In the last fifteen months they had brought the bush railway a good deal further up the river, and Crocodile Creek was the present terminus.
Thus the road journey was now considerable shorter than when Colin McKeith had brought his bride home.
Lady Bridget read the several lines of the cabled message over two or three times before the real bearings of it became clear to her fever-weakened intelligence.
At last she grasped the startling fact that the cablegram was from her cousin, Lord Gaverick, and that it had been despatched from London about seven days previously.

This was what it said.
'ELIZA GAVERICK DIED TWENTIETH LEAVES YOU CASTLE AND FIFTY THOUSAND DIFFICULTIES EXECUTORS YOUR PRESENCE URGENTLY DESIRED WIRE IF CAN COME, GAVERICK' Lady Bridget let the blue form drop on her lap.

She stared out over the brown plain and the herds of lean beasts all shadowy in the smoky mist over the horizon, then round, along the wilderness of gidia scrub, with its charred patches afar off, from which there still rose thin spirals of smoke.
Destiny had spoken.

Here was the order of release.

There was no gaoler to keep the prison doors locked any longer--except--except--No, if she wished to break her bonds, Colin would never gainsay her.
Late that night the men came back from fighting the fire which they had now practically put out.