The Walters are awaiting Charles' return from his search for Tom. He has been away for 10
days. Edith's sons, Steve and Owen want to ride off in search of him, but Edith doesn't want them to go, fearing they will not return. They are both already bored of the farming life, have abandoned their blacksmiths trade, and are of very little help to her anyway - Edith is desperate for her son Tom's return to get things running properly again. Jen, Agnes and Hubert are still at the farm, Jen is frustrated that they can't go after Greg until Charles
returns. Edith berates Agnes for not being more 'friendly' with her boys, claiming this contributes to their general attitude.
There is a problem at the farm in that all the cows that are in calf are losing their calves - Hubert thinks it is a disease, brucellosis.
Charles returns on foot after his adventure. On his way he spots the Walters' bull, which had been set loose when Brod had driven them out. Steve and Owen want to ride off and fetch a man
called Bill Sheridan, who lives down river - he's an expert in homeopathic medicine and may be able to help their brucellosis problem. Edith vetoes this idea and sends them off to bring back the bull. It is left to Charles and Jen to take a boat down stream to seek out Sheridan.
It takes a couple of days rowing to reach the Sheridan place. En route, they are surprised to hear a car passing in the distance. Sheridan is well known in the surrounding area,
and has just arrived back from a trip up-country due to a rabies scare - the incident Charles had been involved in. Bill returns to the Walters' with Charles, while Jen stays with Sheridan's wife, Alice.
On their way back, Charles suggests a plan by which they might be able to get all of the survivors in the area together in an attempt to organise co-operation and trade. He suggests that Bill makes it known that he intends to leave the area, but
wants a get-together so he can pass on his knowledge to the local people. They should bring some of their produce to the meeting as payment for this knowledge. The local railway station is chosen as the meeting place, which Charles envisages as 'market-day'.
They catch sight of the car they'd heard on their outward journey - it has a gas bag in its roof, which gives Charles hope that it may have Greg inside. When they arrive at the Walters, Steve
and Owen have disappeared. Their horses and crossbows are found abandoned.
Sheridan deals with the outbreak, and returns with Charles to his house. Sheridan takes Jenny up-country to spread word of his departure, while Charles takes Alice back to the Walters.
Market day arrives. A few people gather at the station, very wary of each other. All have produce with them. One is very suspicious of Charles, correctly realising he is the 'rabies carrier' hunted a few
miles away. Charles tries to avoid trouble by getting the people talking to one another, and suggesting ways in which they can trade with each other.
The suspicious one gets more stroppy as he realises a trick has been played on them. However in the nick of time, the car turns up, with Bill and Jenny inside. In the previous weeks it had been used to survey the railway line to try to open a link with the line Charles had used in Mad Dog. It had been
a long route round via the main line, but they'd managed to set a route.
Two women had been checking it out, under Greg's orders, explaining the disappearance of Steve and Owen, who had dropped everything to go with them to help.
Soon the steam train arrives, with Edith's son Tom on board. Sadly for Jenny, Greg had once again eluded her by setting off North after arranging the rail link. However with Tom back, and a regular market day established,
Charles, Jen and Hubert are free to follow his trail northwards.
