It is outback Australia in 1877. A young aboriginal boy is out wandering and strays too far from his family. He is kidnapped by a drunken bearded bushranger who ties him up and takes him with him for a journey. Then a few nights later the bushranger passes out around the campfire and the boy escapes. He takes with him a bag with an extendable telescope in it. He also takes a henry rifle that the bushranger had threatened him with. Wrapping it up in a leather cloth he ties a string to it at each end and throws it over his shoulder for a journey back home. He is disorientated and goes the wrong way. He walks on for days having adventures, hunting and seeing dingoes and other animals and a few people along the way. He follows the river to find his way back home.