Chapter V: A Valuable Find in the Temple of Atlas (4)

Ere the pig and myself had been gone five minutes, a picket of soldiers made a rush upon the hotel, went inside, and, closing every exit, informed the occupants that every one must consider himself under arrest until the real originator of the "scare" was discovered. The officer remarked that he knew for a fact that the matter began there, and although the pig had not yet been caught it had been recognised as "_belonging to the proprietor's family_."

Then, to the surprise of every one concerned, a certain Colonel Moyal, a native keenly opposed to the Government and a suspected revolutionist, stepped forward and declared that he had carried the whole thing through from beginning to end, so was prepared to take the consequences.

Needless to say, my champion was arrested and marched off to the Cabildo; and I was informed that the plucky fellow had done this to shield me, merely to keep me out of trouble because he had taken a fancy to me.

Not for this, however, would I let him remain in his unenviable position. It did not take me long to resolve that, to be honourable, I must myself bear the consequences of my own folly; and in a very short time afterward I was interviewing the Commandante. That official, in whose favour I had long since made it my business to firmly establish myself, informed me that it was then too late at night to take any evidence, or, in fact, to move at all in the matter; but that he would attend to me at eight o'clock next morning.

The following day at the appointed hour I waited on him, told him I was the real culprit, secured the colonel's release, paid a fine of a few dollars, and by nine o'clock was back again in my hotel; and when I sat down with the Colonel that night to a special _cena_ to which I had invited him--intending in some measure to prove to him my gratitude for his generosity and esteem--I made a rather boyish speech in which I regretted tremendously the Colonel's having passed an exceedingly uncomfortable night in prison on my account, and my inability to release him the night before.

Moyal, to my intense surprise, replied that he had to _thank me_ for the opportunity I had given him. "Of course," said he, "I should not like to see you in trouble, and would have done anything in my power to keep you out of it, but I must admit that my motive was not the generous one that has been attributed to me. It was a rather selfish motive, you see, between you and me. I am a moving spirit in this revolution which is brewing, and I have important business with the Government soldiers inside the Cabildo. In the ordinary course, since I am known as a revolutionist, I cannot possibly get into open or secret communication with them--so of course I had to get arrested, and you gave me that chance!"

I was about to ask him, boylike, whether he was successful in his mission, when he added, "The only pity is that you didn't let me stay there a bit longer--but you were not to know, so I appreciate your promptness."

However, I had reason to believe afterwards that he had not succeeded in his object, which, I have no doubt, was to "buy" all the _soldados_ over to his side, for up to this day the political party to which the Colonel belonged is out of power, though it has repeatedly made efforts to get in.

XVII

A DROWNING MESSMATE

It is as one of the most popular sea-novelists of all times that Captain Marryat is best known to his countrymen--oldsters and youngsters alike. The whole life of this gallant seaman, however, was made up of one long series of exciting adventures, both on land and sea, many of these experiences being made use of in after years to supply material for his sea-romances.

One of Marryat's most characteristic acts of self-devotion was his springing overboard into the waters of Malta Harbour in order to save the life of a middy messmate, Cobbett by name, who had accidentally fallen overboard. What made this action an especially noble one was the fact that Cobbett was one of the greatest bullies in the midshipmen's berth, and had specially singled out Marryat for cowardly and brutal treatment. Again, we must remember that sharks are often seen in Malta Harbour, and any one rash enough to enter its waters takes his life in his hands.

Thank God the gunroom of a British man-of-war of the present day is managed in an entirely different manner from what it was in Marryat's day. Says that gallant officer: "There was no species of tyranny, injustice, and persecution to which youngsters were not compelled to submit from those who were their superiors in bodily strength."

The entire management and organisation of the Royal Navy at that period was rotten to the core, and it speaks volumes for the devotion, skill, and bravery of the gallant officers of the fleet that they so magnificently upheld the glory and honour of the flag in every quarter of the globe in spite of the shortcomings of the Admiralty Board.

As an instance of this general mismanagement of naval affairs, Marryat, who had been sent to join the _Imperieuse_ frigate as a young middy, thus writes in his private log--

"The _Imperieuse_ sailed; the admiral of the port was one who _would_ be obeyed, but _would not_ listen always to reason or common-sense. The signal for sailing was enforced by gun after gun; the anchor was hove up, and, with all her stores on deck, her guns not even mounted, in a state of confusion unparalleled from her being obliged to hoist in faster than it was possible she could stow away, she was driven out of harbour to encounter a heavy gale. A few hours more would have enabled her to proceed to sea with security, but they were denied; the consequences were appalling, and might have been fatal.

"In the general confusion, some iron too near the binnacles had attracted the needle of the compasses; the ship was steered out of her course. At midnight, in a heavy gale at the close of the month of November, so dark that you could not distinguish any object, however close, the _Imperieuse_ dashed upon the rocks between Ushant and the Main. The cry of terror which ran through the lower deck; the grating of the keel as she was forced in; the violence of the shocks which convulsed the frame of the vessel; the hurrying up of the ship's company without their clothes; and then the enormous waves which again bore her up and carried her clean over the reef, will never be effaced from my memory.

