GABRIEL.
I know not how to set down properly such a narrative as this, and,
therefore, should be excused for such mistakes as may occur through
ignorance and inexperience.
It is with the attack upon Georgetown that I must end this portion of
the adventures which befell Percy and myself during the time we served
under General Marion, and it may be the story should be continued
straight on without any heed whatsoever to those who fought with us,
although in the same squad.
Whether it be right or wrong, I cannot well neglect to speak of the
part played by that other party of twenty who volunteered their lives
as eagerly as did we who followed Captain Melton, and what I write
concerning them must, of course, be from hearsay.
Therefore it seems to me proper to tell first the story of Colonel
Horry's squad, as I have heard it related again and again, before
attempting to set down that which I know of my own knowledge.
When the forty volunteers were divided into two squads there was
no time lost, as I have already said, in setting forward upon that
mission which we believed could be fully accomplished only through
the sacrifice of us all, and we parted at the limits of the temporary
halting place, Captain Melton leading his force to the right, while
Colonel Horry began the reconnoiter by bearing to the left.
As to what befell the first squad, this is as I have heard it related:
They continued on through the woods until near to daybreak, when, as
Colonel Horry himself has said, and I am now quoting from his official
account, he "laid an ambuscade, with my twenty men, near the road.
About sunrise a chair appeared with two ladies escorted by two British
officers. I was ready in advance with an officer to cut them off, but
reflecting that they might escape, and alarm the town, which would
prevent my taking greater numbers, I desisted. The officers and chair
halted very near me, but soon the chair went on, and the officers
galloped into the town. Our party continued in ambush until 10 o'clock.
"Nothing appearing, and we having eaten nothing for many hours, retired
to a plantation not far distant, where I knew were to be found friends.
As soon as I entered the house four ladies appeared, two of whom were
Mrs. White and her daughter. I was asked what I wanted. I answered,
food, refreshment. The other two ladies were those whom I had seen
escorted by the British officers.
"The strange ladies seemed greatly agitated, and begged most earnestly
that I would go away. I kept my eye on Mrs. White, and saw she had a
smiling countenance, but said nothing. Soon she left the room, and I
left it also and went into the piazza, laid my cap, sword and pistols
on the long bench, and walked the piazza; when I discovered Mrs. White
behind the house chimney beckoning me.
"I got to her undiscovered by the young ladies, when she said:
'Colonel Horry, be on your guard; these two young ladies are just from
Georgetown; they are much frightened, and I believe the British are
leaving it and may soon attack you. As to provisions, I have plenty in
yonder barn, but you must affect to take them by force.'
"I begged her to say no more, for I was well acquainted with all such
matters. We both secretly returned, she to the room where the young
ladies were, and I to the piazza I had just left."
The colonel had no more than gained this point, when the sentinels gave
an alarm.
Two musket-shots told him that an enemy was near at hand, and almost
immediately afterward the firing became so rapid that he knew an
encounter was already begun.
That brave officer thought only of his men, and so nearly were the
interests of the squad allied, that he forgot all else save the desire
to be with them in the time of danger.
He rushed into the fight, forgetting to take with him even his
saber--intent only on being with those who had so well proven their
devotion to the Cause.
The British were seventeen in number, well armed, and commanded by a
brave fellow named Merritt; but they were taken by surprise.
The redcoats retreated, but turned in their flight to strike a blow,
and our men, believing they had been ordered on even to death, pursued
with fatal earnestness.
Of the enemy's force only two men escaped death or capture, and one of
these was the captain, of whom Colonel Horry writes:
"My men in succession came up with Captain Merritt, who was in the
rear of his party, urging them forward. They engaged him. He was a
brave fellow. Baxter, with pistols, fired at his breast, and missing
him, retired; Postell and Greene, with swords, engaged him; both were
beaten off. Greene nearly lost his head. His buckskin breeches were cut
through several inches. I almost blush to say that this one British
officer beat off three Americans. Merritt escaped to a neighboring
swamp, from whence, at midnight, he got to Georgetown."
I would it were possible for me to give as brief an account, with as
satisfactory an ending, regarding our portion of the reconnoiter.
As has been said, after crossing White's Bridge the two squads
separated, Colonel Horry's going toward the left and ours to the right.
Then it was, as we rode on slowly, mentally nerved for anything which
might happen and fully expecting sharp and bloody work at any instant,
that Gabriel Marion said, looking first at Percy and then at me:
"Perhaps it will never again be our good fortune, comrades, to have
such an opportunity of proving our metal as has come to us this night.
Now I am in nowise eager for death; but to my mind there is little fear
that the end be near at hand. Although the odds are so strongly against
us, we shall take this post of Georgetown, and I believe it because
my uncle, the major, is a careful, prudent soldier, never taking upon
himself chances that are utterly without hope, although many times the
fact may have seemed to be the reverse. We shall capture Georgetown,
comrades, and if either of us fails to come out alive, we have the
proud satisfaction of knowing that whatsoever befalls the Cause our
names must live among those who volunteered everything for freedom."
"I hold to it that this is not the time for such speeches," Gavin
Witherspoon said nervously; and had I not known him to be a man of
tried courage I should have said that at that moment he was afraid.
