He’d been walking for a couple of hours when he heard low voices and the clink of harnesses. Ignoring his blistered feet, he began to run. As he reached the top of a rise, he stopped, his hands on his knees, catching his breath as three riders breasted the next ridge, coming towards him.

He recognised the broad shoulders and long stirrups of Amos Burrell, the slouch of the bushman, Mick, and the proper English riding seat of Will Penrose.

Mick saw him first. Then Penrose pulled his hat from his head and waved, kicking his horse into a faster pace up the hill towards Caleb, followed by the other two.

Amos and Penrose left their mounts to join Caleb on the ground, slapping his back in a fraternal embrace.

‘Geez, we thought we were looking for your corpse,’ Amos said. ‘Sones said three of the ’orses got back last night, a bit singed but otherwise uninjured. That’s when we knew something bad ’ad ’appened to you.’

‘Mrs Greaves and the boy?’ Mick, as always, had few words.

‘They’re safe. We were saved by an abandoned mine adit down by the river but the boy got bitten by a snake. He’s in a bad way.’ Caleb glanced back the way he had come. ‘I need to get him into town as soon as possible.’

‘Crikey! A snake!’ Amos said. ‘What about that mad English bastard?’

‘He’s dead. You’ll find his body a few miles up the road. He got caught by the fire.’

Penrose and Amos glanced at each other. ‘What do you want to do?’ Penrose asked

‘I’ll keep going on foot,’ Caleb said. ‘I think between the three of you, you’ll be able to bring in Adelaide and Dan. I don’t want to risk leaving the boy out in the bush while you head back into town.’

‘There’s some big trees down across the road into town,’ Penrose said. ‘A wagon won’t be getting through any time soon.’

‘Did the fire reach the town?’

Amos nodded. ‘It got within a few ’undred yards of the Chinese gardens and we thought we were goners, but the wind bloody changed, didn’t it.’

‘Anyone hurt?’

‘A few burns in town but the worry is about the outlying mines like Blue Sailor and Victoria. A party’s gone out there this morning,’ Penrose said.

Caleb nodded. If there were significant injuries, he would be needed.

‘Go and bring in my girl,’ Caleb said. ‘You’ll find me in town.’

Mick dismounted and handed Caleb the reins to his horse. ‘Take him,’ he said. ‘You’re dead on your feet, doc. The walk back to town will do me good.’

Caleb didn’t argue. He thanked Mick and swung into the saddle.