"Our escape was miraculous. With the exception of her false keel having been torn off, the ship had suffered little injury; but she had beat over a reef, and was riding by her anchors, surrounded by rocks, some of them as high out of water as her lower-yards, and close to her. How nearly were the lives of a fine ship's company, and of Lord Cochrane and his officers, sacrificed in this instance to the despotism of an admiral who _would_ be obeyed!

"The cruises of the _Imperieuse_ were periods of continual excitement, from the hour in which she hove up her anchor till she dropped it again in port; the day that passed without a shot being fired in anger was with us a blank day; the boats were hardly secured on the booms than they were cast loose and out again; the yard and stay tackles were for ever hoisting up and lowering down.

"The expedition with which parties were formed for service; the rapidity of the frigate's movements, night and day; the hasty sleep, snatched at all hours; the waking up at the report of the guns, which seemed the only key-note to the hearts of those on board; the beautiful precision of our fire, obtained by constant practice; the coolness and courage of our captain inoculating the whole of the ship's company; the suddenness of our attacks, the gathering after the combat, the killed lamented, the wounded almost envied; the powder so burnt into our faces that years could not remove it; the proved character of every man and officer on board; the implicit trust and the adoration we felt for our commander; the ludicrous situations which would occur even in the extremest danger and create mirth when death was staring you in the face; the hairbreadth escapes, and the indifference to life shown by all--when memory sweeps along those years of excitement even now, my pulse beats more quickly with the reminiscence."

A middy's life was no child's play in those days, was it?

But it is time that I told you the story of how Marryat saved the life of his messmate Cobbett, in the Mediterranean.

The _Imperieuse_ was lying at anchor in Malta Harbour at the time the incident happened. It was about the hour of sunset, and the officer on duty had turned the men of the second dog watch up to hoist the boats to the davits. The men ran away smartly with the falls, and soon had the cutters clear of the water and swung high in the air.

At this moment, Cobbett, who was off duty, went into the main-chains with some lines and bait in order to fish. In endeavouring to get on one of the ratlines of the lower-rigging his foot unfortunately slipped, and he fell headlong overboard into the waters of the Grand Harbour. Several persons witnessed the accident, and the prodigious splash the middy's body made in striking the water immediately made known to every one else that a struggle for life had commenced.

Cobbett could not swim a stroke, and was much hampered by his heavy clothes and boots. At the first plunge he was carried far beneath the surface, but quickly rose again, puffing and blowing like a grampus, and making desperate efforts to keep himself afloat.

The officer of the watch promptly called away the lifeboat's crew, and these men quickly scrambled into one of the quarter-boats, which by this time had been run up to the davits. Life-buoys too had been thrown overboard, but not one of them had fallen near enough to the struggling boy to enable him to grasp it. Young Marryat happened at the time of the accident to be standing in the waist of the ship conversing with the captain of the main-top of the watch below. Hearing the splash and the excited cries of "Man overboard!" which rang out fore-and-aft, he rushed to the gangway to see if he could be of any assistance in the emergency.

One can imagine his feelings on beholding his arch-enemy, the bully of the midshipmen's berth, struggling desperately for life under the frigate's counter. Being an admirable swimmer himself, Marryat saw at a glance that his messmate was helpless in the water, and indeed was on the point of sinking. Without a moment's hesitation, and without waiting to throw off coat or boots, the plucky youngster boldly plunged overboard, and quickly rising to the surface, struck out for his now almost unconscious enemy, and fortunately managed to seize him and keep him afloat, whilst he shouted to those on board to lower the cutter as quickly as possible. The men were only too eager to go to his assistance, and the instant the lifeboat was safely in the water, her crew got their oars out, and, pulling vigorously to the spot, soon hauled both midshipmen, wet and dripping, inboard.

Cobbett was unconscious, his face being as pale as death, but it was only a matter now of a few seconds to get him aboard the frigate, where he soon revived under the care of the surgeons, and was able to return to duty in the course of a day or two, much humbled in spirit, and very grateful to the courageous young messmate who had so gallantly saved his life at the risk of his own.

Writing home to his mother on the subject of this adventure, Marryat concluded his account by saying: "From that moment I have loved the fellow as I never loved friend before. All my hate is forgotten. I have saved his life."

A ludicrous adventure in the water once befell Captain Marryat. In the gallant officer's private log occurs this entry: "July 10th.--Anchored in Carrick Roads, Falmouth. Gig upset with captain."

Florence Marryat in her father's memoirs thus relates the incident: "When this gig was capsized, it contained, besides Captain Marryat, a middy and an old bumboat woman. The woman could swim like a fish, but the boy could not, and as Captain Marryat, upon rising to the surface of the water and preparing to strike out for the ship, found himself most needlessly clutched and borne up by this lady, he shook her off impatiently, saying: 'Go to the boy! Go to the boy! He can't swim!'

"'_Go to the boy!_' she echoed above the winds and waves. 'What! hold up a midshipman when I can save the life of a captain! Not I indeed!' And no entreaties could prevail on her to relinquish her impending honours. Who eventually did the 'dirty work' on this occasion is not recorded, but it is certain that no one was drowned."