"These forty men who came forward so gallantly understood full well in
what kind of an adventure they were engaged. It does not prove that his
courage is the greatest who speaks overly much regarding the future."
"Meaning by such speech, that I had best hold my tongue," Gabriel said
with a laugh. "Perhaps you may be right, and yet there is upon me the
inclination to speak of what we have ventured, in order that I may
be the better able to appreciate life after it has been offered as a
sacrifice and refused."
"I guarantee that once we are come out from this expedition, you
will need no thought of the past to make you understand that we rode
down the very shadow of death, when we crossed yonder bridge, and
this I say, not because there is in my mind any foreknowledge of the
future, but from what I know regarding the enemy. I realize, without
being told, that ours is as desperate an undertaking as men can well
imagine."
"I am thinking that your words, Gavin Witherspoon, are as ill-timed as
were Gabriel's, for while he spoke of what might be our reward, you are
weighing, as it were, the chances against us, and to my mind it is not
pleasant," Percy said with an attempt at cheerfulness which I knew full
well was forced, and, stepping nearer to the lad, I grasped his hand,
an act which, perhaps, gave him as much encouragement as was in my mind
to impart.
Gabriel continued to speak of the future, as if he had no part in the
present, until word came that each man must hold himself silent because
we were come so near the town that there was good reason for believing
the enemy's sentinels might be close at hand.
We straggled on, each as he pleased, although there was some little
show of military formation. Captain Melton was allowed to remain in the
lead as he had stipulated, but we four comrades took good care not to
fall back more than two or three paces, for we were minded to bear the
brunt of the first encounter.
I had never before known what it was to advance against an enemy on
foot, and the fact of being without a horse gave me a certain sense of
uneasiness.
So far as we of these two advanced squads were concerned, there could
be no sudden dash; no spurring forward into the very midst of the
enemy. We must fight our way forward slowly, and, as it seemed to me,
at a disadvantage.
However, it is true that my courage did not fail me, although my hand
trembled with excitement, and my mouth was parched and dry as if I had
been many hours without water.
Gabriel had just thrown his arm over my shoulder, to show the affection
which was in his heart for us all, when the thud of horses' hoofs
directly in the front told that the enemy were on the alert.
Instantly we were halted, every man in a posture of defense, and I
venture to say that there was not one among us who did not wish he was
in the saddle.
"Hold steady, boys!" Captain Melton whispered. "Yonder comes the
patrol, and it may be they will turn before coming as far as this; but
if not, we have our work cut out for us. The enemy must not pass this
point lest our friends in the rear be discovered!"
Involuntarily we four had crouched upon our knees in such position that
we could use the muskets to good advantage, and thus we remained in
the front line while the horsemen galloped nearer and nearer until they
were absolutely upon us.
"Fire!" our commander shouted, and from that little squad of crouching
figures a line of fire flashed forth into the very nostrils of the
animals, causing them to rear and plunge madly, thus diverting our
bullets from their targets.
Three saddles were emptied when a full twenty would have been the
result of the volley had we fired one minute before, and then every man
among us began to reload his weapon with feverish haste, for but few
seconds could elapse before the Britishers would charge.
"This is what may be called a real battle!" Gabriel cried exultantly;
but no one replied.
Death for many of us was close at hand, and at such a time words do not
come readily.
I was ramming home the bullet in my musket when the horsemen again
dashed upon us from out the darkness; there came a roar as if a
thousand guns had been discharged at the same instant, and all before
me seemed to be a sheet of flame.
Of what followed during the next five or ten minutes I have no clear
idea.
Before me reared and plunged the British horses, while here, there and
everywhere I heard cries of rage or groans of mortal agony until it was
all a hideous, whirling, dancing picture in which I could distinguish
only the outlines of my comrades, who held their places bravely.
Side by side we fought against the redcoats, ignorant of the fact
that we were alone, and then came the moment when all our muskets were
emptied at the same instant.
The horsemen surrounded us; our weapons were of little service against
the sabers of the enemy, and we understood it, although there was no
thought of surrender in my mind until Gavin Witherspoon seized me by
the arm, shouting in my ear:
"Surrender, lad, surrender! There is neither honor nor glory in dying
when our lives are of no avail for the Cause!"
[Illustration: Gavin seized my arm, shouting in my ear: "Surrender,
lad, surrender!"--Page 250.]
Even as he spoke three of the redcoats had clutched Gabriel and Percy.
I allowed my musket, which had been raised as a club, to drop, and
immediately I felt, for the first time, the grasp of a Britisher.
We were prisoners. The glory of fighting to the bitter end with the
knowledge that in so doing we were opening the way for those in the
rear, was denied us, and but for the shame of it I could have wept like
a girl.
And yet all this was as nothing compared with what followed.
The troopers were about to disarm us, and some one had fired a torch
that we might be the better seen, when Sam Lee--that miserable Tory and
renegade--came up from the rear, where most likely he had been skulking
during the fighting, and, seeing us, set up a shout of triumph.
"Now have I got you rebels where I've been burning to see you?" he
cried.
"Now we shall see----"
"Is that Sam Lee?" Gabriel shouted, struggling to release himself from
his captor's grasp.
