For a long time they cast patiently , without receiving a single bite ; the sun had grown low in the sky , and it seemed as if they would have to go home empty-handed , not even with a basket of roots to show ; when the youth , who had baited his hook with raw meat , suddenly saw his line disappear under the water . Something , a very heavy fish he supposed , was pulling so hard that he could hardly keep his feet , and for a few minutes it seemed either as if he must let go or be dragged into the pool . He cried to his friends to help him , and at last , trembling with fright at what they were going to see , they managed between them to land on the bank a creature that was neither a calf nor a seal , but something of both , with a long , broad tail . They looked at each other with horror , cold shivers running down their spines ; for though they had never beheld it , there was not a man amongst them who did not know what it was -- the cub of the awful Bunyip ! All of a sudden the silence was broken by a low wail , answered by another from the other side of the pool , as the mother rose up from her den and came towards them , rage flashing from her horrible yellow eyes . ` Let it go ! let it go ! ' whispered the young men to each other ; but the captor declared that he had caught it , and was going to keep it . ` He had promised his sweetheart , ' he said , ` that he would bring back enough meat for her father 's house to feast on for three days , and though they could not eat the little Bunyip , her brothers and sisters should have it to play with . ' So , flinging his spear at the mother to keep her back , he threw the little Bunyip on to his shoulders , and set out for the camp , never heeding the poor mother 's cries of distress . By this time it was getting near sunset , and the plain was in shadow , though the tops of the mountains were still quite bright . The youths had all ceased to be afraid , when they were startled by a low rushing sound behind them , and , looking round , saw that the pool was slowly rising , and the spot where they had landed the Bunyip was quite covered . ` What could it be ? ' they asked one of another ; ` there was not a cloud in the sky , yet the water had risen higher already than they had ever known it do before . ' For an instant they stood watching as if they were frozen , then they turned and ran with all their might , the man with the Bunyip running faster than all . When he reached a high peak over-looking all the plain he stopped to take breath , and turned to see if he was safe yet . Safe ! why only the tops of the trees remained above that sea of water , and these were fast disappearing . They must run fast indeed if they were to escape . So on they flew , scarcely feeling the ground as they went , till they flung themselves on the ground before the holes scooped out of the earth where they had all been born .
The old men were sitting in front , the children were playing , and the women chattering together , when the little XXXXX fell into their midst , and there was scarcely a child among them who did not know that something terrible was upon them .
Bunyip captor cub days earth escape minutes over-looking shivers spines