“With the dawn, if our bait has been well set, the Cassilis warriors will creep into the mouth of the Trap, then down it to kill the guards and rush down to attack the sleeping camp at the far end. They will first have to creep forty yards in towards the glow of the coals where each dummy guard will seem to be asleep by his dying fire. They will creep up to within close spear-throw, then hurl their spears and leap into the kill with the nulla, while most will rush straight on down towards the women’s camp. As they do so we step out from the scrub and, without a war-cry, hurl our first spears into their flanks—they won’t know what hit them! But listen, Burradella—no man must leap out eager to club any near by warrior! Each man throws his first spear in silence, remaining standing there while swiftly he fits the second spear to wommera, for the enemy rushing on down to the gunyahs will then be another close-packed target for our second spears. Only at the throw of the second spear will every man leap forward with the war-cry and nulla. Many of the enemy will then have fallen, the others will be caught, hemmed in by dense scrub on two sides and at the end facing them, with us leaping straight out at them from the scrub sides and straight at their chests up from the dummy camp—others rushing straight down behind them from the mouth of the Trap. Even the boys’ spears will have counted, whizzing in upon this narrow space from four directions! And now every nulla as we leap out from the darkness will be battering them. They will be stricken—will seek only escape in the darkness from what is befalling them from every side—we should slaughter them almost as we have the wallabies. Well, Burradella, what do you think of the plan?”

“Good!” answered Burradella soberly. “Only the Red Chief could have thought of such a plan. Now, how about the women and children? They know how desperate our position is, but cling to the hope that Boobuk surely must return in time, since the enemy did not attack today. The women may not care to risk their children away from the Secret Camp. Remember, they love their babies and you are going to bring them right out from their only feeling of safety to here—where they are to be attacked!”

“They must come!” replied the Red Chief urgently. “You know very well we could not bait the Trap without the women—the enemy would smell a trap right away.”

“That is so,” agreed Burradella.

“We don’t want them all,” explained the Red Chief earnestly, “none who cannot look after themselves in their struggle back through the dark scrub, none with sick children—only the able-bodied ones and a few of the tough old women—I know they will gladly come. My young wives, Nareen and Naroo, will come too with their babies—I can depend upon them also.”