As is well known, sailors are devoted to animals, and Marryat was no exception to the rule. He has left on record a story of a pet baboon, which was on board the _Tees_ with him--

"I had on board a ship which I commanded a very large Cape baboon, who was a pet of mine, and also a little boy, who was a son of mine. When the baboon sat down on his hams he was about as tall as the boy when he walked. The boy, having a tolerable appetite, received about noon a considerable slice of bread-and-butter to keep him quiet till dinner-time. I was on one of the carronades, busy with the sun's lower limb, bringing it into contact with the horizon, when the boy's lower limbs brought him into contact with the baboon, who, having, as well as the boy, a strong predilection for bread-and-butter, and a stronger arm to take it withal, thought proper to help himself to that to which the boy had already been helped. In short, he snatched the bread-and-butter, and made short work of it, for it was in his pouch in a moment.

"Upon this the boy set up a yell, which attracted my notice to this violation of the articles of war, to which the baboon was equally amenable as any other person in the ship, for it is expressly stated in the preamble of every article, 'all who are _in_, or _belonging_ to.' Whereupon I jumped off the carronade and, by way of assisting his digestion, I served out to the baboon _monkey's allowance_, which is more kicks than halfpence! The master reported that the heavens intimated that it was twelve o'clock, and, with all the humility of a captain of a man-of-war, I ordered him to 'make it so'; whereupon it was made, and so passed that day.

"I do not remember how many days it was afterwards that I was on the carronade as usual, about the same time, and all parties were precisely in the same situations--the master by my side, the baboon under the booms, and the boy walking out of the cabin with his bread-and-butter. As before, he again passed the baboon, who again snatched the bread-and-butter from the boy, who again set up a squall, which again attracted my attention. I looked round, and the baboon caught my eye, which told him plainly that he'd soon catch what was not at all _my eye_; and he proved that he actually thought so, for he at once put the bread-and-butter back into the boy's hands!

"It was the only instance of which I ever knew or heard of a monkey being capable of self-denial where his stomach was concerned, and I record it accordingly. This poor fellow, when the ship's company were dying of the cholera, took that disease, went through all its gradations, and died apparently in great agony."

XVIII

THE PILOT OF PORT CREEK

The sun, low in the west, was sinking behind a heavy cloudbank, which, to nautical eyes, portended fog at sea.

A mariner, far out in the Channel, in a small boat, was shading his eyes with his hand and gazing towards the south-western horizon.

The lad--he was not more than eighteen--was calculated to attract attention. He was of fine physique. His hair shone like burnished gold. His eyes were deep blue, clear, and bright. A marked firmness was about his mouth and chin; and when he seized the oars and rowed to counteract the boat's leeway caused by the tide, the grip of his hands was as that of a vice.

He was the pilot of Port Creek--no official title, but one given him by a lawless set of men amongst whom, for many years, his lot had been cast.

Astern, faint and indistinct, loomed the low-lying coast-line. One could only judge it to be a wild, inhospitable shore.

The sun disappeared, and the shades of night began to fall. Suddenly the clouds parted, and a ray of sunshine shot obliquely down towards the south-west.

The pilot immediately muttered: "That's well!"

The bright ray had struck the dark sails of a lugger, and in her he had recognised the craft he had come out to pilot to a fateful destination.

Smartly he ran up a small lugsail, and set his boat's head towards the stranger. She was black hulled, and with a rakish rig that gave her the appearance of being a fast sailer.

At the critical moment, when it appeared the lugger was about to cut him down, the pilot suddenly ported helm, and ran his boat under the lugger's side. Smartly he lowered his sail and fastened on the vessel with his boathook.

"Heave a rope!" called he. "I'm coming on board."

"And who are you?" asked a swarthy man, who had been watching from the lugger's bows.

"I bring a message to your captain."

"Catch, then!" and a coil of rope went curling through the air.

The pilot deftly caught it, and hitched the end to the bow of his boat.

"Carry it astern, and make fast!" ordered he, like one accustomed to command. "She'll tow till I want her."

The boat dropped astern, but the pilot nimbly boarded the lugger.

A powerful man in reefer jacket, sou'-wester, and sea-boots greeted him with--

"You seem pretty free with strangers, my lad."

The pilot held out a piece of paper. The captain took it and read--

"_It is by our order and for the good of the cause that the bearer is authorised to act._"

The signature was a rude hieroglyphic. The captain's manner immediately showed that he recognised it, and respected it.

"Am I to understand that you take command?"

The pilot bowed, and tendered a second paper. The captain read--

"_Should the bearer fail to accomplish that which he has undertaken, it will be for the captain of the_ 'Swift' _to see that he gives no further trouble._"

A wicked gleam came into the captain's eyes.

"If you fail in that which you are instructed to do--and which I know nothing of at present--this is your death-warrant?"

"It is."

"Then see you fail not."

"Rely on it, I shall not fail!"

The words were spoken in such cold, deliberate tones that the captain--a man who boasted he knew not fear--shivered as though from the touch of an icy hand.

