This starts with a bang - the title character, a mounted copper in the Kimberley, is attacked by a tribe of aboriginals while transporting another aboriginal back home for murder.
A lot of terrific action follows - then Bayard takes refuge in a homestead full of domestic problems and it's like he stumbles into a sort of northwest Australian version of God's Little Acre - weak willed owner of property, his sluttish, shrewish wife who is hates the country and is screwing the neighbour, hostile stockman with a half-caste daughter. They lock the aboriginal prisoner in a boab tree and the attackers are still out there.
It's not exactly PC - the aboriginal characters are all ciphers - but it's not Frank Clune, either - Bayard has a very lovely and sexy romance with the head stockman's quarter-caste daughter. The description of the locale is excellent as is the action scenes - this should have made a much better movie than the screen version which resulted.
I can see why they didn't cast Chips Rafferty in the lead after reading it though - Bayard is a bit of a stud muffin. (Why not have him play a support part instead, like the stockman?)
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