Gemmy Fairley

Gemmy lived in a very abusive environment as a small child, under the control of a man named Willett. He was forced to assist in handling rats and was beaten continually. Eventually he escaped, only to end up on an oceangoing ship by mistake. Again, he was mistreated and eventually thrown overboard off the coast of Australia. Gemmy was taken in by natives who found him on the beach and eventually made a place for himself in their world. He accepted their ways and learned to understand the land and the magic behind it. After living with them for many years and nearly forgetting his earlier life, he returned to live with white settlers.

Some of the more paranoid, shortsighted settlers saw Gemmy as a threat and panicked when he was sighted talking to natives. Several of the men attacked him; he was saved by Jock McIvor...