` 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 Bunyip fell into their midst , and there was scarcely a child among them who did not know that something terrible was upon them . ` The water ! the water ! ' gasped one of the young men ; and there it was , slowly but steadily mounting the ridge itself . Parents and children clung together , as if by that means they could drive back the advancing flood ; and the youth who had caused all this terrible catastrophe , seized his sweetheart , and cried : ' I will climb with you to the top of that tree , and there no waters can reach us . ' But , as he spoke , something cold touched him , and quickly he glanced down at his feet . Then with a shudder he saw that they were feet no longer , but bird 's claws . He looked at the girl he was clasping , and beheld a great black bird standing at his side ; he turned to his friends , but a flock of great awkward flapping creatures stood in their place He put up his hands to cover his face , but they were no more hands , only the ends of wings ; and when he tried to speak , a noise such as he had never heard before seemed to come from his throat , which had suddenly become narrow and slender .
Already the water had risen to his waist , and he found himself sitting easily XXXXX it , while its surface reflected back the image of a black swan , one of many .
By among as behind for near that till upon with