CHAPTER XXIII_The Girl Crusoes: A Story of the South Seas

THE HOME-COMING

Who can describe the happiness of friends long parted when they meet

again! As there is a grief too deep for tears, so there is a joy too

intense for words to express. Let the reader picture to herself the

meeting of uncle and nieces, the sober satisfaction of Mr. Purvis, the

ecstasy of little Dan Whiddon, the jolly faces of Long Jimmy, Sunny Pat

and the rest.

Uncle Ben's story was a simple and natural one. He had no sooner

launched the raft with all his crew on board, than the _Elizabeth_ went

down with a gurgle and was seen no more. The raft drifted about for

days at the mercy of every current, until it was sighted by a merchant

brig. The castaways were picked up, but in spite of Captain Barton's

entreaties the skipper would not alter his course to search for the

girls. He was bound for San Francisco with a perishable cargo, and

declared that he could not waste time and money scouring the South

Pacific for any females, even were they princesses or queens.

At San Francisco Captain Barton chartered a steamer. He never spoke of

the pang this must have cost him. Those who knew the old man guessed

how bitterly he felt the necessity, at the close of his career, of thus

tacitly admitting the superiority of steam over sails.

The steamer had made for Maku's island, Captain Barton hoping to enlist

the services of Mr. Corke and the people in the search for his nieces.

Learning on his arrival that Maku had disappeared, and that the

missionary had been carried away to the sacred island, he at once

started to rescue his friend. He was distressed at the interruption of

his primary quest, but when Mr. Corke's whereabouts was a certainty,

while his nieces' very existence was doubtful, he felt that the nearer

duty must be accomplished first. His delight at being able to rescue

the girls, his friend, and the old chief at the same time may be

imagined.

His action on the island was summary. On learning the state of

affairs, he sent the steamer along the shore to the spot where the

native canoes were beached, drove off the infuriated natives with a

warning shot from his brass gun, and had the canoes towed out to sea.

He said he did not hold with revolutions, and meant to reinstate Maku

in his old chiefdom. Since those of his disaffected subjects who had

come to the island were the mystery men and their principal supporters,

he decided to leave them there with their new chief, having learnt that

they would have no difficulty in finding sustenance. He would carry

back Maku and Fangati with the missionary to their island, and to

ensure that they should not be molested by the revolutionaries he

determined to take the canoes in tow, and so leave them without the

means of crossing the sea.

The girls left the scene of their adventures without regret. Looking

back upon their life there, they acknowledged that it had been on the

whole happy, and their terrors seemed trifling now that they were free

from them. Tommy did not fail to seek for her parrot, which she found

disconsolate in the boat, and which, she declared, spoke to her for the

first and last time in its life when she took it up and perched it on

her shoulder. She was very reluctant to part with Fangati, and tried

to persuade her uncle to take her back to England with them; but the

old man assured her that the girl was happier in her own land, and put

an end to the subsequent discussion with one of his crusted aphorisms.

There is a little town in Surrey which, though not far from London,

preserves a good deal of the charm of the country. Its roads are

shaded with unlopped trees; its houses lie amid pleasant gardens; and

being away from the main routes it is not devastated by motor cars.

In the front garden of one of the houses rises a tall white mast,

complete with yards and halyards. Over the entrance stands the model

of a full-rigged barque. In the hall a white parrot spends a placid

but noisy existence. These emblems of the nautical life are confined

to the front of the house; at the back there is a tennis lawn, a

well-kept flower garden, with glass-houses, and an orchard.

Captain Barton was advised to take this house by his lawyer, who wished

to let it for a client. A tramp through Deptford and Rotherhithe soon

convinced him that, however well suited those riverside suburbs may

have been to seafaring men in the days of Queen Bess, they did not

offer much attraction nowadays to a retired mariner with three nieces.

And having assured himself that the country town in question had an

excellent high school for girls, with a practising school attached, he

followed his lawyer's advice--for once in a way, as he said.

Elizabeth keeps house for him, spending a good deal of time in the

garden. She is assisted there by Dan Whiddon, who does not grow very

fast, although the Captain makes him climb the mast once a day for the

sake of stretching his limbs. Mary is learning how to teach, and Tommy

is in the fifth form at school, champion in tennis, and a dashing

forward in the hockey team. Her first reports made her uncle screw up

his mouth, and rub his bald pate, and ask Elizabeth what on earth was

to be done with a minx like that. "Has good abilities, but lacks

application," he quoted. "Much too talkative. Has lost too many

conduct marks this term." Elizabeth begged him to be patient, assuring

him that Tommy would turn out quite well in time. And as the same

mistresses who penned the above remarks are all wonderfully fond of

Tommy, and she is the most popular girl in the school, it is evident

that she has at least one most enviable quality, the power of winning

friends.

A visitor often comes to the house, at whose appearance Captain Barton

retires to his den and grumps and growls over his beloved pipe. The

young electrical engineer whom the girls had met in Valparaiso will

certainly get on in the world, if dogged persistence has its reward.

Though they had then been unable to give him any address, and had held

no communication with him since, they had not been settled more than a

week before he called. "The impudence of the fellow!" said Captain

Barton inwardly, when Elizabeth introduced the visitor. Through the

wreaths of smoke from his pipe the worthy Captain sees visions of

Elizabeth keeping house for some one else, and the poor man, I fear it

must be confessed, is jealous. Tommy looks on with a humorous twinkle

in her eye.