"Ay, and it is the cur who has sold his country, his kinsmen and
himself for the king's gold!" Percy replied. "There is no dishonor in
being overpowered by true soldiers in a fair fight; but to have such as
that villain alive before one's eyes is a disgrace."
"It shall be worse than that to you!" Sam shrieked, "and as for that
nephew of the rebel Marion, I----"
"What are you saying?" one of the troopers asked, seizing Sam Lee and
shaking him as if to force the reply more quickly. "Is one of these a
nephew to the Swamp Fox?"
"Ay, that he is!" Gabriel made answer, stepping forward as far as the
hand of the captor would permit. "I am the nephew of General Marion,
and proud indeed of the kinship!"
I was looking at the dear lad that instant, having turned my eyes from
the scurvy Tory when Gabriel began to speak, otherwise, perhaps, I
might have prevented that terrible thing which followed.
While the remainder of the party were looking at the brave lad who
stood before them in the glare of the torches, Sam Lee, doubled-dyed
villain that he was, rushed upon him with a saber which he had seized
from the hand of the trooper.
In the flickering light I saw the gleam of the steel, and before a word
of warning could escape my lips, the cruel weapon descended, striking
Gabriel full upon the head, sheering its way downward until the dear
lad sank a lifeless mass at the feet of that cur who was not worthy to
so much as kneel before him.
On the instant it was as if my eyes were blinded by the crimson flood
that followed the stroke of the blade. There was a sensation as if all
my blood was boiling, and, for the time being, reason left me.
Gavin Witherspoon declares that I wrenched myself free from the trooper
who held me, as if the Britisher had been no more than a babe, that at
the same instant I leaped upon the Tory murderer, bearing him to the
earth till his face was sunk deep in the blood-stained moss, and with
the same weapon which had let out the life of the most gallant lad who
ever lived, I killed him.
It was done so quickly, Gavin declares, that the redcoats had no
time to interfere before the work was accomplished, and while they,
horror-stricken as it were by that which was not warfare in any sense
of the word, stood before us three--two dead and one senseless, the
remainder of our squad fell upon them.
This last attack was successful; the Britishers were beaten off, and
our brave fellows carried Gabriel's dear body, and myself, back to the
rear.
The attempt to capture Georgetown was a failure, now that the enemy had
been warned, and our brigade beat a hasty retreat.
Of all that I know nothing; it was many days before my senses returned,
and then we were encamped on Snow's Island.
It is best that I add to my story what has been written by one who is
a master hand at wielding a pen, while I am only a novice, and that
I bring this portion of the adventures which befell Percy Sumter and
myself to an end, with the promise to write out at some later day
what we two did when the work of the patriots was finally crowned with
success.
* * * * *
"The murder of Gabriel Marion, with some other instances of brutality
and butchery on the part of the Tories, happening about this time, gave
a more savage character than ever to the warfare which ensued. Motives
of private anger and personal revenge embittered and increased the
usual ferocities of civil war; and hundreds of dreadful and desperate
tragedies caused the inhabitants to pursue each other rather like wild
beasts than like men.
"In the Cheraw district, on the Pedee, above the line where
Marion commanded, the warfare was one of utter extermination. The
revolutionary struggle in Carolina was of a sort unknown in any other
part of the Union.
"The attempt upon Georgetown was defeated. The British had taken
the alarm, and were now in strength, and in a state of vigilance and
activity which precluded the possibility of surprise. Marion's wishes,
therefore, with regard to this place, were deferred accordingly to a
more auspicious season.
"He retired to Snow's Island, where he made his camp. It was peculiarly
eligible for his purposes, furnishing a secure retreat, a depot for his
arms, ammunition, prisoners and invalids--difficult of access, easily
guarded, and contiguous to the scenes of his most active operations.
"Snow's Island lies at the confluence of Lynch's Creek and the Pedee.
On the east flows the latter river; on the west, Clark's Creek, issuing
from Lynch's and a stream navigable for small vessels; on the north
lies Lynch's Creek, wide and deep, but nearly choked by rafts of logs
and refuse timber. The island, high river swamp, was spacious, and,
like all the Pedee river swamp of that day, abounded in live stock and
provision. Thick woods covered the elevated tracts, dense cane-brakes
the lower, and here and there the eye rested upon a cultivated spot, in
maize, which the invalids and convalescents were wont to tend.
"Here Marion made his fortress. Having secured all the boats of the
neighborhood, he chose such as he needed, and destroyed the rest. Where
the natural defenses of the island seemed to require aid from art, he
bestowed it; and, by cutting away bridges and obstructing the ordinary
pathways with timber, he contrived to insulate, as much as possible,
the country under his command.
"From this fortress his scouting parties were sent forth nightly in
all directions. Enemies were always easy to be found. The British
maintained minor posts at Nelson's Ferry and Scott's Lake, as well as
Georgetown; and the Tories on Lynch's Creek and Little Pedee were much
more numerous, if less skilfully conducted, than the men of Marion.
"Marion's encampment implied no repose, no forbearance of the active
business of war. Very far from it. He was never more dangerous to an
enemy than when he seemed quiet in camp.
"His camp, indeed, was frequently a lure, by which to tempt the
Tories into unseasonable exposure. The post at Snow's Island gave him
particular facilities for this species of warfare. He had but to cross
a river, and a three hours' march enabled him to forage in an enemy's
country.
