AustLit

'Returning from visiting Tommy,  Norah rescues Mrs Reilly, an Irish immigrant mother and her daughter Mary-Kate from their runaway horse and sulky.  At Billabong, her father relives old memories of the wilder side of his youth.  Left alone at home, Tommy is frightened by an intruder.  The man escapes when Jim comes on the scene.  The girls visit the Reillys, finding Mrs Reilly desperately ill so both families help out where they can.  Mary-Kate becomes a willing pupil at Billabong learning everything from cooking and cleaning to dispatching snakes.  There is a dance at night and a mustering of cattle by day where Norah is terrorised by a rogue bull until Wally charges in to save her — and surprises himself.

'The escaped criminal is found, but they don’t have the heart to turn him in.  Wally is recalled to Queensland to deal with his brother’s property.  Routing devious cattle-stealing station hands, he finds himself in trouble and very nearly killed.  Rescue comes out of the blue.  Jim is summoned to his side and Norah will not be left behind.  They hope Wally will live.'  (Publication summary)