"Poor old Nunky!" she thinks. "He's wondering what in the world he'll

do when Bess is married, and Mary's away teaching, and he's left to the

tender mercies of _Me_!"

But I have watched many girls in my time, and I shouldn't be at all

surprised if Tommy--she will have her hair up and be Miss Katherine

Westmacott then--develops into a very capable housekeeper. She will

certainly be what an old lady friend of mine calls "a bit of sunshine

in the home."

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

BOOKS FOR GIRLS

PUBLISHED BY

HENRY FROWDE AND HODDER & STOUGHTON

THE RED BOOK FOR GIRLS

EDITED BY

Mrs. HERBERT STRANG

A miscellany for girls, containing a large number of complete original

stories by popular writers; extracts from great authors; articles and

poems. Illustrated with 12 plates in colour by HUGH THOMSON, W. R. S.

STOTT, N. M. PRICE, CHARLES PEARS, and other artists, and numerous

black and white drawings. 288 pages. Crown 4to, cloth, 3/6; picture

boards, cloth back, 2/6; also in full gilt, 5/-.

SOME OF THE CONTENTS

PAULINA'S ADVENTURE. By MARY COWDEN CLARKE.

ABOU CASSEM'S OLD SLIPPERS.

AN IOWA HEROINE. By AMY BARNARD.

ANNE ELIZABETH. By ALICE MASSIE.

CATHERINE DOUGLAS. By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE.

THE LAST STRAW. By ESMEE RHOADES.

MAGGIE RUNS AWAY. By GEORGE ELIOT.

THE DOG AND MAISIE. By MRS. HERBERT STRANG.

ENID'S ADVENTURE. By BESSIE MARCHANT.

THE YOUNG TOY-MAKERS. By MABEL QUILLER-COUCH.

MY MONKEY JACKO. By FRANK BUCKLAND.

Stories by Popular Authors

CHRISTINA GOWANS WHYTE

Uncle Hilary's Nieces

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges.

6/-.

Until the death of their father, the course of life of Uncle Hilary's

nieces had run smooth; but then the current of misfortune came upon

them, carried them, with their mother and brothers, to London, and

established them in a fiat. Here, under the guardianship of Uncle

Hilary, they enter into the spirit of their new situation; and when it

comes to a question of ways and means, prove that they have both

courage and resource. Thus Bertha secretly takes a position as

stock-keeper to a fashionable dressmaker; Milly tries to write, and has

the satisfaction of seeing her name in print; Edward takes up

architecture and becomes engrossed in the study of "cupboards and

kitchen sinks"; while all the rest contribute as well to the

maintenance of the household as to the interest of the story.

"We have seldom read a prettier story than ... 'Uncle Hilary's Nieces.'

... It is a daintily woven plot clothed in a style that has already

commended itself to many readers, and is bound to make more

friends."--_Daily News_.

The Five Macleods

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt

edges. 6/-.

The modern Louisa Alcott! That is the title that critics in England

and America have bestowed on Miss Christina Gowans Whyte, whose

"Story-Book Girls" they declare to be the best girls' story since

"Little Women." Like the Leightons and the Howards, the Macleods are

another of those delightful families whose doings, as described by Miss

Whyte, make such entertaining reading. Each of the Five Macleods

possesses an individuality of her own. Elspeth is the eldest--sixteen,

with her hair "very nearly up"--and her lovable nature makes her a

favourite with every one; she is followed, in point of age, by the

would-be masterful Winifred (otherwise Winks) and the independent Lil;

while little Babs and Dorothy bring up the rear.

"Altogether a most charming story for girls,"--_Schoolmaster_.

Nina's Career

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt

edges. 6/-.

"Nina's Career" tells delightfully of a large family of girls and boys,

children of Sir Christopher Howard. Friends of the Howards are Nina

Wentworth, who lives with three aunts, and Gertrude Mannering.

Gertrude is conscious of always missing in her life that which makes

the lives of the Howards so joyous and full. They may have "careers";

she must go to Court and through the wearying treadmill of the rich

girls. The Howards get engaged, marry, go into hospitals, study in art

schools; and in the end Gertrude also achieves happiness.

"We have been so badly in need of writers for girls who shall be in

sympathy with the modern standard of intelligence, that we are grateful

for the advent of Miss Whyte, who has not inaptly been described as the

new Miss Alcott."--_Outlook_.

The Story-Book Girls

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges. 6/-.

This story won the £100 prize in the Bookman competition. The

Leightons are a charming family. There is Mabel, the beauty, her

nature strength and sweetness mingled; and Jean, the downright, blunt,

uncompromising; and Elma, the sympathetic, who champions everybody, and

has a weakness for long words. And there is Cuthbert, too, the clever

brother. Cuthbert is responsible for a good deal, for he saves

Adelaide Maud from an accident, and brings the Story-Book Girls into

the story. Every girl who reads this book will become acquainted with

some of the realest, truest, best people in recent fiction.

"It is not too much to say that Miss Whyte has opened a new era in the

history of girls' literature.... The writing, distinguished in itself,

is enlivened by an all-pervading sense of humour."--_Manchester

Courier_.

A NEW ALBUM FOR GIRLS

My Schooldays

In four forms: Velvet Calf, boxed, 8/6 net; Padded Leather, 6/- net;

Leather (or Parchment tied with ribbon), 5/- net; Cloth, olivine edges,

2/6 net.

