As he said, if his opinion had been asked when the gold-hunters started, he would have foretold their disastrous end.

There was only one thing that happened to any one who ventured into the bushmen's territory, and that was that he was eaten.

And he would further say, without being asked, that if Sheldon went up into the bush he would be eaten too.
Sheldon sent for a gang-boss and told him to bring ten of the biggest, best, and strongest Poonga-Poonga men.
"Not salt-water boys," Sheldon cautioned, "but bush boys--leg belong him strong fella leg.

Boy no savvee musket, no good.

You bring 'm boy shoot musket strong fella." They were ten picked men that filed up on the veranda and stood in the glare of the lanterns.