Pete and Charlie spend a night in an old deserted gold mining town, and begin to suspect that they are not alone when they encounter a series of unusual events.
Pete and Charlie work on a sheep station as roustabouts. When the gun shearer takes an immediate dislike to Charlie, it causes trouble with the station owner.
Pete and Charlie take jobs at a seaside resort and become involved with a confidence trickster. Pete finds out that things are not always what they seem.
Pete and Charlie arrive at Cripple Creek, a remote outback settlement, and find that the general store has been robbed and its owner bashed. Later, the youths responsible hold them captive.
Pete and Charlie become suspects in a murder in the small town of Karee. When Pete is found at the house of a second killing, the local police constable takes some unorthodox action.
Pete and Charlie stop at a small pub several kilometres off the beaten track and are greeted by a man lost in the bush, an attempted murder and the peculiar attitudes of locals who feel isolated from the outside world.
While passing through Canberra, Pete and Charlie are caught up in political intrigue and shady dealings. When they uncover a plot that will lead to an innocent man's downfall, they have to race against time to stop the corruption.
The editor of Black Mountain's town newspaper bitterly opposes a wood-chip industry that the Japanese are financing, causing Pete and Charlie to become involved in some local town politics.