An album in which girls can keep a record of their schooldays. In

order that the entries may be neat and methodical, certain pages have

been allotted to various different subjects, such as Addresses,

Friends, Books, Matches, Birthdays, Concerts, Holidays, Theatricals,

Presents, Prizes and Certificates, and so on. The album is beautifully

decorated throughout.

J. M. WHITFELD

Tom who was Rachel

A Story of Australian Life. Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON.

Large crown 8vo, cloth, olivine edges. 5/-.

This is a story of Colonial life by an author who is new to English

readers. In writing about Australia Miss Whitfeld is, in a very

literal sense, at home; and no one can read her book without coming to

the conclusion that she is equally so in drawing pen portraits of

children. Her work possesses all the vigour and freshness that one

usually associates with the Colonies, and at the same time preserves

the best traditions of Louisa Alcott. In "Tom who was Rachel" the

author has described a large family of children living on an up-country

station; and the story presents a faithful picture of the everyday life

of the bush. Rachel (otherwise Miss Thompson, abbreviated to "Miss

Tom," afterwards to "Tom,") is the children's step-sister; and it is

her influence for good over the wilder elements in their nature that

provides the real motive of a story for which all English boys and

girls will feel grateful.

ELSIE J. OXENHAM

Mistress Nanciebel

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine

edges. 5/-.

This is a story of the Restoration. Nanciebel's father, Sir John

Seymour, had so incurred the displeasure of King Charles by his

persistent opposition to the threatened war against the Dutch, that he

was sent out of the country. Nothing would dissuade Nanciebel from

accompanying him, so they sailed away together and were duly landed on

a desolate shore, which they afterwards discovered to be a part of

Wales. Here, by perseverance and much hard toil, John o' Peace made a

new home for his family, in which enterprise he owed not a little to

the presence and constant help of Nanciebel, who is the embodiment of

youthful optimism and womanly tenderness.

"A charming book for girls."--_Evening Standard_.

WINIFRED M. LETTS

The Quest of The Blue Rose

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine

edges. 5/-.

After the death of her mother, Sylvia Sherwood has to make her own way

in the world as a telegraph clerk. The world she finds herself in is a

girls' hostel in a big northern city. For a while she can only see the

uncongenial side of her surroundings; but when she has made a friend

and found herself a niche, she begins to realize that though the Blue

Rose may not be for her finding, there are still wild roses in every

hedge. In the end, however, Sylvia, contented at last with her

hard-working, humdrum life, finds herself the successful writer of a

book of children's poems.

"Miss Letts has written a most entertaining work, which should become

very popular. The humour is never forced, and the pathetic scenes are

written with true feeling."--_School Guardian_.

Bridget of All Work

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges. 5/-.

The scene of the greater part of this story is laid in Lancashire, and

the author has chosen her heroine from among those who know what it is

to feel the pinch of want and strive loyally to combat it. There is a

charm about Bridget Joy, moving about her kitchen, keeping a light

heart under the most depressing surroundings. Girl though she is, it

is her arm that encircles and protects those who should in other

circumstances have been her guardians, and her brave heart that enables

the word Home to retain its sweetness for those who are dependent on

her.

"Miss Letts has written a story for which elder girls will be grateful,

so simple and winning is it; and we recognize in the author's work a

sense of character and ease of style which ought to ensure its

popularity."--_Globe_.

MABEL QUILLER-COUCH

The Carroll Girls

Illustrated, 5/-.

The father of the Carroll girls fell into misfortune, and had to go to

Canada to make a new start. But he could not take his girls with him,

and they were left in charge of their cousin Charlotte, in whose

country home they grew up, learning to be patient, industrious, and

sympathetic. The author has a dainty and pleasant touch, and describes

her characters so lovingly that no girl can read this book without keen

interest in Esther's housekeeping and Penelope's music, Angela's

poultry-farming, and Poppy's dreams of market-gardening.

ANNA CHAPIN RAY

Teddy: Her Daughter

Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine edges.

3/6.

Many young readers have already made the acquaintance of Teddy in Miss

Anna Chapin Ray's previous story, "Teddy: Her Book." The heroine of the

present story is Teddy's daughter Betty--a young lady with a strong

will and decided opinions of her own. When she is first introduced to

us she is staying on a holiday at Quantuck, a secluded seaside retreat;

and Miss Ray describes the various members of this small summer

community with considerable humour. Among others is Mrs. Van Hicks, a

lady of great possessions, but little culture, who seeks to put people

under a lasting obligation to her by making friends with them. On

hearing that a nephew of this estimable lady is about to arrive at

Quantuck, Betty makes up her mind beforehand to dislike him. At first

she almost succeeds, for, like herself, Percival has a temper, and can

be "thorny" at times. As they come lo know each other better, however,

a less tempestuous state of things ensues, and eventually they cement a

friendship that is destined to carry them far.

Nathalie's Sister

Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine edges.

3/6.

Nobody knows--or cares--much about Nathalie's Sister at the opening of

this story. She is, indeed, merely Nathalie's Sister, without a name

of her own, shining with a borrowed light. Before the end is reached,

however, her many good qualities have received the recognition they

deserve, and she is Margaret Arterburn, enjoying the respect and

admiration of all her friends. Her temper is none of the best: she has

a way of going direct to the point in conversation, and her words have

sometimes an unpleasant sting; yet when the time comes, she reveals

that she is not lacking in the qualities of gentleness and affection,

not to say heroism, which many young readers have already learned to

associate with her sister Nathalie.