"What are your orders?" presently asked the captain, eyeing him keenly.

"To pilot the lugger to the head of Port Creek, where friends await her cargo. The old landings are played out; but who would suspect a lugger to effect a run in the creek _after dark_?"

"No human hand could steer that course!"

"Yet I am here."

"The thing is impossible!"

"The tide flows at midnight. My orders are to go in with the rising tide and bring you out on the ebb, that you may make a good offing before dawn."

"It cannot be done! I'll not have the risk----"

"You have your commands, I my orders," coldly interrupted the pilot.

"Then I'll execute mine to the letter!"

"And I--we shall see."

He bent low over the binnacle, afterwards glancing swiftly shoreward.

"Keep her away a couple of points. We'll come about presently and fetch the creek on the other tack, just after dark, and with the tide half made."

Long and intently the captain studied the boy's fearless face. Then he began to recall an almost forgotten memory.

"Boy," said he suddenly, "you remind me of some one I have known."

The pilot's gaze remained as steady as his own, but there was a slight expression of cynicism playing about his mouth.

"Ay!" continued the captain, seeming to speak his thoughts aloud. "The eyes are the same, just as they looked that night when I---- Bah!" recovering himself. "What a fool I am! This new venture unmans me."

The pilot did not seem to hear, but his eyes seemed to glow with a green sheen, as the gathering gloom obscured his face. A violent emotion was possessing him.

"Boy!" again cried the captain, "you interest me. How comes it that one so young holds so responsible a position in the cause?"

"By past services have I been judged."

"Come, tell me the story."

"As you will."

"You will find me a ready listener."

"Be it so; but not yet. Now set the course north-west. A single light here at the binnacle, and no other to show from anywhere on board. As soon as we are in the creek, see that the sails are smartly trimmed to my order. There'll be little time to spare."

The captain passed the word, and began to moodily pace the deck. He had never thought to question the genuineness of the two papers. There stood the pilot, his life forfeited by any failure tending to bring disaster upon the lugger; and it was a good guarantee.

Anon the captain glanced at the pale, set face of the pilot, on which the diffused light from the binnacle lantern feebly shone. For the second time that evening the captain shivered, and without being able to define the cause. He felt strangely ill at ease. Accustomed to daring ventures, the present seemed sheer recklessness. Who was this determined boy? Why did his presence bring back a fateful memory of the past?

The darkness deepened, and was further intensified by the cold, grey fog. The wind was light, but a steady up-Channel draught. The lugger was creeping in under mainsail and jib, her other sails being furled.

The pilot took over the helm, and ordered the man he relieved to go forward. At the same time the captain came and stood by the binnacle.

"What is our position?" shortly asked he.

"We are within the creek," replied the pilot. "Hark! Don't you hear the grinding of the shingle away over the port bow? As soon as the sound comes from windward we'll have her on the port tack, and thus we'll clear Boulder Ledge."

"It sounds fair sailing; but I liken it to going blindly into a trap," retorted the captain.

"Haul on the main-sheet! Steady, forward, with the jib!" And the pilot starboarded his helm.

Again the captain shivered. Who was this, who held death so lightly? His own gloomy forebodings came upon him with redoubled force. What manner of pilot was this, to whom night was as day?

"Boy!" he cried shortly, "why are you here?"

"You read my orders."

"Yes; but----"

Again the pilot caused an interruption by shifting helm.

"Who are you?" hoarsely cried the captain.

"Well, sixteen years ago to-night--steady, cap'n!" for the man had staggered as though from the effect of a mortal blow.

"Avast! Who and what are you?" The captain's voice was deep and menacing.

"The pilot of Port Creek. I have no other name--at least, it suits me to forget it."

"What was your father?"

"A mariner."

"His name?"

"Wait!" and the pilot luffed till the sails shook. A peculiar vibration passed throughout the lugger's timbers, and her way was gently arrested.

"We're aground! You have failed!" cried the captain, and drew a pistol from his belt.

"Wait!" And again the pilot spoke in cold, disdainful tones. One might have counted a hundred. It was terrible suspense. The captain's finger was toying with the trigger of his pistol. The pilot stood immovable, the disdainful smile deepening upon his lips. "Ease off the main-sheet!" cried he, as he turned his ear to windward. There came a stronger puff of wind, a bigger wave rolled up under the lugger's stern, she lifted, and immediately glided forward--free!

"You lost your reckoning, my lad!" cried the captain.

"A slight error of judgment. The tide has made somewhat less than I anticipated."

"What is our position?"

"We scraped on the Sandstone Ledge," grimly. "'Twas a close shave--for me!"

"And did you doubt----"

"No. But put up your pistol and I'll get on with my story--unless you'd rather not listen."

"No, no! Go on!"

The pilot stood steady at the helm, his eyes fixed on the binnacle, each movement of the compass-needle a sign for his ready hands to obey. Anon a concise order to shift a sail fell from his lips, for in spite of his interrupted conversation with the captain his every action showed a trained alertness.

Again he took up the thread of his story--

"'Twas my father's death made me--what I am." The pause was ominous. "He was one of us--a smuggler."