"Reinforcements came to him daily, and it was only now, for the first
time, that his command began to assume the appearance, and exhibit the
force of a brigade."
THE END
A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS
For Young People
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=Bonnie Prince Charlie=: A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. By G. A.
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price $1.00.
The adventures of the son of a Scotch officer in French service. The
boy, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is arrested for aiding a Jacobite
agent, escapes, is wrecked on the French coast, reaches Paris, and
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in a duel, and escaping to the coast, shares the adventures of Prince
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=With Clive in India=; or, the Beginnings of an Empire. By G. A. Henty.
With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price
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The period between the landing of Clive as a young writer in India and
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=The Lion of the North=: A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and the Wars
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In this story Mr. Henty gives the history of the first part of the
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In this story the author gives an account of the fierce struggle
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Boys reading the history of the Punic Wars have seldom a keen
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Carthage, that Hannibal was a great and skillful general, that he
defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannæ, and all but
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To let them know more about this momentous struggle for the empire of
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=In Freedom's Cause=: A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By G. A. Henty.
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In this story the author relates the stirring tale of the Scottish
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Wallace and Bruce rival the deeds of the mythical heroes of chivalry,
and indeed at one time Wallace was ranked with these legendary
personages. The researches of modern historians have shown, however,
that he was a living, breathing man--and a valiant champion. The
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strictest historical accuracy has been maintained with respect to
public events, the work is full of "hairbreadth 'scapes" and wild
adventure.
"It is written in the author's best style. Full of the wildest and
most remarkable achievements, it is a tale of great interest, which a
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=With Lee in Virginia=: A Story of the American Civil War. By G. A.
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The story of a young Virginian planter, who, after bravely proving his
sympathy with the slaves of brutal masters, serves with no less courage
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"One of the best stories for lads which Mr. Henty has yet written.
The picture is full of life and color, and the stirring and romantic
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=By England's Aid=; or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604). By
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The story of two English lads who go to Holland as pages in the service
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of the defeat of the Armada, and escapes only to fall into the hands
of the Corsairs. He is successful in getting back to Spain under the
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"It is an admirable book for youngsters. It overflows with stirring
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=By Right of Conquest=; or, With Cortez in Mexico. By G. A. Henty. With
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The conquest of Mexico by a small band of resolute men under the
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Swan, which had sailed from a Devon port to challenge the mercantile
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among the natives, but is saved by his own judgment and strength, and
by the devotion of an Aztec princess. At last by a ruse he obtains the
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bride.
"'By Right of Conquest' is the nearest approach to a
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=In the Reign of Terror=: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy. By G. A.
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Harry Sandwith, a Westminster boy, becomes a resident at the chateau
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the three young daughters of the house in his charge. After hairbreadth
escapes they reach Nantes. There the girls are condemned to death in
the coffin-ships, but are saved by the unfailing courage of their boy
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"Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy, may fairly be said to beat Mr.
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=With Wolfe in Canada=; or, The Winning of a Continent. By G. A. Henty.
With full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price
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In the present volume Mr. Henty gives an account of the struggle
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continent. On the issue of this war depended not only the destinies
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themselves. The fall of Quebec decided that the Anglo-Saxon race should
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=True to the Old Flag=: A Tale of the American War of Independence.
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In this story the author has gone to the accounts of officers who
took part in the conflict, and lads will find that in no war in which
American and British soldiers have been engaged did they behave with
greater courage and good conduct. The historical portion of the book
being accompanied with numerous thrilling adventures with the redskins
on the shores of Lake Huron, a story of exciting interest is interwoven
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hostile redskins in that very Huron country which has been endeared to
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A story of Venice at a period when her strength and splendor were put
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Porto d'Anzo and Chioggia, and finally wins the hand of the daughter of
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"Every boy should read 'The Lion of St. Mark.' Mr. Henry has
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=A Final Reckoning=: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. By G. A. Henty.
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The hero, a young English lad, after rather a stormy boyhood emigrates
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with both natives and bushrangers, gain him promotion to a captaincy,
and he eventually settles down to the peaceful life of a squatter.
"Mr. Henty has never published a more readable, a more carefully
constructed, or a better written story than this."--_Spectator._
=Under Drake's Flag=: A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. Henty. With
full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the supremacy
of the sea. The heroes sail as lads with Drake in the Pacific
expedition, and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. The historical
portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, but this will
perhaps be less attractive than the great variety of exciting adventure
through which the young heroes pass in the course of their voyages.
"A book of adventure, where the hero meets with experience enough, one
would think, to turn his hair gray."--_Harper's Monthly Magazine._
=By Sheer Pluck=: A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G. A. Henty. With
full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The author has woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the details
of the Ashanti campaign, of which he was himself a witness. His hero,
after many exciting adventures in the interior, is detained a prisoner
by the king just before the outbreak of the war, but escapes, and
accompanies the English expedition on their march to Coomassie.
"Mr. Henty keeps up his reputation as a writer of boys' stories. 'By
Sheer Pluck' will be eagerly read."--_Athenæum._
=By Pike and Dyke=: A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. By G. A.
