The boys were lifeless.

The old wirreenuns, dipping their stone knives in the blood, touched with them the lips of all present.

Then the bodies were put on the edge of the sacred fire and the other initiates taken a little further into the scrub.

There they were tried in many ways.
With the Boorah spirits whistling and whizzing all round them, spears were pointed at them.

Their skins were scratched with stone knives and mussel shells.