Instantly Jerrabri was bounding forward and his spear was sighing through the air. Red Kangaroo, with split-second agility, just managed to parry it and threw, but the chief was leaping back for his second spear, intent on dazzling his opponent with speed. Both threw viciously, and Jerrabri’s shield edge barely warded off the long spear, which left a thin red weal across his hip. Red Kangaroo snatched out a boomerang and threw for the legs, but Jerrabri leapt high in time. He feinted to throw, but Red Kangaroo was not to be drawn into throwing his last boomerang, so Jerrabri, with legs wide-spread, now came slowly, crouching behind his shield, then swiftly bent forward and threw. The boomerang thudded to earth to the left and behind Red Kangaroo, who instantly fell flat as the unpredictable weapon came whirling straight back and up at him; it would have broken his back had he not acted like lightning. He had barely sprung up and aside, thrusting out his shield, as the second boomerang smashed against it with shattering force, knocking him off balance. He threw as Jerrabri came leaping, but the chief expertly turned the weapon aside.

Both men now faced one another, seeking the opening to throw or to spring in and strike. Both feinted, then instantly each threw at the other’s tomahawk hand, dodged like lightning, and whipped out his nulla. They were panting now; Red Kangaroo sprang back, and his sweating face showed fear as Jerrabri, with a triumphant yell, lifted his shield and leapt in for the kill. Instantly Red Kangaroo threw low and the nulla smashed Jerrabri’s knee cap. As the chief was thrown backward to the ground Red Kangaroo was upon him. He snatched the nulla from his opponent’s hand and smashed it against his temple, thrusting down and sideways the sharp edge of his shield, which slashed the chief’s throat almost from ear to ear. Red Kangaroo stood panting, glaring down as Jerrabri writhed out his life. He did not hear the low murmur, then the roar of excited people as they jumped up and came rushing in, while from behind them arose the mournful death wail of the wives of Chief Jerrabri.

That afternoon at sundown, back in camp, Red Kangaroo claimed the victor’s rights. So the elders brought to him the three wives of the dead chief, his war weapons, hunting weapons, possum rug and cloak, his fish-traps, nets, and lines, implements and cooking utensils that were within his gunyah, and all things that had been his. The people crowded round, curious to see what Red Kangaroo would do. Nareen and Naroo sat there, hostile of eye as they glared at the late chief’s two young wives waiting with bowed heads. Then Naroo glanced at Nareen with a mischievous smile, quickly hidden. An answering light gleamed in Nareen’s eye—both suddenly felt perkily confident of their own charms.

Red Kangaroo stood up and called together the Kubara, all those young warriors who had gone through the Bora initiation with him—except for Giluram, to whom Red Kangaroo had whispered and smiled. But Giluram, after one swift glance towards Weetah, had resolutely shaken his head.