Fifteen-year-old Harry Pascoe lives on a cattle farm with his uncle. When his uncle leaves to drive a mob of cattle to Echuca, Harry is left in charge. When some horses break free, Harry goes in search of them. He stumbles upon a group of Aborigines and a recent grave with a spear embedded in it. Taking the spear, because he has heard that William Buckley did so and was hailed as the spirit of a dead tribe-member, Harry approaches the camp and is welcomed. He carefully observes all that he sees in the coming days, and the book then takes on an instructional tone as it relates the cooking, ceremonial, and hunting practices that he sees.
