Immediately the chase was over the Red Chief yelled to his men to round up the women and children. To all points of the compass his men sped well out of camp, then, turning, they formed a far-flung circle of racing men. These drew in closer and closer as they circled back towards camp, flushing the women and children from bushes and hollows and under sheets of bark as dogs would flush quail from their hiding places. Soon from all directions wailing women and children were being herded within a rapidly dwindling circle, until the despairing-eyed, shivering mob were huddled back in camp again. A few of the young women and girls had made their escape, and nearly all the prized boys of from ten years onwards, while already they had started heavy smokes to warn their far-flung camps. The Red Chief’s men rounded up forty young women and children and ten youngsters of from ten to eleven years of age. The warriors glanced at these young women with gleaming eyes. They would make fine wives to mother Gunn-e-darr braves, while the children would be adopted into the tribe to become in time as good Gunn-e-darr warriors and women and children as the tribe’s children born.

None of the old people, the wounded or the sick and weakly were interfered with. The Red Chief cut short the death-wailing over the guards, ordered women to cook immediately all food in camp, ordered others to bring out every possum and kangaroo rug, and all their hunting and cooking tools and anything useful that they would need in the new future before them. All such things were to be wrapped into bundles for the carrying. While his men watched the prisoners the Red Chief made the sullen boys bring out all weapons from the gunyahs. Any good weapons his men took a fancy to they could have. The remainder—there were hundreds of spears, wommeras, boomerangs, nullas, tomahawks—were quickly broken and thrown on the fires.

The Red Chief then ordered everyone to eat well. After which the wailing women were ordered to load themselves with any belongings of theirs.

“Those who travel lightest, will travel the easiest,” he shouted, “for we travel fast and far!” At a nod, his scouts ran out in front, heading back towards the beloved lands of the Gunn-e-darr. As he shouted to the captives to march a wailing immediately broke out, but his men were among them with the spear-point and there was a scurry to pick up bundles and march. Out into the open bush they went, for long followed by the dismal wailing of those left behind crouching over the cooking fires, throwing ashes over their heads. Just the wailing and the “Cark! Cark!” of the crows in dismal memory of those loved ones and loved Cassilis lands they were for ever leaving behind.

The sullen ones, and those who sought to lag behind, were hastened by a spear jab where it hurt. Thus to harsh urgency, to snarling threat of a battering death to the first who attempted escape, the swift, grim march back to the Gunn-e-darr lands began.