2011 - Theses - Flinders University

the dark serge of her shirt, her arm muscles tense like bundles of wire as she carries the bulkyvessel across to the fire, and rotates it gently down into the bed of coals. She scoops morecoals with a blackened jam tin and lets them pour out on the lid of the oven. The pale ashwhips away with the wind, and the white coals glow red where they are exposed.Then the barking starts up. She keeps her head down, reluctant to be drawn to look afterthe sound, but the boys have already straightened up. Inside the hut, Jack coughs as he movescarefully to the doorway. He leans on the post, and looks out towards the northeast, where thecamp dogs are braying as if bailing up an old man kangaroo. They are all pointing up thesame direction, hackles raised, and tails down. Finally, Becky too turns to look, although sheknows there is nothing to see.‘Wongi’ Jack says, quietly, to himself, but so the others hear. Then louder: ‘Don’t youboys go over there. Set them traps out the other way.’ To Becky he says ‘Yamuti, maybe.Build up that fire tonight, alright?’There is a buzz, higher pitched than usual, running through the camps. Children arewalking quickly in groups towards the huts and their mothers. Men are stopping to talk toeach other, and beginning to gather at the Wimila. Becky can see Fred McKenzie alreadysitting cross-legged at the men’s meeting place, sheltering his pipe with his hat as he packs itsbowl. Dick Coulthard stands near him, thin where the other is solid, looking out under hisnarrow hat brim, while the other draws all vision into himself. The Arruru leader, north windman, turns his back on the cold south wind and lets it blow over his seated form. Dick, theMathari leader, south wind man, leans his thin frame against it. They are gathering theCouncil, all the wilyaru of both moieties, although it will be Fred who speaks first. Beckysees him lift a burning stick from the fire that whips low on the ground before him, and he69