Nathalie's Chum

Illustrated in Colour by DUDLEY TENNANT. Crown 8vo, cloth extra,

olivine edges. 3/6.

This story deals with a chapter in the career of the Arterburn family,

and particularly of Nathalie, a vivacious, strong-willed girl of

fifteen. After the death of their parents the children were scattered

among different relatives, and the story describes the efforts of the

eldest son, Harry, to bring them together again. At first there is a

good deal of aloofness, owing to the fact that, having been kept apart

for so long, the children are practically strangers to each other; but

at length Harry takes his sister Nathalie into his confidence and makes

her his ally in the management of their small household, while she

finds in him the chum of whom she has long felt the need.

"Another of those pleasant stories of American life which Miss Anna

Chapin Ray knows so well how to write."--_Birmingham Post_.

Teddy: Her Book

A Story of Sweet Sixteen.

Illustrated in Colour, by ROBERT HOPE. Crown 8vo, decorated cloth

cover, olivine edges. 3/6.

"Teddy is a delightful personage; and the story of her friendships, her

ambitions, and her successes is thoroughly engrossing."--_World_.

"To read of Teddy is to love her."--_Yorkshire Daily Post_.

Janet: Her Winter in Quebec

Illustrated in Colour by GORDON BROWNE. Crown 8vo, decorated cloth

cover, olivine edges. 3/6.

"The whole tone of the story is as bright and healthy as the atmosphere

in which these happy months were spent."--_Outlook_.

"The sparkle of a Canadian winter ripples across Anna Chapin Ray's

'Janet.'"--_Lady's Pictorial_.

L. B. WALFORD

A Sage of Sixteen

New Edition. Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth,

olivine edges. 3/6.

Elma, the heroine of this story, is called a sage by her wealthy and

sophisticated relations in Park Lane, with whom she spends a

half-holiday every week, and who regard her as a very wise young

person. The rest of her time is passed at a small boarding school,

where, as might be supposed, Elma's friends look upon her rather as an

ordinary healthy girl than as one possessing unusual wisdom. The story

tells of Elma's humble life at school, her occasional excursions into

fashionable society; the difficulties she experiences in her endeavour

to reconcile the two; and the way in which she eventually wins the

hearts of those around her in both walks of life.

L. T. MEADE

The Beauforts

New Edition. Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth.

2/6.

This is one of Mrs. Meade's pleasant stories of girl life. It deals

with the fortunes of a family in straitened circumstances, the father

of which has a gift for poetry that publishers refuse to recognize. In

spite of his many failures, his daughter Patty does not lose faith in

her father's genius; she supports him in his trials; and eventually

reaps the reward that her constancy has merited.

ANNIE MATHESON

A Day Book for Girls

Containing a quotation for each day of the year, arranged by ANNIE

MATHESON, with Colour Illustrations by C. E. BROCK.

Leather, with special emblematic design in gold, 3/6 net; cloth, 2/6

net.

Miss Annie Matheson is herself well known to many as a writer of hymns

and poetry of a high order. In "A Day Book for Girls" she has brought

together a large number of extracts both in poetry and prose, and so

arranged them that they furnish an inspiring and ennobling watchword

for each day of the year. Miss Matheson has spared no pains to secure

variety and comprehensiveness in her selection of quotations; her list

of authors ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Mr. Swinburne, and includes

many who are very little known to the general public.

SOME BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

PUBLISHED BY

HENRY FROWDE and HODDER & STOUGHTON

BOOKS FOR BOYS

By HERBERT STRANG

"_Boys who read Mr. Strang's works have not merely the advantage of

perusing enthralling and wholesome tales, but they are also absorbing

sound and trustworthy information of the men and times about which they

are reading._"--DAILY TELEGRAPH.

Humphrey Bold

Chances and Mischances by Land and Sea.

Illustrated in Colour by W. H. MARGETSON. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges, 6s.

In this story are recounted the many adventures that befell Mr.

Humphrey Bold of Shrewsbury, from the time when, a puny slip of a boy,

he was befriended by Joe Punchard, the cooper's apprentice (who nearly

shook the life out of his tormentor, Cyrus Vetch, by rolling him down

the Wyle Cop in a barrel), to the day when, grown into a sturdy young

giant, he sailed into Plymouth Sound as first lieutenant of the Bristol

frigate. The intervening chapters teem with exciting incidents,

telling of sea-fights with that redoubtable privateer Duguay Trouin; of

Humphrey's escape from a French prison; of his voyage to the West

Indies and all the perils he encountered there; together with an

account of the active service he saw under that grim old English

seaman, Admiral Benbow.

_Glasgow Herald_.--"So felicitous is he in imparting local colour to

his narrative that whilst reading it we have found ourselves thinking

of Thackeray. This suggests a standard by which very few writers of

boys' books will bear being judged. The majority of them are content

to provide their young friends with mere reading. Herbert Strang

offers them literature."

Rob the Ranger

A Story of the Fight for Canada.

Illustrated in Colour by W. H. MARGETSON, and three Maps. Crown 8vo,

cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.

Rob Somers, son of an English settler in New York State, sets out with

Lone Pete, a trapper, in pursuit of an Indian raiding party which has

destroyed his home and carried off his younger brother. He is captured

and taken to Quebec, where he finds his brother in strange

circumstances, and escapes with him in the dead of the winter, in

company with a little band of stout-hearted New Englanders. They are

pursued over snow and ice, and in a log hut beside Lake Champlain

maintain a desperate struggle against a larger force of French,

Indians, and half-breeds, ultimately reaching Fort Edward in safety.

