Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's note: Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

THE GREAT QUEST

THE
GREAT QUEST

_A romance of 1826, wherein are recorded
the experiences of Josiah Woods of Topham,
and of those others with whom he sailed
for Cuba and the Gulf of Guinea._

BY

CHARLES BOARDMAN HAWES
Author of "The Mutineers"

_Illustrated by_
GEORGE VARIAN

_The_ ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS
BOSTON

Copyright, 1920, 1921

By THE TORBELL COMPANY

(Publishers of _The Open Road_)

Copyright, 1921
By CHARLES BOARDMAN HAWES

First Impression, September, 1921
Second Impression, January, 1922

_Printed in the United States of America_

_To_
MY FATHER AND MOTHER

CONTENTS

I
AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE

I The Stranger 3
II My Uncle Behaves Queerly 12
III Higgleby's Barn 18
IV Swords and Ships 26
V A Mysterious Project 36

II
HANDS ACROSS THE SEA

VI Good-bye to Old Haunts and Faces 49
VII A Wild Night 63
VIII The Brig Adventure 81
IX An Old Sea Song 87

III
A LOW LAND IN THE EAST

X Matterson 99
XI New Light on an Old Friend 109
XII Captain North Again 119
XIII Issues Sharply Drawn 132
XIV Land Ho! 137

IV
THREE DESPERATE MEN

XV The Island 151
XVI Strangest of All 165
XVII The Man from the Jungle 173
XVIII A Warning Defied 185
XIX Burned Bridges 193

V
THE HOUSE ON THE HILL

XX Up Stream 201
XXI A Grim Surprise 212
XXII Siege 225
XXIII Sortie 234

VI
FOR OUR VERY LIVES

XXIV Spears in the Dark 247
XXV Cards and Chess 252
XXVI An Unseen Foe 261
XXVII The Fort Falls 268
XXVIII Down the Current 283
XXIX The Fight at the Landing 295

VII
THE LONG ROAD HOME

XXX The Cruiser 307
XXXI A Passage at Arms 321
XXXII Westward Bound 332
XXXIII The Door of Disaster 340
XXXIV An Old, Old Story 352
XXXV Eheu Fugaces! 357

ILLUSTRATIONS

_I gave a quick jerk--literally my foot was held,--I lost my
balance and all but went over_ Frontispiece

_Clapping his hand to the wound, the landlord went white
and leaned back against the bar_ 78

"_In the name of Heaven, Neil, don't tell! Don't tell!_" 142

_There in a chair by the table sat a stark skeleton dressed in
good sound clothes_ 220

_And with that the two sat down by the board ... and began
perhaps the most extraordinary game of chess that ever
two men played_ 258

I

OLD ACQUAINTANCE

THE GREAT QUEST