Wills made a vow over Horatio's grave to remain on Cullin-la-ringo and make it "the pride of Queensland"—words that, according to de Moore, "enshrined and imprisoned" Tom as the new head of the family.
Hypervigilant, he slept only three hours a night with a rifle beside his bed and watched for signs of another attack.
He began to rebuild the station pending the arrival of his uncle-in-law, William Roope, who took control of Cullin-la-ringo in December 1861, but soon left due to Wills' "exceedingly ill" treatment of him.
Wills struggled to cope with the harsh conditions and isolation of the outback.
He went blind for weeks after contracting "sandy blight".

He went to Sydney in January 1863 to captain Victoria against New South Wales on the Domain.
The match turned into a riot when the crowd invaded the field during a dispute over the Victorian umpire's impartiality.
Wills, leading his men from the Domain, was struck in the face by a stone, and professionals George Marshall and William Greaves fled the city, reducing the Victorian side to nine men.
Wills took 8 wickets and top scored in both innings (25* and 17*), but Victoria lost by 84 runs.
The Melbourne media castigated Wills for allowing the game to continue and called him a traitor when evidence surfaced that he agreed to play for New South Wales in the weeks prior to the match.
He denied all accusations and wrote in an angry letter to The Sydney Morning Herald: "I for one do not think that Victoria will ever send an Eleven up here again."
Back in Victoria, he became engaged to Julie Anderson, a farmer's daughter from Skipton and friend of the Wills family.
Her name does not appear in any of Wills' surviving letters; he rarely mentioned the women he courted, let alone his feelings for them.
Wills stayed in Geelong for the start of the 1863 football season, breaking his promise of an early return to Cullin-la-ringo, much to the dismay of his mother and the holding's trustees.

Wills finally returned to Queensland in May and was sworn in as a Justice of the Peace upon arrival in Brisbane.
Over the next few months at Cullin-la-ringo, he reported at least three murders of local settlers by Aborigines, among them one of his shepherds.
He accosted government officials for failing to send a Native Police Force detachment to his station for protection, and scorned "Brisbane saints" for sympathising with the plight of Aborigines in the Nogoa region.
With the cricket season approaching, Wills agreed to captain Queensland against New South Wales, and then left the colony to lead a Victoria XXII at the MCG against George Parr's All-England Eleven.
In awe of his 1,800 mile dash across the continent to play cricket, the English thought it a madman's journey.
Wills arrived on the final day of the match to a rapturous reception, and went in as a substitute fielder.
He then joined the visitors on their Victorian tour.

The 1863–64 season saw Wills' engagement to Anderson collapse, possibly due to his womanising, and the trustees of Cullin-la-ringo accused him of mismanaging the property, in part by squandering family finances on alcohol while claiming it as station expenditure.
They demanded that he stay in Victoria to answer for the property's runaway debt.
In response, Wills left Australia to join Parr's XI on a month-long tour of New Zealand.
Initially standing in as umpire, he went on to captain local teams against the English, and filled the same role for a Victoria XXII at the end of the tour in Melbourne.
He faced the trustees soon after.
With his mother's reluctant approval, they decided to dismiss him from Cullin-la-ringo, thus fulfilling the premonition in Horatio's will.
Wills made a vow over Horatio's grave to remain on Cullin-la-ringo and make it "the pride of Queensland"—words that, according to de Moore, "enshrined and imprisoned" Tom as the new head of the family. Hypervigilant, he slept only three hours a night with a rifle beside his bed and watched for signs of another attack. He began to rebuild the station pending the arrival of his uncle-in-law, William Roope, who took control of Cullin-la-ringo in December 1861, but soon left due to Wills' "exceedingly ill" treatment of him. Wills struggled to cope with the harsh conditions and isolation of the outback. He went blind for weeks after contracting "sandy blight".
He went to Sydney in January 1863 to captain Victoria against New South Wales on the Domain. The match turned into a riot when the crowd invaded the field during a dispute over the Victorian umpire's impartiality. Wills, leading his men from the Domain, was struck in the face by a stone, and professionals George Marshall and William Greaves fled the city, reducing the Victorian side to nine men. Wills took 8 wickets and top scored in both innings (25* and 17*), but Victoria lost by 84 runs. The Melbourne media castigated Wills for allowing the game to continue and called him a traitor when evidence surfaced that he agreed to play for New South Wales in the weeks prior to the match. He denied all accusations and wrote in an angry letter to The Sydney Morning Herald: "I for one do not think that Victoria will ever send an Eleven up here again." Back in Victoria, he became engaged to Julie Anderson, a farmer's daughter from Skipton and friend of the Wills family. Her name does not appear in any of Wills' surviving letters; he rarely mentioned the women he courted, let alone his feelings for them. Wills stayed in Geelong for the start of the 1863 football season, breaking his promise of an early return to Cullin-la-ringo, much to the dismay of his mother and the holding's trustees.
Wills finally returned to Queensland in May and was sworn in as a Justice of the Peace upon arrival in Brisbane. Over the next few months at Cullin-la-ringo, he reported at least three murders of local settlers by Aborigines, among them one of his shepherds. He accosted government officials for failing to send a Native Police Force detachment to his station for protection, and scorned "Brisbane saints" for sympathising with the plight of Aborigines in the Nogoa region. With the cricket season approaching, Wills agreed to captain Queensland against New South Wales, and then left the colony to lead a Victoria XXII at the MCG against George Parr's All-England Eleven. In awe of his 1,800 mile dash across the continent to play cricket, the English thought it a madman's journey. Wills arrived on the final day of the match to a rapturous reception, and went in as a substitute fielder. He then joined the visitors on their Victorian tour.
The 1863–64 season saw Wills' engagement to Anderson collapse, possibly due to his womanising, and the trustees of Cullin-la-ringo accused him of mismanaging the property, in part by squandering family finances on alcohol while claiming it as station expenditure. They demanded that he stay in Victoria to answer for the property's runaway debt. In response, Wills left Australia to join Parr's XI on a month-long tour of New Zealand. Initially standing in as umpire, he went on to captain local teams against the English, and filled the same role for a Victoria XXII at the end of the tour in Melbourne. He faced the trustees soon after. With his mother's reluctant approval, they decided to dismiss him from Cullin-la-ringo, thus fulfilling the premonition in Horatio's will.
Tom Wills