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Twice in our thirty-five miles of the Roper about ten miles apart wide-spreading rocky arches completely span the river a foot or so beneath its surface, forming natural crossing-places; for at them the full volume of water takes what Dan called a "duck-under," leaving only smoothly flowing shallow streams, a couple of hundred yards wide, running over the rocky bridgeways.
The first "duck-under" occurs in a Ti Tree valley, and, marvelling at the wonder of the rippling streamlet so many yards wide and so few in length, with that deep, silent river for its source and estuary we loitered in the pleasant forest glen, until Dan, coming on further proofs of a black fellow's "second-sight" along the margins of the duck-under, he turned away in disgust, and as we followed him through the great forest he treated us to a lengthy discourse on thought-reading.
We turned back a short distance for better watering for horses, settling down for the night at the second "duck-under" McMinn's bar within sound of the rushing of many waters; for here the river comes back to the surface with a mighty roar and swirling currents. "Knockup camp," Dan christened it in his pleasant way, and Sambo became unexpectedly curious.
Further damper and "Lot's wife" for dinner, and an afternoon of thirst, set us all dreading supper, and about sundown three very thirsty, forlorn white folk were standing by the duck-under below "Knock-up camp," waiting for the Quiet Stockman, and hoping against hope that his meat had not "turned on him"; and when he and his "boys" came jangling down the opposite bank, and splashing and plunging over the "duckunder" below, driving a great mob of horses before them we assailed him with questions.
Being so shallow and wide-spreading, the lagoons would dry up early in the "dry" were it not that the blacks are able to refill them at will from the river; for here the Roper indulges in a third "duck-under," so curious that with a few logs and sheets of bark the blacks can block the way of its waters and overflow them into the lagoons thereby ensuring a plentiful larder to hosts of wild fowl and, incidentally, to themselves.
As the mystery of this "duck-under" lies under water, it can only be described from hearsay.
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