Chapter I: Front Matter

THE WHITE BLACKBIRD

BY HUDSON DOUGLAS

AUTHOR OF "A MILLION A MINUTE," "THE LANTERN OF LUCK," ETC

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY

HERMAN PFEIFER

BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1912

_Copyright, 1912_,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

_All rights reserved, including those of translation into
foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_

Published, September, 1912

THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. SIMONDS & CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.

FOR
ISOBEL MY WIFE
AND
OUR DAUGHTER ISOBEL

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A TROPICAL DISCUSSION 1

II. "DUTCH COURAGE" 11

III. EL FARISH 18

IV. THE MASQUE OF DEATH 28

V. AFLOAT AND ASHORE 38

VI. HOBSON'S CHOICE 51

VII. THE WHITE BLACKBIRD 64

VIII. UNMASKED 80

IX. AN OVERDRAFT ON THE FUTURE 91

X. THE GODDESS OF CHANCE 107

XI. A FOOL AND HIS FORTUNE 119

XII. THE PRICE OF FREEDOM 130

XIII. A MASTERSTROKE 143

XIV. "SALLIE HARRIS" 156

XV. THE LAW--AND THE PROFITS 169

XVI. "PLEASURES AND PALACES" 184

XVII. THE MAN IN POSSESSION 195

XVIII. THE LOSER 205

XIX. THE WINNER 217

XX. BEGGAR-MY-NEIGHBOUR 232

XXI. THE JURA SUCCESSION 243

XXII. THE PARTY OF THE FIRST PART 259

XXIII. A NEW IDEA 271

XXIV. BY RIGHT OF PURCHASE 280

XXV. THE WHITE LADY 295

XXVI. A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH 306

XXVII. DEBIT AND CREDIT 320

XXVIII. ISHMAEL'S HERITAGE 332

XXIX. PRIDE'S PRICE 342

XXX. THE TENTH EARL 350

XXXI. "AT THE END OF THE PASSAGE" 358

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"FEEL MY PULSE NOW, BEFORE YOU GO," THE PSEUDO-DOCTOR'S
PATIENT COMMANDED. (_SEE PAGE 32_) _frontispiece_

"YOU WON'T FORGET," HE URGED, GRAVE AGAIN 89

SOMETHING VERY LIKE FEAR LOOKED OUT OF HIS EYES 258

SHE TOUCHED WITH HER LIPS THE BACK OF THE TOIL-STAINED
HAND 322

The White Blackbird