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 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 XXXXX 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 . '
breath brothers children distress men shoulders something time trees youths