Henty. With full-page Illustrations by Maynard Brown, and 4 Maps. 12mo,
cloth, price $1.00.
In this story Mr. Henty traces the adventures and brave deeds of an
English boy in the household of the ablest man of his age--William the
Silent. Edward Martin, the son of an English sea-captain, enters the
service of the Prince as a volunteer, and is employed by him in many
dangerous and responsible missions, in the discharge of which he passes
through the great sieges of the time. He ultimately settles down as Sir
Edward Martin.
"Boys with a turn for historical research will be enchanted with the
book, while the rest who only care for adventure will be students in
spite of themselves."--_St. James' Gazette._
=St. George for England=: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By G. A.
Henty. With full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
No portion of English history is more crowded with great events than
that of the reign of Edward III. Cressy and Poitiers; the destruction
of the Spanish fleet; the plague of the Black Death; the Jacquerie
rising; these are treated by the author in "St. George for England."
The hero of the story, although of good family, begins life as a London
apprentice, but after countless adventures and perils becomes by valor
and good conduct the squire, and at last the trusted friend of the
Black Prince.
"Mr. Henty has developed for himself a type of historical novel for
boys which bids fair to supplement, on their behalf, the historical
labors of Sir Walter Scott in the land of fiction."--_The Standard._
=Captain's Kidd's Gold=: The True Story of an Adventurous Sailor Boy.
By James Franklin Fitts. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
There is something fascinating to the average youth in the very
idea of buried treasure. A vision arises before his eyes of swarthy
Portuguese and Spanish rascals, with black beards and gleaming
eyes--sinister-looking fellows who once on a time haunted the Spanish
Main, sneaking out from some hidden creek in their long, low schooner,
of picaroonish rake and sheer, to attack an unsuspecting trading
craft. There were many famous sea rovers in their day, but none more
celebrated than Capt. Kidd. Perhaps the most fascinating tale of all is
Mr. Fitts' true story of an adventurous American boy, who receives from
his dying father an ancient bit of vellum, which the latter obtained
in a curious way. The document bears obscure directions purporting
to locate a certain island in the Bahama group, and a considerable
treasure buried there by two of Kidd's crew. The hero of this book,
Paul Jones Garry, is an ambitious, persevering lad, of salt-water New
England ancestry, and his efforts to reach the island and secure the
money form one of the most absorbing tales for our youth that has come
from the press.
=Captain Bayley's Heir=: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. By
G. A. Henty. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
A frank, manly lad and his cousin are rivals in the heirship of a
considerable property. The former falls into a trap laid by the latter,
and while under a false accusation of theft foolishly leaves England
for America. He works his passage before the mast, joins a small band
of hunters, crosses a tract of country infested with Indians to the
Californian gold diggings, and is successful both as digger and trader.
"Mr. Henty is careful to mingle instruction with entertainment;
and the humorous touches, especially in the sketch of John
Holl, the Westminster dustman, Dickens himself could hardly have
excelled."--_Christian Leader._
=For Name and Fame=; or, Through Afghan Passes. By G. A. Henty. With
full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
An interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, after
being wrecked and going through many stirring adventures among the
Malays, finds his way to Calcutta and enlists in a regiment proceeding
to join the army at the Afghan passes. He accompanies the force under
General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, is wounded, taken prisoner,
carried to Cabul, whence he is transferred to Candahar, and takes part
in the final defeat of the army of Ayoub Khan.
"The best feature of the book--apart from the interest of its scenes of
adventure--is its honest effort to do justice to the patriotism of the
Afghan people."--_Daily News._
=Captured by Apes=: The Wonderful Adventures of a Young Animal Trainer.
By Harry Prentice. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.
The scene of this tale is laid on an island in the Malay Archipelago.
Philip Garland, a young animal collector and trainer, of New York, sets
sail for Eastern seas in quest of a new stock of living curiosities.
The vessel is wrecked off the coast of Borneo and young Garland, the
sole survivor of the disaster, is cast ashore on a small island, and
captured by the apes that overrun the place. The lad discovers that
the ruling spirit of the monkey tribe is a gigantic and vicious baboon,
whom he identifies as Goliah, an animal at one time in his possession
and with whose instruction he had been especially diligent. The brute
recognizes him, and with a kind of malignant satisfaction puts his
former master through the same course of training he had himself
experienced with a faithfulness of detail which shows how astonishing
is monkey recollection. Very novel indeed is the way by which the
young man escapes death. Mr. Prentice has certainly worked a new vein
on juvenile fiction, and the ability with which he handles a difficult
subject stamps him as a writer of undoubted skill.
=The Bravest of the Brave=; or, With Peterborough in Spain. By G. A.
Henty. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so completely
fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peterborough. This is
largely due to the fact that they were overshadowed by the glory and
successes of Marlborough. His career as general extended over little
more than a year, and yet, in that time, he showed a genius for warfare
which has never been surpassed.
"Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work--to
enforce the doctrine of courage and truth. Lads will read 'The
Bravest of the Brave' with pleasure and profit; of that we are quite
sure."--_Daily Telegraph._
=The Cat of Bubastes=: A Story of Ancient Egypt. By G. A. Henty. With
full page Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A story which will give young readers an unsurpassed insight into the
customs of the Egyptian people. Amuba, a prince of the Rebu nation, is
carried with his charioteer Jethro into slavery. They become inmates
of the house of Ameres, the Egyptian high-priest, and are happy in his
service until the priest's son accidentally kills the sacred cat of
Bubastes. In an outburst of popular fury Ameres is killed, and it rests
with Jethro and Amuba to secure the escape of the high-priest's son and
daughter.
"The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred
cat to the perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very
skillfully constructed and full of exciting adventures. It is admirably
illustrated."--_Saturday Review._
=With Washington at Monmouth=: A Story of Three Philadelphia Boys. By
James Otis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Three Philadelphia boys, Seth Graydon "whose mother conducted a
boarding-house which was patronized by the British officers;" Enoch
Ball, "son of that Mrs. Ball whose dancing school was situated on
Letitia Street," and little Jacob, son of "Chris, the Baker," serve
as the principal characters. The story is laid during the winter when
Lord Howe held possession of the city, and the lads aid the cause by
assisting the American spies who make regular and frequent visits from
Valley Forge. One reads here of home-life in the captive city when
bread was scarce among the people of the lower classes, and a reckless
prodigality shown by the British officers, who passed the winter in
feasting and merry-making while the members of the patriot army but
a few miles away were suffering from both cold and hunger. The story
abounds with pictures of Colonial life skillfully drawn, and the
glimpses of Washington's soldiers which are given show that the work
has not been hastily done, or without considerable study.
=For the Temple=: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. By G. A. Henty. With
full-page Illustrations by S. J. Solomon. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Mr. Henty here weaves into the record of Josephus an admirable and
attractive story. The troubles in the district of Tiberias, the
march of the legions, the sieges of Jotapata, of Gamala, and of
Jerusalem, form the impressive and carefully studied historic setting
to the figure of the lad who passes from the vineyard to the service
of Josephus, becomes the leader of a guerrilla band of patriots,
fights bravely for the Temple, and after a brief term of slavery at
Alexandria, returns to his Galilean home with the favor of Titus.
"Mr. Henty's graphic prose pictures of the hopeless Jewish resistance
to Roman sway add another leaf to his record of the famous wars of the
world."--_Graphic._
=Facing Death=; or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of the Coal
Mines. By G. A. Henty. With full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"Facing Death" is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that
a lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that he will rise
in life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicule and hardship
to carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the
story is a typical British boy, dogged, earnest, generous, and though
"shamefaced" to a degree, is ready to face death in the discharge of
duty.
"The tale is well written and well illustrated, and there is much
reality in the characters. If any father, clergyman, or schoolmaster
is on the lookout for a good book to give as a present to a boy who is
worth his salt, this is the book we would recommend."--_Standard._
=Tom Temple's Career.= By Horatio Alger. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Tom Temple, a bright, self-reliant lad, by the death of his father
becomes a boarder at the home of Nathan Middleton, a penurious
insurance agent. Though well paid for keeping the boy, Nathan and
his wife endeavor to bring Master Tom in line with their parsimonious
habits. The lad ingeniously evades their efforts and revolutionizes the
household. As Tom is heir to $40,000, he is regarded as a person of
some importance until by an unfortunate combination of circumstances
his fortune shrinks to a few hundreds. He leaves Plympton village to
seek work in New York, whence he undertakes an important mission to
California, around which center the most exciting incidents of his
young career. Some of his adventures in the far west are so startling
that the reader will scarcely close the book until the last page shall
have been reached. The tale is written in Mr. Alger's most fascinating
style, and is bound to please the very large class of boys who regard
this popular author as a prime favorite.
=Maori and Settler=: A Story of the New Zealand War. By G. A. Henty.
With full-page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of the war
with the natives. Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, courageous lad, is
the mainstay of the household. He has for his friend Mr. Atherton, a
botanist and naturalist of herculean strength and unfailing nerve and
humor. In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless
moments in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they
succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New
Zealand valleys.
"Brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting conversation, and
vivid pictures of colonial life."--_Schoolmaster._
=Julian Mortimer=: A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune. By
Harry Castlemon. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Here is a story that will warm every boy's heart. There is mystery
enough to keep any lad's imagination wound up to the highest pitch.
The scene of the story lies west of the Mississippi River, in the days
when emigrants made their perilous way across the great plains to the
land of gold. One of the startling features of the book is the attack
upon the wagon train by a large party of Indians. Our hero is a lad
of uncommon nerve and pluck, a brave young American in every sense of
the word. He enlists and holds the reader's sympathy from the outset.
Surrounded by an unknown and constant peril, and assisted by the
unswerving fidelity of a stalwart trapper, a real rough diamond, our
hero achieves the most happy results. Harry Castlemon has written many
entertaining stories for boys, and it would seem almost superfluous to
say anything in his praise, for the youth of America regard him as a
favorite author.
"=Carrots=:" Just a Little Boy. By Mrs. Molesworth. With Illustrations
by Walter Crane. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our
good fortune to meet with for some time. Carrots and his sister are
delightful little beings, whom to read about is at once to become very
fond of."--_Examiner._
"A genuine children's book; we've seen 'em seize it, and read it
greedily. Children are first-rate critics, and thoroughly appreciate
Walter Crane's illustrations."--_Punch._
=Mopsa the Fairy.= By Jean Ingelow. With Eight pages of Illustrations.
