Thus Red Kangaroo returned home.

XXII

THE CHALLENGE

Next morning a messenger of the seven elders came gravely to the gunyah of Red Kangaroo. He was summoned at high sun to appear on the corroboree ground before the chief and the elders to explain why he had been absent from his tribe for a whole moon—without permission of the elders, to explain where he had gone, and why, and what he had done during that time—and how he had become possessed of two wives. For a young warrior of but one summer and winter was entitled to one wife only. He must bring his wives to the meeting, for all women, too, must be there.

And Red Kangaroo knew that the crisis had come.

At high sun the tribe in a hushed circle waited upon the corroboree ground, Jerrabri and the seven elders of the council in the centre. Excitement sparkled in all those eyes as Red Kangaroo came boldly walking into the circle, his two young wives following, heads held high. Red Kangaroo carried his war weapons, the two girls the possum-rug bundles slung round their shoulders. But there were no cords of captivity round their necks now. Upright as the straightest of the slender reeds of the river, defiantly they awaited their acceptance into this, their new tribe. Red Kangaroo strode straight to the council and threw his spear at the feet of Jerrabri, in token of respect to the chief. “Speak!” Jerrabri commanded him.

In a strong, ringing voice Red Kangaroo began, “The tribe demands that I explain why I have been absent from the tribe for a whole moon. This is why—because I went to get myself a wife! If I had not caught one, then I should have remained away for another moon, and yet another, until I succeeded, or was killed.

“We all know that there are no marriageable young lubras left in our tribe for the newly made warriors, a whole summer and winter and more after we pass through the Bora ceremonies! The chief and the elders and their friends are to blame. They have taken three, or no less than two wives each in the last two years, while for long past only after a hard trade bargain has any one of them handed over his eldest wife to a Bora warrior. In the midst of our enemies our tribe has been weakened by this unjust tampering with the laws. For you see around you not half the number of warriors we should have to defend our tribe and lands, you see not half the number of children that should be growing up to take our places. While all around us our many enemies are growing stronger and stronger summer after summer, with their hungry eyes upon our rich tribal lands.”

In the quiet midday all the bush seemed to be listening, not a piccaninny whimpered. Red Kangaroo glanced round and felt all those eyes upon him and his own eyes flashed as he turned again to Jerrabri and the grim-faced elders.