Bill Rules by Elizabeth Fensham Read Free Book Online

like a dream. The way Mat described Bill’s strange behaviour – crouching there under the tree with the rain pouring down – reminded Bill that he really had been in danger. As Mat recounted the story, Bill realised that she might tell everyone how she had stripped herself and him down to their singlets and jocks, and then hugged him close all night. That would be embarrassing. But Mat must have realised. All she said was, ‘And I got him to take off most of his wet things and get under the foil blanket with me.’ Bill looked at Mat gratefully.
    â€˜Oh, Matty,’ said Pam, her voice almost breaking. ‘You probably saved my boy’s life.’
    Pam rose from her chair and wrapped her arms round Matty.
    â€˜Three cheers for Matty!’ cried Tom.
    Everyone raised their tea cups again and cheered.
    â€˜Two heroes,’ said Nan, smiling a crinkly smile.
    â€˜Well three, actually,’ said Bill.
    The grown-ups looked puzzled.
    â€˜Three?’ asked Pam.
    â€˜We couldn’t get the Djelwuck to work. It was too hard. We didn’t have a fire,’ said Mat.
    â€˜But during the night of the storm, I woke up and saw an old Koori lady using the firesticks. She was humming while she made us a fire,’ explained Bill.
    â€˜Spooky,’ said Pam.
    â€˜Makes sense,’ said Nan. ‘Fire, warmth, light. They came from our female ancestors.’
    â€˜And one more amazing thing,’ added Bill. ‘Go on, Mat. Tell them about the carving.’
    â€˜Oh, yeah. We found a Tiddalick carving on the rock shelf.’
    Nan’s eyes filled with tears. ‘My people,’ she said. Tessa leant across and held Nan’s hand.
    â€˜There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,’ murmured Tom dreamily.
    â€˜Who’s Horatio?’ asked Pam.
    â€˜Hamlet’s friend. You know – in that play by Shakespeare,’ explained Tom smiling. ‘Hamlet is talking to Horatio.’
    â€˜And Hamlet was spot on. There are many mysteries in this world,’ said Tessa, gazing at the glowinglogs in the grate.
    â€˜Like who on earth got that fire going in our rock shelter,’ added Mat, ‘I never saw them, but someone definitely lit a fire.’
    â€˜I don’t know how Kooris used to have the time and energy to make fires every single day,’ said Bill. ‘But it must have been extra tough for that old lady all by herself on a freezing, wet night,’ said Bill.
    â€˜You’re right, Billy boy. Someone was working hard to look after you two kids,’ said Nan. ‘In the old times, fire-making wasn’t something even Kooris wanted to do every day. They often chose boys and girls to carry hot embers from camp to camp.’
    â€˜That makes me feel less of a loser!’ laughed Bill. ‘You might have let me bring a bucket of live coals on our camp, Matty!’
    In response, Mat chucked a muffin at Bill. It ricocheted off Bill’s chair and back into her lap. Everyone laughed...
    That night, in the cosy, amber glow of the Grubs’ sitting room, the discussion of who the firemaker mighthave been flowed back and forth – and over the two children as they sank into sleep curled up in their armchairs. Bill would still be wondering, years later, when he was an old man. It was a mystery.

During recess at school the next day, Mat and Bill entertained their friends with their adventures. Some of those present had never ever been camping. And out of the kids who had slept under canvas, not one had been allowed to camp alone with just a big brother a whole two kilometres away.
    â€˜We want to go camping more,’ said Bill.
    â€˜So we’re going to join the Scouts,’ added Mat.
    â€˜But you can’t,’ said Shane Storey, one of Bill’s cricket mates.
    â€˜Of course we can,’ said Mat, annoyed.
    â€˜I mean,’ explained Shane,