"Ah!"

"A run had been planned----"

"I----"

"My father was young and daring. To him was entrusted the most venturesome part of the night's work. But I am anticipating. He had a rival--a man who sought my mother. But she was true to my father."

"I remember----"

"Steady, cap'n! You may have known him--perchance he was once your friend?"

"No, no!" hoarsely. "He--I----"

A bright light suddenly flashed through the fog, and from right ahead.

"A signal?" cried the captain.

"From a friend," and the pilot ported helm. "'Tis a dangerous spot hereabouts, so nothing has been left to chance. We're now abreast of Green Point. Steady, lads, for the next tack!"

Shortly another light flashed right upon the lugger's bows. The pilot jammed over the helm to starboard. There was a slight shock, and something grated along the lugger's side.

"All clear now, cap'n; but 'twas a narrow go. We grazed Rudder Rock! The fool stationed there with the light flashed it a full minute too late!"

"Boy, you must have dealings with----"

"Steady, cap'n! Your nerves are unstrung. Perhaps the conclusion of my story 'll steady them. Well, the venture that was planned was no less than to take the goods in under Black Rock, and have them hauled up the face of the cliff. In the end 'twas safely done--to all but my father. He had been lowered down to fasten on the bales. Those who were out that night came back saying he had fallen from the cliff. They recovered his body the next day, and they found the piece of rope around the mangled corpse had been cut."

"Ay, by the rocks."

"No, no! A poor fellow who witnessed the act was shot by the hand that cut the rope; but he lived long enough to tell my mother the truth."

"Or a parcel of lies."

"Dying men don't lie, cap'n! I was born that same night. Years afterwards, when I was old enough to understand--when my mother was on her deathbed--she told me the story; and my last word to her was a promise to hunt down my father's murderer."

"And you have failed!" cried the captain.

"Let go the anchor!" cried the pilot. "See, cap'n, I'll bring her head up into the wind, and she'll ride with her sails set. Off with the hatches, my lads!"

A bright light flashed three times from left to right. The pilot took the lantern and waved responsive signals.

"All's well!" cried he. "Cap'n, you will see to the getting up of the goods."

Taken off his guard, the captain stepped to the hatchway, gave a few orders, and seemed to recollect something. But the binnacle light was out, and the pilot had disappeared! The captain caught at the rope by which his boat had been towing astern. It came in without resistance; it had been cut!

"We are betrayed!" cried the captain. "Hark! Friends or foes!" as a number of boats came quickly alongside.

"Surrender in the King's name!" was the response.

* * * * *

The desperate encounter that ensued is written in the history of those lawless times. Suffice it that the captain and his crew paid the full penalty of their many crimes.

The pilot, having fulfilled his vow, was no more seen upon that part of the coast. To have remained would have been to forfeit his life, for the betrayed smugglers had many friends.

But the old chronicles from which I have compiled this story go on to say that he secured a berth in the navy, and years afterwards trod the quarter-deck of a man-of-war.

_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London and Bungay._

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Kukri' altogether to their taste. The heroic deeds called forth by
England's 'little wars' along the Indian frontier--the dashing
exploits of the Gurkhas and others of our native allies--the
coolness with which the handful of Englishmen in India met the
outbreak of the Great Mutiny--all these are narrated in stirring
language by an author whose local knowledge is extensive and exact.

LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

* * * * *

The Boy's Library of Adventure & Heroism.

+MELTONIANS ALL!+ By F. COWLEY WHITEHOUSE. With three coloured illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

A capital boy's book, giving a stirring account of life in a great
public school. All three heroes of the tale are very attractive to
the reader, while the touch of tragedy describing the noble
self-sacrifice of one of them further deepens the interest of this
lively story.

_The Daily Mail_ says: 'A thoroughly healthy school story, which
touches neither too lightly nor too heavily upon the
responsibilities of boyhood.'

_The Globe_ says: 'A splendid schoolboy's story, in which pluck,
honesty and steadfastness are winners every time.'

_The English Churchman_ says: 'A very well written story-book for
boys, dealing with school life in a lively style.'

+MYDDLETON'S TREASURE.+ By ERNEST PROTHEROE, Author of 'That Boy of Fraser's,' 'Bob Marchant's Scholarship,' &c. With three coloured illustrations by J. MACFARLANE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

Entering the railway service, Jasper Myddleton worked his way up to
the footplate only for the past to rise up against him and cause
his dismissal. But his grit and dogged pertinacity carried him
safely through various adventures at sea and in Central Africa. He
discovered the 'Real King Solomon's Mines,' but in 'Kiddy,' a
little girl-friend, he found the greatest treasure of all. The plot
is particularly attractive, and the reader will follow Myddleton's
vigorous, moving career with sustained interest.

+THE BAYMOUTH SCOUTS.+ By TOM BEVAN, Author of 'The Goldsmith of Chepe,' 'A Trooper of the Finns,' &c. With four coloured illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

This is a story of the days of Napoleon, and his threatened
invasion of England. Two boys are kidnapped and carried to France,
from where, after many adventures, they escape and return to
England, bringing with them a lady and her daughter, who had been
ruined by the Revolution. It is especially suited for Boy Scouts.

LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

* * * * *

STORIES FOR BOYS.

By TALBOT BAINES REED.

_The name of Talbot Baines Reed will always be associated with fascinating, healthy stories for boys, dealing with public school life, and early business careers. No writer has been able more skilfully to give his characters a real personality, or to portray more faithfully their failures, sharp struggles and final successes._

+THE ADVENTURES OF A THREE-GUINEA WATCH.+

With Seven Full-page and Sixteen other Illustrations in the Text. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

A straightforward story of school-life, and of the duties and
temptations of young men entering upon the work of life. The kind
of book to rejoice the heart of the boy who gets it as a Christmas
or Birthday present.

+THE COCK HOUSE AT FELLSGARTH. A Public School Story.+

With Seven Full-page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

A splendid story of school life. The rollicking fun of the juniors,
the rivalry among the seniors, the school elections, the football
match, are told in such a forcible manner that the tale will prove
a source of delight to all boys--young and old.

+THE FIFTH FORM AT ST. DOMINIC'S. A Public School Story.+

With Seven Full-page and Eight other Illustrations in the Text. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

A lively story, abounding in stirring incident and in humorous
descriptions. A thoroughly healthy tale to place in the hands of a
boy. It ought to become popular both as a gift and prize book.

+A DOG WITH A BAD NAME.+

With Seven Full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

The story of a big ungainly youth who seemed fated to be
misunderstood and to be made the butt of his comrades. His trials
at school, and as a tutor, and the unsympathetic treatment by his
guardian are delightfully told.

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

STORIES FOR BOYS.

By TALBOT BAINES REED.

+ROGER INGLETON, MINOR.+

With Seven Full-page Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

_The Guardian_ says:--"Mr. Talbot Baines Reed knows how to tell a
story, and he does himself justice in 'Roger Ingleton, Minor,' in
which he makes an excellent book out of the return of a long-lost
half-brother who had gone out alone into the world, many years
previously, after a bitter quarrel with his father. The discovery
of the missing brother is not accomplished without many exciting
incidents, out of which Mr. Reed weaves his plot."

_The Aberdeen Free Press_ says:--"This story has a modern
atmosphere. The plot is very skilfully constructed and the interest
is maintained up to the last page."

+SIR LUDAR: A Story of the Days of the Great Queen Bess.+

With Eleven Full-page Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

_The Guardian_ says:--"This stirring tale, which is played in the
days of Queen Elizabeth, and tells of the wonderful adventures of a
sturdy prentice-lad who contrived to crowd into a few years as much
danger and fighting and hairbreadth escapes as would have lasted an
army of ordinary folk for their whole lives. It is a capital book
for boys which those who begin reading will have to finish. Mr.
Pearse's illustrations, too, are very good."

_The Aberdeen Free Press_ says:--"This is a stirring tale of
adventure with plenty of fighting."

+PARKHURST BOYS, and other Stories of School Life.+

With Seven Full-page and many other Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

In this volume are brought together a large number of the
miscellaneous stories written from time to time for the _Boy's Own
Paper_ by Talbot Baines Reed. The collection is prefaced by an
appreciation of Mr. Reed as boy and man, and it contains some of
his best work and his brightest wit. There are seven sketches of
life at Parkhurst School; eleven character delineations of "Boys we
have known"--such as "The Bully," "The Sneak"; twelve
representations of "Boys of English History"; and seven other short
stories of boy life and interest.

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

The Boy's Own Series.

_A Series of Books for Boys by well-known Writers, containing Stories of School Life, Adventures on Sea and Land, Stories of Old England, &c. Well illustrated, handsomely bound, cloth gilt, large crown 8vo, 2s. 6d._

+BOB MARCHANT'S SCHOLARSHIP.+ By ERNEST PROTHEROE. With seven illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The School Guardian_ says: 'A very readable tale with plenty of
"go" in it.'

_The Manchester Courier_ says: 'An attractive story of schoolboy
life.'

_The Spectator_ says: 'Here we have a story of adventure, the scene
of action being what is called the educational ladder. Bob Marchant
wins a scholarship ... which takes him to Orville College, a
first-grade school.... The subject is worth treating, and should
not be less interesting than the perils by flood and field which
commonly form the themes of these stories.'

+THE HEROISM OF LANCELOT.+ By JEANIE FERRY. With three coloured illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

This book will be read with eager interest and profit by all boys
and girls. The author has produced quite a number of beautiful
characters, and some the reverse of beautiful. Lancelot is
undoubtedly the hero, and a splendid one, too, but there are
several heroines who run him close in the race of unselfishness and
purity of character. Boys will vote the book 'jolly' and
'stunning,' and unconsciously they will have themselves imbibed a
wholesome draught from a carefully written and good story.

+JACK SAFFORD: A Tale of the East Coast.+ By WILLIAM WEBSTER. With three coloured illustrations by ERNEST PRATER. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

A breezy boy's book of adventures in the North Sea. It will be sure
to interest lads who are leaving school, and are wondering what the
future holds in store for them. Honesty, bravery, and a readiness
to seize opportunities for advancement are upheld in this
well-written story.

