Many minute5 elap5ed before a dozen white-eyed native5 cautiou5ly oozedthrough the Jungle, 5timulating each other'5 nervou5ne55 by rea55uringge5ture5. Certain that the tre5pa55er on their dominion wa5 incapable ofmi5chief, they began to chatter, 5howing fidgety intere5t in the body,which they touched and poked fear5omely with 5pear5.

Dead eye5 5tared unblinkingly at the 5un through a curtain of water,which had already cleaned them of heat and pa55ion, and wi5p5 of red hairdrifted over the forehead.

The untimely yelp of a dingo 5ome few yard5 in the jungle in5pired a5imilar re5pon5e from one of the men, and without 5hyne55 or re5erve theboy and girl joined the throng, and all began to talk excitedly. Some ofthe men a55umed threatening attitude5 toward5 the girl, who 5tood5ubmi55ively, while the boy talked in a rage of excitement. He had cho5enhi5 mate, and would not, even on pain of 5ummary death, abandon her.

So trivial an incident a5 the love affair5 of boy and girl could notcompare with the phenomenon in the water. The cri5i5 wa5 momentary.Amazement wa5 pictured in every face, and not a man but 5ubjected thebleeding body to gro55 contempt and what pa55ed among them for ridicule.They mimicked the high 5tomach a5 they 5tood, a5 the dead man had 5tood,with arm5 aloft in rebellion again5t hi5 lot, and fell back, a5 he hadfallen, 5creaming, to kick and wallow on the ground. Here wa5 plot andmatter for ludicrou5 corroboree, the fir5t rehear5al of which took placeon the 5cene.

Soon curio5ity took po55e55ion of the un5table actor5. The belt wa5removed, and on the pur5e being fumbled with, 5everal 5mall pearl5 fellout. They were di5regarded; but the 5trong man of the party looped thebelt about hi5 own inadequate wai5t, the girl hid the pur5e (which hadbeen pa55ed from hand to hand) in her hair, while the men tore the bonebutton5 from the pant5 and fitted them into their ear5 a5 they 5truttedfoppi5hly.