All was bustle about the camp, excitement amongst the children squabbling as to who should help carry the family goods, scoldings and laughter and gossip amongst the women busy at collecting all things from the gunyahs, and packing up. Most of the women, too, were anxious not to forget the hiding-place of some valued little article. For the Red Chief had given orders that the camp was to be shifted from the Burrell Lagoon to the Mullibah Flat Lagoon, where a possible surprise attack by enemies in the height of the ceremonies could be much more easily guarded against.

On the western and southern side of the Mullibah Flat Lagoon myall, wilga, and box grew thickly. On the eastern side, on the open flat country, big red gum-trees and mullibah (yellow-jacket) thrived plentifully. But close round the camp was no dense scrub, and no undergrowth of any sort to give cover to a lurking enemy. The big tree-trunks were all he could hide behind, and between them the earth was carpeted with short green grass. So there was no protective cover for a creeping enemy to stage a surprise attack. But near by there was perfect cover for the tribe, for only three-quarters of a mile away loomed the Porcupine Ridges, the dense patches of hoop-vine scrub sheltering the Secret Camp, into which almost impenetrable sanctuary the women and children could swiftly disappear in case of dire emergency.

And yet, where all seemed so well planned and safe, the Red Chief was soon to be put to the test of his life. It was to prove a long, successful life, afterwards sung in the legends of his people for as long as one solitary member remained. But this emergency, when he was but two years a chief, was to prove to be the severest test of all.

The loaded tribe, happily making their way among the big old box-trees and yellow-jackets, yodelling their way past clumps of myall and wilga, came out on to the pleasant greenery and sunlit waters of the Mullibah Flat Lagoon. All hands were busy then at building the gunyahs, gathering wood and setting this favourite camp and corroboree ground in order.

The Red Chief selected the look-out men, the leaders of the hunting parties, and the camp guards for the women and children. The warrior Burradella, second chief under the Red Chief, with twenty-four young warriors was to remain in charge of the camp and look-outs, guarding the women and children and old people. He was responsible, too, for guarding the country immediately round the camp and watching for possible smoke signals from Carrowreer and Ydire look-outs, while boys for practice and utility could also watch for and relay signals to Burradella from Black Hill. The remainder were divided into three hunting parties, according to their totem, the most envied at this season being those who were entitled to hunt the emu. At least a week of solid hunting was ahead for all three parties.