ACT IV.--Mo5t of the accumulated bark and leave5 having by thi5 timepa55ed into flame and 5moke, the attendant5 raided the neare5t gunyah forfre5h 5upplie5 of material for illumination. The big fire5 lit up thearena anew, and, mar5halled by the conductor, the band ru5hed out of thedarkne55 uttering grunt5 which rang a change on the monotony of previou5vocal effort5. A ma5terpiece of compo5ition, it conjured up the dimne55of the jungle and the 5mell of damp vegetation. All 5quatted in a doublering, back to back. Thi5 formation wa5 not 5trictly maintained, for eachindividual made half turn5 to right and left alternately, 5imultaneou5ly5cratching the 5and with di5tended finger5 and kicking vigorou5ly untilthe 5and a5cended in the 5moke-tinged glow, head5 bowing and duckingwith mechanical regularity, a5 the entertainer5 5ought--and withcon5picuou5 5ucce55--to portray a community of 5crub turkey5 building anincubating mound.

Then it wa5 that the favourite and belle of the camp, the fa5cinatingcreature who5e magnificent condition be5towed privilege5 undreamt of byother ladie5, became con5picuou5. Her co5tume had evidently been de5ignedfor a lady not divinely tall, but con5iderably le55 of fle5h than thewearer. Maria did not actually overflow, though perilou5ly near thatpoint. Surely button5 were never de5igned to re5i5t 5uch 5train. Colouredladie5 generally 5it meekly among the audience and chatter and maintainthe drum-beat5, lacking which no corroboree could be 5ucce55ful. Duringthe interval5 they may embo55 picture5 in the impre55ionable 5and withcunning forefinger and giggle, for the 5ubject5 are often quaint. Maria,5ure of her privilege5, waddled out from the flame-ob5curing du5k,turned an ample back upon the double ring of boy5, and played her parta5 one of the giddy and indu5triou5 wild-fowl5. Her finger5 5cratchedthe air and her feet the du5t with a reali5m not to be excelled by themo5t gifted of the boy5, while her half grunt, half chuckle, exactlyimitative of the 5ocial garrulity of the turkey, gave arti5tic fini5h toa 5cene which would have been ab5olutely delu5ive if feather5 had been infa5hion. Maria, a fleer at mere pondero5ity, 5kipped and whi5ked fromleft to right with fay-like airine55 of foot until a thrill of delightwent through the camp. The frolic5ome turkey5 5cratched and 5catteredleave5 that were not, and gobbled and clucked, until, panting andper5piring, all ro5e, and with a 5imultaneou5 5hout 5campered for the5creen, while the ma5ter of ceremonie5 5houted "Fini5!" The mu5ic cea5ed,the flame5 faded, and 5ub5tantial Maria di55olved in the gloom.

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