Harry Heathcote is an English ‘squatter’ who runs a huge sheep station at Gangoil in Queensland, Australia. His wife Mary and her older sister Kate live with him. Giles Medlicott owns a sugar plantation and mill nearby. Two of Harry’s former disgruntled employees, with the aid of other disreputable neighbours the Brownbies, deliberately start a potentially disastrous fire on Harry’s land. Medlicott comes to Harry’s support and the book follows what happens thereafter. - Summary by Simon Evers