_Glasgow Herald_.--"If there had ever been the least doubt as to Mr.

Herbert Strang's pre-eminence as a writer of boys' books, it would be

very effectually banished by this latest work of his."

One of Clive's Heroes:

A Story of the Fight for India.

With Illustrations by W. RAINEY, R.I., and Maps. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 6s.

Desmond Burke goes out to India to seek his fortune, and is sold by a

false friend of his, one Marmaduke Diggle, to the famous Pirate of

Gheria. But he escapes, runs away with one of the Pirate's own

vessels, and meets Colonel Clive, whom he assists to capture the

Pirate's stronghold. His subsequent adventures on the other side of

India--how he saves a valuable cargo of his friend, Mr. Merriman,

assists Clive in his fights against Sirajuddaula, and rescues Mr.

Merriman's wife and daughter from the clutches of Diggle--are told with

great spirit and humour. Mr. Strang lived for several years in India,

and tells a great deal about the country, the natives, and their ways

of life which he saw with his own eyes.

_Athenaeum_.--"An absorbing story.... The narrative not only thrills,

but also weaves skilfully out of fact and fiction a clear impression of

our fierce struggle for India."

Samba

A Story of the Congo.

Illustrated by W. RAINEY, R.I. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine

edges, 5s.

The first work of fiction in which the cause of the hapless Congo

native is championed.

_Standard_.--"It was an excellent idea on the part of Mr. Herbert

Strang to write a story about the treatment of the natives in the Congo

Free State.... Mr. Strang has a big following among English boys, and

anything he chooses to write is sure to receive their appreciative

attention."

_Journal of Education_.--"We are glad that a writer who has already won

for himself a reputation for good and vigorous work should have taken

up the cause of the rubber slaves of the Congo."

_Scotsman_.--"Mr. Herbert Strang has written not a few admirable books

for boys, but none likely to make a more profound impression than his

new story of this year."

The Red Book for Boys.

Edited by HERBERT STRANG.

A miscellany for Boys, containing a large variety of complete stories

and articles by well-known writers; episodes and narratives of

adventure; poems, etc.

288 pages, with 12 Plates in Colour, and many Illustrations in black

and white. Picture boards, cloth back, 2s. 6d.

_Some of the Contents._

TRAPPED. By G. A. HENTY.

THE PUNISHMENT OF KHIPIL. By GEORGE MEREDITH.

A MODERN ODYSSEUS. By L. QUILLER-COUCH.

FOREST ADVENTURES. By HERBERT STRANG.

HIS FATHER'S HONOUR. By Captain GILSON.

THE HIGHWAYMAN. By ALFRED NOYES.

OCEAN LINERS, PAST AND PRESENT. By FRANK H. MASON.

Barclay of the Guides:

A Story of the Indian Mutiny.

Illustrated in Colour by H. W. KOEKKOEK. With Maps. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 5s.

Of all our Native Indian regiments the Guides have probably the most

glorious traditions. They were among the few who remained true to

their salt during the trying days of the great Mutiny, vying in

gallantry and devotion with our best British regiments. The story

tells how James Barclay, after a strange career in Afghanistan, becomes

associated with this famous regiment, and though young in years, bears

a man's part in the great march to Delhi, the capture of the royal

city, and the suppression of the Mutiny.

With Drake On the Spanish Main

Illustrated in Colour by ARCHIBALD WEBB. With Maps. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 5s.

A rousing story of adventure by sea and land. The hero, Dennis

Hazelrig, is cast ashore on an island in the Spanish Main, the sole

survivor of a band of adventurers from Plymouth. He lives for some

time with no companion but a spider monkey, but by a series of

remarkable incidents he gathers about him a numerous band of escaped

slaves and prisoners, English, French and native; captures a Spanish

fort; fights a Spanish galleon; meets Francis Drake, and accompanies

him in his famous adventures on the Isthmus of Panama; and finally

reaches England the possessor of much treasure. The author has, as

usual, devoted much pains to characterisation, and every boy will

delight in Amos Turnpenny, Tom Copstone, and other bold men of Devon,

and in Mirandola, the monkey.

_School Guardian_.--"Another of Mr. Herbert Strang's masterful stories

of adventure and romance."

Swift and Sure

The Story of a Hydroplane.

Illustrated in Colour Crown 8vo, cloth. 2s. 6d.

What the aeroplane is to the air the hydroplane promises to be to the

sea. This story is a companion volume to "King of the Air" and "Lord

of the Seas," a forecast of what may be expected from the progress of

mechanical invention in the near future.

Lord of the Seas

A Story of a Submarine.

Illustrated in Colour Crown 8vo, cloth extra. 2s. 6d.

The present day is witnessing a simultaneous attack by scientific

investigation on the problems of aerial and submarine locomotion. In

his book "King of the Air" Mr. Strang gave us a romance of modern

aeronautics. In "Lord of the Seas" we have a companion volume dealing

with the marvels of submarine navigation.

King of the Air

or, To Morocco on an Airship.

Illustrated in Colour by W. E. WEBSTER. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d.

