and Tom hunted native game to fend off starvation. They suffered many other hardships and even death when, in Toowoomba, one of Horatio's men drowned. On the Darling Downs over 10,000 sheep were collected. Hitherto the largest group of colonists to enter the area, the Wills party drew the attention of local Aboriginal people. Wary of what he called the "perpetual war between the whites and blacks" of Central Queensland, Horatio sought to avoid conflict. The party reached Cullin-la-ringo, situated on Gayiri Aboriginal land, in early October, and proceeded to set up camp. Cullin-la-ringo massacre On 17 October, Horatio and 18 of his party died in Australia's deadliest massacre of colonists by Aboriginal people. Tom was away from the property at the time, having been sent with two stockmen to collect supplies the party left en route. He returned several days later to a scene of devastation. Despairing and vengeful, Wills first wrote to Harrison in Melbourne, listing for him the victims and requesting that he send replacements: "men that will shoot every black they see". Over the following weeks, police, native police and vigilante groups from neighbouring stations drove the Gayiri to near-extinction; an estimated 370 were killed. Due to a dearth of evidence, it has been said that Wills took no part in the counter-massacres. The question of his participation was raised in 2021 after a report that an anonymous Chicago Tribune article, dating from 1895, quotes him as saying that, during a raid on an Aboriginal camp, he and other avengers "killed all in sight". Conflicting reports reached the outside world and for a time it was feared that Tom had died. In the press, Horatio was accused of ignoring warnings and allowing Aboriginal people to encroach on his property. The retribution was also deemed excessive. Tom vehemently defended his father against any perceived criticism. Privately, in his letter to Harrison, he admitted, "if we had used common precaution all would have been well". It was later revealed that, prior to leaving the camp, Tom "had a sort of presentiment" and advised those remaining to arm themselves, including Horatio, who assured him "It was only his boyish fears". The Queensland press, still in the wake of the massacre, suggested that Wills, "now a Queenslander", be approached to captain the colony's cricket team. Different reasons were put forward at the time to account for the Wills tragedy. For