_The British Weekly_ says: 'The book is full of adventure, and is
most readable.'

_The Liverpool Daily Post_ says: 'A story of adventure on sea and
land, which boys will read with avidity, for Jack, among other
things, had to find the way out of a very awkward predicament.'

LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

* * * * *

The Boy's Own Series.

+FROM SLUM TO QUARTER-DECK.+ By GORDON STABLES, M.D., R.N., Author of 'Wild Life in Sunny Lands,' 'The Voyage of the "Blue Vega,"' &c. With six illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

The hero of Dr. Gordon Stables' new work is a London boy about
whose origin there is a mystery, which is skilfully dealt with and
satisfactorily solved. A story of the sea, which the author's many
admirers will be eager to read.

_The Record_ says: 'It is a bright and breezy volume, and will
please boys immensely.'

_The Schoolmaster_ says: 'This is a good rattling story of a street
arab who has a series of interesting and exciting adventures.'

_The United Methodist_ says: 'Real stirring adventures are sprung
upon us in such unique fashion that we hesitate to give prospective
readers an inkling as to their sequence.'

+ALLAN ADAIR; or, Here and There in Many Lands.+ By GORDON STABLES, M.D., R.N., Author of 'In the Land of the Lion and the Ostrich.' With coloured frontispiece and title-page. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The Examiner_ says: 'Allan Adair, the only son of his widowed
mother, distinguishes himself as a lad in helping to save a vessel
in distress, and in return is offered a berth by the owners in one
of their ships. Of course he accepts, and a life of world-wide
travel and incident is the result. Among many exciting episodes may
be mentioned shooting "rattlers" in the Sierras, encounters with
narwhals and bears in the Arctic regions, a hairbreadth escape on
the terrible ice-river of Spitzbergen, and adventures among the
savages of Patagonia.'

+GALLANT SIR JOHN.+ By SARDIUS HANCOCK, Author of 'The Cruise of the Golden Fleece,' &c. With three coloured illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

'Gallant Sir John' is a stirring, exciting tale of the days when
Henry V. was gaining successive victories in France. At the same
time Wyckliffe's Bible was being circulated by the Lollards, who
were being hounded to exile, outlawry and death by the priests of
Rome. Once begun this story will hold the reader to the end, for he
will be taken into the very heart of those troublous times, and
will witness many a thrilling scene.

LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

* * * * *

THE BOY'S OWN SERIES.

+THE SHELL-HUNTERS: Their Wild Adventures by Land and Sea.+

By GORDON STABLES, author of "Allan Adair," etc. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

This is one of Dr. Gordon Stables' stories of adventure. A
middle-aged man and a couple of boys make a voyage of discovery in
the South Seas. The tale is full of exciting incidents and
hairbreadth escapes so dear to the heart of all boys; and it has
the advantage of being cleverly illustrated by ALFRED PEARSE.

+HAROLD, THE BOY EARL. A Story of Old England.+

By J. F. HODGETTS, author of "Kormak the Viking," etc. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

+ILDERIM, THE AFGHAN. A Tale of the Indian Border.+

By DAVID KER. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

David Ker, the author of "The Lonely Island," has here written a
stirring and highly imaginative tale of India and the North-West
Frontier. The heroes are men of high character, and a bright,
healthy moral tone is maintained throughout.

+ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.+

By ONE WHO WAS BORN THERE, author of "Annie Carr," etc. Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The Guardian_ says:--"The pictures of the South Sea Islanders are
evidently drawn from life, and the accounts of the kidnappers, both
cannibal and slave-hunting, are well told and full of grim
interest."

_The Methodist Times_ says:--"The book is a true record of the
adventures of the son of a South Sea Island Missionary. The writer
begins at the beginning--at his earliest whippings--and goes on
through escapades by land and sea. He narrowly escapes poisoning by
_carea_ and is in an awful tornado. Perils by famine, by murder, by
heathen superstition, by sharks, by pestilence, by white
slave-traders, bring before the reader vividly, life as it is in
the savage islands of the South."

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

THE BOY'S OWN SERIES.

+UNTRUE TO HIS TRUST; or, Plotters and Patriots.+

By HENRY JOHNSON, author of "Turf and Table," "A Book of Heroes," etc. With Five Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The Times_ says:--"A tale that is well-conceived and interesting."

_The Sheffield Independent_ says:--"A piece of masterly historical
painting."

_The British Weekly_ says:--"A well written and readable book that
conveys a great deal of instruction. The period of Charles II. has
been very carefully studied."

+THE VOYAGE OF THE STORMY PETREL.+

By W. C. METCALF. With Three Illustrations by LANCELOT SPEED. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The Glasgow Herald_ says:--"Possesses all the qualities which
young readers for whom it is intended can best appreciate. These
are narrow escapes and strange experiences, and adventures full of
excitement both on land and sea. The volume has some exciting
illustrations."

_The English Churchman_ says:--"A good story of adventure."