In this story (Mr. Herbert Strang's second half-crown book) the young

hero, having a strong turn for mechanical invention, contrives a

machine that represents a great advance on what has previously been

accomplished in the direction of aerial navigation. He has nearly

perfected his invention when a British diplomatist is captured by

tribesmen in Morocco, and his assistance is invoked in order to rescue

the captive without negotiations that may involve international

difficulties. The story tells of the exciting and amusing adventures

that befell him and his companions in their perilous mission.

_Morning Leader_.--"One of the best boys' stories we have ever read."

Jack Hardy:

or, A Hundred Years Ago.

Illustrated by W. RAINEY, R.I. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d.

The old smuggling days! What visions are called up by the name--of

stratagems, and caves, and secret passages, and ding-dong fights

between sturdy seamen and dashing King's officers! It is in these

brave days of old that Mr. Herbert Strang has laid the scenes of his

story "Jack Hardy." Jack is a bold young middy who, in the course of

his duty to the King, falls into all manner of difficulties and

dangers: has unpleasant experiences in a French prison, escapes by

sheer daring and ingenuity, and turns the tables on his captors in a

way that will make every British boy's heart glow.

_Athenaeum_.--"Herbert Strang is second to-none in graphic power and

veracity.... Here is the best of characterisation in bold outline."

_HERBERT STRANG'S HISTORICAL SERIES_

This new series is quite unique. Its aim is to encourage a taste for

history in boys and girls up to fourteen years of age by giving all the

important events and movements of a reign or period intermingled with a

rousing story of adventure. While the stories are worth reading for

their own sakes, they are also worth reading--especially on the eve of

an examination--by a boy or girl who in class or in school text-book

has worked up the "dry history" of the period. Each volume contains,

besides the story, a general summary, a chronological list of important

events, and a map. Much care has been devoted to the "get-up" of these

books. They contain about 160 pages each, with four beautiful

illustrations in full colour. Cloth, 1s. 6d. each.

In the New Forest: A Story of the Reign of William the Conqueror.

Lion Heart: A Story of the Reign of Richard I.

Claud the Archer: A Story of the Reign of Henry V.

One of Rupert's Horse: A Story of the Reign of Charles I.

With the Black Prince: A Story of the Reign of Edward III.

A Mariner of England: A Story of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth.

With Marlborough to Malplaquet: A Story of the Reign of Queen Anne.

_Practical Teacher_.--"These Stories, which are bright and stirring,

are sufficiently simple to be within the grasp of the children, the

descriptions of life and manners are accurate, and the history of the

period is interwoven in a skilful manner."

By CAPTAIN CHARLES GILSON

The Lost Empire

A Tale of Many Lands.

Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. With Map. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 6s.

To found a great Empire in the East was one of the designs of Napoleon

Bonaparte, and he might possibly have carried it out, had not certain

events happened, which are related in this story. Amongst these were

the Battle of the Nile, and the discovery of Napoleon's plans of

campaign, in each of which incidents the hero, Mr. Thomas Nunn,

Midshipman, was concerned. He was captured and taken to Paris, and it

was here that the plans of campaign fell into his hands; what he did

with them forms the material of an exciting story.

_Daily News_.--"It is a magnificent story, with not an error of phrase

or thought in it.... This book is not only relatively good, but

absolutely so."

The Lost Column

A Story of the Boxer Rebellion.

Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. With Map. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 6s.

At the outbreak of the great Boxer Rebellion in China, Gerald Wood, the

hero of this story, was living with his mother and brother at Milton

Towers, just outside Tientsin. When the storm broke and Tientsin was

cut off from the rest of the world, the occupants of Milton Towers made

a gallant defence, but were compelled by force of numbers to retire

into the town. Then Gerald determined to go in quest of the relief

column under Admiral Seymour. He carried his life in his hands, and on

more than one occasion came within an ace of losing it; but he managed

to reach his goal in safety, and was warmly commended by the Admiral on

his achievement. The author has found opportunity in this record of

stirring events for some excellent characterisation, and, among others,

the matter-of-fact James, Mr. Wang, and Mr. Midshipman Tite will be

found diverting in the extreme.

_Outlook_.--"An excellent piece of craftsmanship."

_Ladies' Field_.--"All the sketches of Chinese character are excellent,

and we read the book with delight from the first page to the last."

By WILLIAM J. MARX

For the Admiral.

Illustrated. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 6s.

The brave Huguenot Admiral Coligny is one of the heroes of French

history. Edmond le Blanc, the son of a Huguenot gentleman, undertakes

to convey a secret letter of warning to Coligny, and the adventures he

meets with on the way lead to his accepting service in the Huguenot

army. He shares in the hard fighting that took place in the

neighbourhood of La Rochelle, does excellent work in scouting for the

Admiral, and is everywhere that danger calls. The story won the £100

prize offered by the Bookman for the best story for boys.

_Academy_.--"It is much the best book of its kind sent in for review

this season, and stands head and shoulders above its rivals."

By DESMOND COKE

The School Across the Road

Illustrated in Colour by H. M. BROCK. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges, 5s.

The incidents of this story arise out of the uniting of two

schools--"Warner's" and "Corunna"--under the name of "Winton," a name

which the head master fondly hopes will become known far and wide as a

great seat of learning. Unfortunately for the head master's ambition,

however, the two sets of boys--hitherto rivals and enemies, now

schoolfellows--do not take kindly to one another. Warner's men of

might are discredited in the new school; Henderson, lately head boy,

finds himself a mere nobody; while the inoffensive Dove is exalted and

made prefect. The feud drags on until the rival factions have an

opportunity of uniting against a common enemy. Then, in the enthusiasm

aroused by the overthrow of a neighbouring agricultural college, the

bitterness between themselves dies away, and the future of Winton is

assured.

