied truly.

So with all behind him the young Red Chief had a wonderful start in his lifelong work of building up his beloved tribe. Though, as he had foreseen, it was going to take a long time to achieve the strength he desired, within his first two years he built up the tribe to sixty-five fighting warriors. Fifteen of these were near 60 years of age, twenty were from 35 to 40 years old, while thirty were young warriors from 17 to 26 years. In woman-stealing raids they had brought back to the tribe twenty-seven young women, with the loss of but five warriors killed, and causing much heavier losses to the raided tribes. During that time four different tribes had raided them in turn, but the Red Chief’s cunningly prepared ambushes had caused particularly heavy loss to the enemy, and only six Gunn-e-darr warriors had been killed, and two crippled for life. No women had been stolen. So the tribe was much stronger and better prepared, and alert, confident, and contented—and adoring their young Red Chief.

The season eventually came for the “strengthening of the warriors”. This particular season was propitious, and Nundoba the witchdoctor had verified the fact. The people believed that at this particular time the meat and fat of the emu contained exceptional strengthening, and medicinal properties—particularly for the younger warriors, from those of the Kubara to four-year warriors.

So now big emu hunts were to be organized so that the older warriors could be rejuvenated through feasting on the rich meat, and the younger grow strong in body and heart against their enemies. They also sought the fat, which, mixed with fine ashes of acacia wood, they would rub thoroughly into their bodies to help keep them supple, to keep out the cold and rain, and also keep out the sickness that sometimes rises up out of the earth.

For although these Stone Age men believed that a fatal illness is usually caused by an enemy working through the machinations of a witchdoctor, or in lesser degree by an evil, earth-bound spirit that still has the “earth-power” to do them harm, they realized that sickness can sometimes “enter the body” by damp contact with “bad places” in the earth. So that emu fat, in a particular season and properly treated with acacia ash by the medicine man, was greatly valued in “keeping out” sickness.