12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"Mrs. Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living
writers for children, and 'Mopsa' alone ought to give her a kind of
pre-emptive right to the love and gratitude of our young folks. It
requires genius to conceive a purely imaginary work which must of
necessity deal with the supernatural, without running into a mere
riot of fantastic absurdity; but genius Miss Ingelow has and the story
of 'Jack' is as careless and joyous, but as delicate as a picture of
childhood."--_Eclectic._
=A Jaunt Through Java=: The Story of a Journey to the Sacred Mountain.
By Edward S. Ellis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The central interest of this story is found in the thrilling adventures
of two cousins, Hermon and Eustace Hadley, on their trip across the
island of Java, from Samarang to the Sacred Mountain. In a land where
the Royal Bengal tiger runs at large; where the rhinoceros and other
fierce beasts are to be met with at unexpected moments; it is but
natural that the heroes of this book should have a lively experience.
Hermon not only distinguishes himself by killing a full-grown tiger
at short range, but meets with the most startling adventure of the
journey. There is much in this narrative to instruct as well as
entertain the reader, and so deftly has Mr. Ellis used his material
that there is not a dull page in the book. The two heroes are brave,
manly young fellows, bubbling over with boyish independence. They cope
with the many difficulties that arise during the trip in a fearless way
that is bound to win the admiration of every lad who is so fortunate as
to read their adventures.
=Wrecked on Spider Island=; or, How Ned Rogers Found the Treasure. By
James Otis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A "down-east" plucky lad who ships as cabin boy, not from love of
adventure, but because it is the only course remaining by which he
can gain a livelihood. While in his bunk, seasick, Ned Rogers hears
the captain and mate discussing their plans for the willful wreck of
the brig in order to gain the insurance. Once it is known he is in
possession of the secret the captain maroons him on Spider Island,
explaining to the crew that the boy is afflicted with leprosy. While
thus involuntarily playing the part of a Crusoe, Ned discovers a wreck
submerged in the sand, and overhauling the timbers for the purpose
of gathering material with which to build a hut finds a considerable
amount of treasure. Raising the wreck; a voyage to Havana under sail;
shipping there a crew and running for Savannah; the attempt of the crew
to seize the little craft after learning of the treasure on board, and,
as a matter of course, the successful ending of the journey, all serve
to make as entertaining a story of sea life as the most captious boy
could desire.
=Geoff and Jim=: A Story of School Life. By Ismay Thorn. Illustrated by
A. G. Walker. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"This is a prettily told story of the life spent by two motherless
bairns at a small preparatory school. Both Geoff and Jim are very
lovable characters, only Jim is the more so; and the scrapes he gets
into and the trials he endures will, no doubt, interest a large circle
of young readers."--_Church Times._
"This is a capital children's story, the characters well portrayed, and
the book tastefully bound and well illustrated."--_Schoolmaster._
"The story can be heartily recommended as a present for
boys."--_Standard._
=The Castaways=; or, On the Florida Reefs. By James Otis. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
This tale smacks of the salt sea. It is just the kind of story that
the majority of boys yearn for. From the moment that the Sea Queen
dispenses with the services of the tug in lower New York bay till the
breeze leaves her becalmed off the coast of Florida, one can almost
hear the whistle of the wind through her rigging, the creak of her
straining cordage as she heels to the leeward, and feel her rise to
the snow-capped waves which her sharp bow cuts into twin streaks of
foam. Off Marquesas Keys she floats in a dead calm. Ben Clark, the hero
of the story, and Jake, the cook, spy a turtle asleep upon the glassy
surface of the water. They determine to capture him, and take a boat
for that purpose, and just as they succeed in catching him a thick
fog cuts them off from the vessel, and then their troubles begin. They
take refuge on board a drifting hulk, a storm arises and they are cast
ashore upon a low sandy key. Their adventures from this point cannot
fail to charm the reader. As a writer for young people Mr. Otis is a
prime favorite. His style is captivating, and never for a moment does
he allow the interest to flag. In "The Castaways" he is at his best.
=Tom Thatcher's Fortune.= By Horatio Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
Like all of Mr. Alger's heroes, Tom Thatcher is a brave, ambitious,
unselfish boy. He supports his mother and sister on meager wages earned
as a shoe-pegger in John Simpson's factory. The story begins with
Tom's discharge from the factory, because Mr. Simpson felt annoyed
with the lad for interrogating him too closely about his missing
father. A few days afterward Tom learns that which induces him to start
overland for California with the view of probing the family mystery.
He meets with many adventures. Ultimately he returns to his native
village, bringing consternation to the soul of John Simpson, who only
escapes the consequences of his villainy by making full restitution
to the man whose friendship he had betrayed. The story is told in that
entertaining way which has made Mr. Alger's name a household word in so
many homes.
