Dave Regan
Dave is one of the three men "sinking the shaft" at Stony Creek. He and a fellow friend Andy like fishing, so Dave comes up with an idea to blow up fish in the water-hole with a cartridge. Later, when Tommy the retriever chases the men with the cartridge in his mouth, Dave seeks help at local pub and leads the dog with the explosive into the inhabited area.
Andy Page
Like his friend Dave, Andy likes fishing. It is he who puts Dave’s idea into practice, as he “usually put Dave's theories into practice if they were practicable, or bore the blame for the failure and the chaffing of his mates if they weren’t."
Jim Bently
Jim is not interested in “damned silliness," and therefore he does not participate in the development of Dave’s idea.
The Dog
The dog itself is one of the vital characters in the story, because everything goes unexpectedly when the dog steals the cartridge and chases the men with it.
The Yellow-Mongrel Cattle Dog
A vicious dog lives under the kitchen of the bush hotel. It has intimidated Tommy in the past and despite many attempts by the bushmen to remove it from the kitchen, it remains there. It is drawn out of its lair by curiosity toward the cartridge that Tommy drops. Eventually the cartridge explodes and kills the dog.