_Sheffield Daily Telegraph_.--"Its literary style is above the average

and the various characters are thoroughly well drawn."

The Bending of a Twig

Illustrated in Colour by H. M. BROCK. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges, 5s.

When "The Bending of a Twig" was first published it was hailed by

competent critics as the finest school story that had appeared since

"Tom Brown." Then, however, it was purely a story about boys; now Mr.

Coke has enlarged and partly rewritten it, and made it more attractive

to schoolboy readers. It is a vivid picture of life in a modern public

school. The hero, Lycidas Marsh, enters Shrewsbury without having

previously been to a preparatory school, drawing his ideas of school

life from his fertile imagination and a number of school stories he has

read. Needless to say, he experiences a rude awakening on commencing

his new career, for the life differs vastly from what he had been led

to expect. How Lycidas finds his true level in this new world and

worthily maintains the Salopian tradition is the theme of this

entrancing book.

_Outlook_.--"Mr. Desmond Coke has given us one of the best accounts of

public school life that we possess.... Among books of its kind 'The

Bending of a Twig' deserves to become a classic."

The House Prefect

By DESMOND COKE, author of "The Bending of a Twig," etc. Illustrated

in Colour by H. M. BROCK. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 5s.

This story of the life at Sefton, a great English public school, mainly

revolves around the trouble in which Bob Manders, new-made house

prefect, finds himself, owing to a former alliance with the two wild

spirits whom, in the interests of the house, it is now his chief task

to suppress. In particular does the spirited exploit with which it

opens--the whitewashing by night of a town statue and the smashing of

certain school property--raise itself against him, next term, when he

has been set in authority. His two former friends persist in still

regarding him as an ally, bound to them by their common secret; and, in

a sense, he is attracted to their enterprises, for in becoming prefect

he does not cease to be a boy. It is a great duel this, fought in the

studies, the dormitories and upon the field.

_World_.--"Quite one of the books of the season. Mr. Desmond Coke has

proved himself a master."

By A. C. CURTIS

The Voyage of the "Sesame"

A Story of the Arctic.

Illustrated in Colour by W. HERBERT HOLLOWAY. Crown 8vo, cloth

elegant, olivine edges, 5s.

The three Trevelyan brothers receive from a dying sailor a rough chart

indicating the whereabouts of a rich gold-bearing region in the Arctic.

They forthwith build a craft, specially adapted to work in the Polar

Seas, and set out in quest of the gold. They do not have things all

their own way, however, for a rival party of treasure seekers have got

wind of the old sailor's El Dorado, and are also on the trail. In the

race and fighting that ensue, the brothers come off victorious; and

after a voyage fraught with many dangers, the Sesame returns home with

the gold on board.

_Educational News_.--"The building of the stout ship Sesame at Dundee

is one of the best things of the kind we have read for many a day."

The Good Sword Belgarde

or, How De Burgh held Dover

Coloured Illustrations by W. H. C. GROOME. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant,

olivine edges, 5s.

This is the story of Arnold Gyffard and John Wottos, pages to Sir

Philip Daubeney, in the days when Prince Lewis the Lion invaded England

and strove to win it from King John. It tells of their journey to

Dover through a country swarming with foreign troops, and of many

desperate fights by the way. In one of these Arnold wins from a French

knight the good sword Belgarde, which he uses to such good purpose as

to make his name feared. Then follows the great siege of Dover, full

of exciting incident, when by his gallant defence Hubert de Burgh keeps

the key to England out of the Frenchman's grasp.

_Birmingham Post_.--"Evidently Mr. Curtis is a force to be reckoned

with. He writes blithely of gallant deeds; he does not make his heroes

preposterously wise or formidable; he has a sense of humour; in fine,

he has produced a book of sterling quality."

By GEORGE SURREY

A Northumbrian in Arms

A Story of the Time of Hereward the Wake.

Illustrated in Colour by J. FINNEMORE. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine

edges, 5s.

Garald Ulfsson, companion of Hereward the Wake and conqueror of the

Wessex Champion in a great wrestling bout, is outlawed by the influence

of a Norman knight, whose enmity he has aroused, and gees north to

serve under Earl Siward of Northumbria in the war against Macbeth, the

Scottish usurper. He assists in defeating an attack by a band of

coast-raiders, takes their ship, and discovering that his father has

been slain and his land seized by his enemy, follows him into Wales.

He fights with Griffith the Welsh King, kills his enemy in a desperate

conflict amidst the hills, and, gaining the friendship of Harold, Earl

of Wessex, his outlawry is removed and his lands restored to him.

_School Guardian_.--"With this story the author has placed himself in

the front rank of writers of boys' books."

By FRANK H. MASON

The Book of British Ships

Written and Illustrated by FRANK H. MASON, R.B.A. Crown 8vo, cloth,

olivine edges, 5s.

The aim of this book is to present, in a form that will readily appeal

to boys, a comprehensive account of British shipping, both naval and

mercantile, and to trace its development from the earliest times down

to the Dreadnoughts and high-speed ocean liners of to-day. All kinds

of British ships, from the battleship to the trawler, are dealt with,

and the characteristic points of each type of vessel are explained.

