The collection follows the exploits of Tom Akerley and his companions through wartime flying episodes and frontier life around Gaspard’s Clearing on the Indian River. Episodes range from a midnight aerodrome flight and clashes over honor to canoeing, timber work, encounters with local figures such as Gaspard, Mick Otter, and Catherine, and rustic rescues and rivalries. Stories emphasize practical resourcefulness, camaraderie, and the rough humor of settlers and veterans as they navigate swamps, woods, and community tensions, with a mix of action, character sketches, and episodic adventure set in a vividly described natural landscape.