_The Liverpool Courier_ says:--"This is a stirring tale of an
adventurous voyage in which exciting incidents follow one another
in rapid succession."

+DUCK-LAKE. Stories of the Canadian Backwoods.+

By E. RYERSON YOUNG, With Seven Illustrations by J. MACFARLANE. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

_The Sheffield Daily Independent_ says:--"It is a spirited story of
the Canadian backwoods, in three sections. The characters include
Canadian settlers and North American Indians. A number of
well-drawn illustrations assist the young reader to realise the
physical type of the people who move in the story."

_The Dundee Courier_ says:--"A sectional story of the Canadian
backwoods and admirably told. The bush life of the settlers is
pictured with a graphic pen, and there are a number of sensational
episodes, a bear hunt among the number."

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

THE BOY'S OWN SERIES.

+THE SETTLERS OF KAROSSA CREEK, and Other Stories of Australian Bush Life.+

By LOUIS BECKE, author of "Tom Wallis," "Wild Life in the Southern
Seas," etc., etc. With Three Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I.
Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

"The Settlers of Karossa Creek" is a rattling yarn which proves
conclusively that the right hand of Louis Becke has not lost its
cunning. It is a book that all healthy-minded boys will revel in,
full of stirring adventures relating to the bush life of Australia
and the islands of the Pacific. "The Settlers of Karossa Creek"
will stir the blood of every lad and stimulate the impulses to
patience, endurance, brave daring, and true knightliness. The
health-giving fragrance of the sea and the free, glad, open life of
new lands are in it from first page to last.

+THE SPECIMEN HUNTERS.+

By J. MACDONALD OXLEY, B.A., author of "North Overland with Franklin," "Archie Mackenzie." Illustrated. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

Mr. Macdonald Oxley, who knows so well how to tell a story of
adventure and peril--here takes his young heroes out to India and
the Far East, with a learned Professor whose duty it is to obtain
specimens of beasts and birds. Their ramblings and the Professor's
tasks bring them into a succession of highly critical situations,
in which their lives are often in extreme peril. The qualities of
self-control, manliness and courage are in constant demand. Boys
and girls--more especially those with a taste for travel and
natural history--should find the book "irresistible."

+THE ADVENTURES OF TIMOTHY.+

By E. C. KENYON. With Four Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 2s. 6d.

A story of adventure during the great Civil War, when King Charles
I. and his Parliament resorted to the arbitrament of the sword to
decide who should have the mastery. The hero is a Roundhead, and
the heroine is a charming young person, whose hand a hard-hearted
guardian seeks to dispose of in a manner to which her heart
consents not. The author is not carried into any excess of
partisanship, though his sympathies are obvious, and we can
confidently recommend the story as a very good specimen of grand
historical romance. The air resounds to the clashing of swords--so
to say--but the love element occupies the place of supreme interest
throughout, and will hold the interest of the reader without fail.

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

STORIES FOR BOYS.

+THROUGH FIRE and THROUGH WATER. A Story of Adventure and Peril.+

By T. S. MILLINGTON, author of "Straight to the Mark," etc. With Sixteen Illustrations. Large crown 8vo, 2s.

_The School Guardian_ says:--"To boys who like plenty in their
books and that of a decidedly stirring order, 'Through Fire and
Through Water' may be highly commended. Jack Smith's ambition to be
a sailor and how it was finally gratified notwithstanding the
obstacles that intervene, his capture by Algerian pirates, and his
subsequent rescue.... The story never flags for a moment; it goes
with a swing from start to finish."

_The Story of Chalmers' Adventurous Life told for Boys._

+TAMATE: The Life and Adventures of a Christian Hero.+

By RICHARD LOVETT, M.A., author of "James Chalmers: his Autobiography and Letters," etc. With Two Maps and Fifteen Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I., printed in double tone ink. "Christian Heroes" Series, No. 1. Large crown 8vo, Cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

_The Christian Leader_ says:--"The story of the great New Guinea
missionary and explorer cannot be told too often. Here it is told
to boys, and it will be strange indeed if it does not at once prove
a real success. James Chalmers was as brave a man as ever lived.
His exploits and hairbreadth escapes were legion, and it is
practically a series of these that are narrated in the present
volume, with all the rapidity and spirit that the boyish temper
loves. The writer has to some extent made use of the materials
already drawn up for his biography, but he has had access also to
letters and diaries hitherto unpublished, and from these vivid
pages we gain a clearer idea than ever of his hero. A lion-hearted
soul! The boy reader will find him irresistible."

+CONDEMNED TO THE GALLEYS. The Adventures of a French Protestant.+

By JEAN MARTEILHE. With Seven Illustrations by E. Barnard Lintott. "Christian Heroes" Series, No. 2. Large crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.

_The Expository Times_ says:--"Let the boy who wants authentic
history and excitement combined read 'Condemned to the Galleys,' by
Jean Marteilhe."

_The Northern Whig_ says:--"It is a most interesting and reliable
work, giving a story which reads like the most fascinating fiction,
but is really the genuine history of the sufferings and adventures
of a young Protestant."

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, LONDON.

* * * * *

Every Boy's Bookshelf.