_British Weekly_.--"Mr. Mason has given us one of the best histories of

English ships that exist. It is admirably written and full of

information."

By Rev. J. R. HOWDEN

Locomotives of the World

Containing 16 Plates in Color, 5s. net.

Many of the most up-to-date types of locomotives used on railways

throughout the world are illustrated and described in this volume. The

coloured plates have been made from actual photographs, and show the

peculiar features of some truly remarkable engines. These

peculiarities are fully explained in the text, written by the Rev. J.

R. Howden, author of "The Boy's Book of Locomotives," etc.

_Daily Graphic_.--"An absolutely safe investment for every boy who

loves an engine."

_Nation_.--"The large coloured pictures of the world's engines are just

the things in which the young enthusiast delights."

THE ROMANCE SERIES

Crown 8vo, illustrated, 5s. each.

By EDWARD FRASER

The Romance of the King's Navy

"The Romance of the King's Navy" is intended to give boys of to-day an

idea of some of the notable events that have happened under the White

Ensign within the past few years. There is no other book of the kind

in existence. It begins with incidents afloat during the Crimean War,

when their grandfathers were boys themselves, and brings the story down

to a year ago, with the startling adventure at Spithead of Submarine

84. One chapter tells the exciting story of "How the Navy's V.C.'s

have been won," the deeds of the various heroes being brought all

together here in one connected narrative for the first time.

_Westminster Gazette_.--"Mr. Fraser knows his facts well, and has set

them out in an extremely interesting and attractive way."

By A. B. TUCKER

The Romance of the King's Army

A companion volume to "The Romance of the King's Navy," telling again

in glowing language the most inspiring incidents in the glorious

history of our land forces. The charge of the 21st Lancers at

Omdurman, the capture of the Dargai heights, the saving of the guns at

Maiwand, are a few of the great stories of heroism and devotion that

appear in this stirring volume.

By LILIAN QUILLER-COUCH

The Romance of Every Day

Here is a bookful of romance and heroism; true stories of men, women,

and children in early centuries and modern times who took the

opportunities which came into their everyday lives and found themselves

heroes; civilians who, without beat of drum or smoke of battle, without

special training or words of encouragement, performed deeds worthy to

be written in letters of gold.

_Bristol Daily Mercury_.--"These stories are bound to encourage and

inspire young readers to perform heroic actions."

By E. E. SPEIGHT and R. MORTON NANCE

The Romance of the Merchant Venturers

Britain's Sea Story.

These two books are full of true tales as exciting as any to be found

in the story books, and at every few pages there is a fine

illustration, in colour or black and white, of one of the stirring

incidents described in the text.

BOOKS FOR GIRLS

By CHRISTINA GOWANS WHYTE

The Five Macleods

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt

edges, 6s.

Nina's Career

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt

edges, 6s.

The modern Louisa Alcott! That is the title that critics in England

and America have bestowed on Miss Christina Gowans Whyte, whose

"Story-Book Girls" they declare to be the best girls' story since

"Little Women." Mrs. E. Nesbit, author of "The Would-be Goods," in

likening Miss Whyte to Louisa Alcott, wrote: "This is high praise--but

not too high." "Nina's Career" tells delightfully of a large family of

girls and boys, children of Sir Christopher Howard, the famous surgeon.

Friends of the Howards are Nina Wentworth, who lives with three aunts,

and Gertrude Mannering. Gertrude, because she is the daughter of the

Mrs. Mannering and grand-daughter of a peer, is conscious of always

missing in her life that which makes the lives of the Howards so joyous

and full. They may have "careers"; she must go to Court and through

the wearying treadmill of the rich girls. The Howards get engaged,

marry, go into hospitals, study in art schools; and in the end Gertrude

also achieves happiness.

_Outlook_.--"We have been so badly in need of writers for girls who

shall be in sympathy with the modern standard of intelligence, that we

are grateful for the advent of Miss Whyte, who has not inaptly been

described as the new Miss Alcott."

The Story-Book Girls

By CHRISTINA GOWANS WHYTE.

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Cloth elegant, 6s.

This story won the £100 prize in the Bookman competition.

The Leightons are a charming family. There is Mabel, the beauty, her

nature strength and sweetness mingled; and Jean, the downright, blunt,

uncompromising; and Elma, the sympathetic, who champions everybody, and

has a weakness for long words. And there is Cuthbert, too, the clever

brother. Cuthbert is responsible for a good deal, for he saves

Adelaide Maud from an accident, and brings the Story-Book Girls into

the story. Every girl who reads this book will become acquainted with

some of the realest, truest, best people in recent fiction.

By WINIFRED M. LETTS

The Quest of the Blue Rose

Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. Crown 8vo, cloth, olivine

edges, 5s.

After the death of her mother, Sylvia Sherwood has to make her own way

in the world as a telegraph clerk. The world she finds herself in is a

girls' hostel in a big northern city. For a while she can only see the

uncongenial side of her surroundings; but when she has made a friend

and found herself a niche, she begins to realise that though the Blue

Rose may not be for her finding, there are still wild roses in every

hedge. In the end, however, Sylvia, contented at last with her

hard-working, humdrum life, finds herself the successful writer of a

book of children's poems.

_Daily News_.--"It is a successful effort in realism, a book of live

human beings that beyond its momentary interest, which is undoubted,

will leave a lasting and valuable impression."

By ELSIE J. OXENHAM