“Welcome stranger,” greeted Brian, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” thinking, ‘You’re getting into the habit of popping up unexpectedly…But at least this time you’ve got your car.’   He was still unsure what to make of Ernie’s previous sudden appearance.

“Just stopped in to see how you were making out,” explained Ernie.   They chatted for a while, then Ernie helped out with some of the farm chores — feeling guilty for leaving Brian with the care of his sheep station for so long — then set off again.

‘Now where’s he going?’ thought Brian as Ernie set out again, realising that instead of heading for Pettiwood he was going in the general direction of Glen Hartwell.

*      *      *

Ernie drove up along Boothy Street until almost reaching the end of the Glen, finally turning off into Mitchell Street.   Parking in front of the two-room police station, he started up the concrete steps as Constable Terry Blewett stepped outside.

Seeing Ernie, Terry smiled and pointed back over his shoulder saying, “Bear’s in the office,” knowing without being told whom Ernie would be looking for.

“Thanks,” said Ernie curtly, surprising Terry by pushing past him almost rudely, without stopping for the customary small talk.

‘Wonder what’s his big hurry?’ thought Terry, heading across the lawn toward the sky-blue Ford Fairlane parked in the driveway beside the small police station.

*      *      *

After a brief exchange of greetings Ernie quickly related what had happened at the Aboriginal village over the last few weeks to Bear Ross (so named because of his great height and powerful physique), barely stopping for breath between sentences.

Knowing how sceptical most whites would be about his tale (without having seen the rainbow serpent for themselves) Ernie feared that Bear might laugh his story off.   But he hoped that Bear might be the one white man who might believe him.   Both because the two men had been the closest of friends (and drinking companions when Bear was off duty) for the last two years, since Bear Ross had been promoted to sergeant of police and transferred from BeauLarkin to Glen Hartwell, and also because of something which had happened to Bear in February 1983: