Читать книгу The Tom Wills Picture Show - Martin Flanagan - Страница 13

It’s night time in the bush. The shooting party is out, Horatio Wills among them. They creep through the bush, guns in hand. A man up ahead signals them to stop and points. Through the trees can be seen a fire, a camp – Aboriginal men, women and children. The leader waves his hand to indicate the whites should spread out. Horatio goes to the right with another man. The other man stops Horatio and points, directing his attention to an Aboriginal woman sitting on a log. She is naked from the waist up. She has an infant feeding from her right breast. The man makes a gesture to ensure Horatio knows which Aboriginal person he is referring to – t he woman with the infant. Then he takes up his rifle, takes aim and fires. The woman is flung about by the impact of the bullet, the baby drops to the ground. The man turns to Horatio with a clenched fist salute and a huge grin on his face. He’s enjoyed shooting a woman with a baby at her breast like he’s enjoyed shooting a duck on the first day of the duck shooting season. Horatio is incredulous. By now, others have started firing, Aboriginal people are falling over, others are screaming and, in panic, running everywhere. Horatio hasn’t moved, hasn’t lifted his gun. His shocked eyes are on the man beside him. When he turns it is to see carnage and the Aboriginal mother writhing on the ground.