The story begins with the narrator's happy childhood in England, with a murder which he witnesses and a happy meeting with a long unknown but soon loved cousin, Harry. They become estranged, Harry leaving for Australia whence the narrator and his sister also proceed after their mother's death in 1858. The estrangement continues and brother and sister buy a station in western NSW only to find themselves neighbours to Harry's station. Matters come to a head in the 1860s when a vengeful murderous plot is revealed; a father plotting his son's downfall and his nephew's murder, bushranging, financial ruin and a stolen heir combine in this tale of dark deeds in Australia. (PB)