'Ernie Ryan lived in one of the world's most harsh and lawless areas, the opal fields of inland Australia. The teacher in the little school described him as "colourless," but fourteen-year-old Ernie had a dream that glowed with all the colours of the opals which miners found beneath the arid landscape. One day, this dream came true. Ernies was working his own mine, and his pick broke through into the "fire in the stone." As he saw the green, red, and blue of precious opal flashing in the candlelight, he realised that he was rich beyond his wildest dreams. His dreams became a nightmare, however, when someone ratted his claim. With his Aboriginal friend, Willie Winowie, Ernie set out to find the thief. Part of the answer came when an aircraft crashed and its precious cargo of opals, worth $200,000, was stolen from the wreckage. The boys identified the thief, and then traced him to the mine where he had hidden the loot. With success almost in their hands, they realise that he had protected his cache with a deadly booby-trap. Their confrontation with death is the climax to one of Colin Thiele's most dramatic stories.
Hardback c/w unclipped dustjacket in superb condition