=Birdie=: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. Childe-Pemberton. Illustrated
by H. W. Rainey. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about it that
makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery shout of children
at play which charmed his earlier years."--_New York Express._
=Popular Fairy Tales.= By the Brothers Grimm. Profusely Illustrated,
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are
delightful."--_Athenæum._
=With Lafayette at Yorktown=: A Story of How Two Boys Joined the
Continental Army. By James Otis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The two boys are from Portsmouth, N. H., and are introduced in August,
1781, when on the point of leaving home to enlist in Col. Scammell's
regiment, then stationed near New York City. Their method of traveling
is on horseback, and the author has given an interesting account of
what was expected from boys in the Colonial days. The lads, after no
slight amount of adventure, are sent as messengers--not soldiers--into
the south to find the troops under Lafayette. Once with that youthful
general they are given employment as spies, and enter the British
camp, bringing away valuable information. The pictures of camp-life
are carefully drawn, and the portrayal of Lafayette's character is
thoroughly well done. The story is wholesome in tone, as are all of Mr.
Otis' works. There is no lack of exciting incident which the youthful
reader craves, but it is healthful excitement brimming with facts which
every boy should be familiar with, and while the reader is following
the adventures of Ben Jaffreys and Ned Allen he is acquiring a fund of
historical lore which will remain in his memory long after that which
he has memorized from text-books has been forgotten.
=Lost in the Cañon=: Sam Willett's Adventures on the Great Colorado. By
Alfred R. Calhoun. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This story hinges on a fortune left to Sam Willett, the hero, and
the fact that it will pass to a disreputable relative if the lad dies
before he shall have reached his majority. The Vigilance Committee of
Hurley's Gulch arrest Sam's father and an associate for the crime of
murder. Their lives depend on the production of the receipt given for
money paid. This is in Sam's possession at the camp on the other side
of the cañon. A messenger is dispatched to get it. He reaches the lad
in the midst of a fearful storm which floods the cañon. His father's
peril urges Sam to action. A raft is built on which the boy and his
friends essay to cross the torrent. They fail to do so, and a desperate
trip down the stream ensues. How the party finally escape from the
horrors of their situation and Sam reaches Hurley's Gulch in the very
nick of time, is described in a graphic style that stamps Mr. Calhoun
as a master of his art.
=Jack=: A Topsy Turvy Story. By C. M. Crawley-Boevey. With upward of
Thirty Illustrations by H. J. A. Miles. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
"The illustrations deserve particular mention, as they add largely to
the interest of this amusing volume for children. Jack falls asleep
with his mind full of the subject of the fishpond, and is very much
surprised presently to find himself an inhabitant of Waterworld,
where he goes though wonderful and edifying adventures. A handsome and
pleasant book."--_Literary World._
=Search for the Silver City=: A Tale of Adventure in Yucatan. By James
Otis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Two American lads, Teddy Wright and Neal Emery, embark on the steam
yacht Day Dream for a short summer cruise to the tropics. Homeward
bound the yacht is destroyed by fire. All hands take to the boats, but
during the night the boat is cast upon the coast of Yucatan. They come
across a young American named Cummings, who entertains them with the
story of the wonderful Silver City, of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians.
Cummings proposes with the aid of a faithful Indian ally to brave the
perils of the swamp and carry off a number of the golden images from
the temples. Pursued with relentless vigor for days their situation is
desperate. At last their escape is effected in an astonishing manner.
Mr. Otis has built his story on an historical foundation. It is so full
of exciting incidents that the reader is quite carried away with the
novelty and realism of the narrative.
=Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy.= By Horatio Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
Thrown upon his own resources Frank Fowler, a poor boy, bravely
determines to make a living for himself and his foster-sister Grace.
Going to New York he obtains a situation as cash boy in a dry goods
store. He renders a service to a wealthy old gentleman named Wharton,
who takes a fancy to the lad. Frank, after losing his place as cash
boy, is enticed by an enemy to a lonesome part of New Jersey and held
a prisoner. This move recoils upon the plotter, for it leads to a
clue that enables the lad to establish his real identity. Mr. Alger's
stories are not only unusually interesting, but they convey a useful
lesson of pluck and manly independence.
=Budd Boyd's Triumph=; or, the Boy Firm of Fox Island. By William P.
Chipman. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The scene of this story is laid on the upper part of Narragansett
Bay, and the leading incidents have a strong salt water flavor. Owing
to the conviction of his father for forgery and theft, Budd Boyd is
compelled to leave his home and strike out for himself. Chance brings
Budd in contact with Judd Floyd. The two boys, being ambitious and
clear sighted, form a partnership to catch and sell fish. The scheme
is successfully launched, but the unexpected appearance on the scene
of Thomas Bagsley, the man whom Budd believes guilty of the crimes
attributed to his father, leads to several disagreeable complications
that nearly caused the lad's ruin. His pluck and good sense, however,
carry him through his troubles. In following the career of the boy firm
of Boyd & Floyd, the youthful reader will find a useful lesson--that
industry and perseverance are bound to lead to ultimate success.
=The Errand Boy=; or, How Phil Brent Won Success. By Horatio Alger, Jr.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The career of "The Errand Boy" embraces the city adventures of a smart
country lad who at an early age was abandoned by his father. Philip
was brought up by a kind-hearted innkeeper named Brent. The death of
Mrs. Brent paved the way for the hero's subsequent troubles. Accident
introduces him to the notice of a retired merchant in New York, who
not only secures him the situation of errand boy but thereafter stands
as his friend. An unexpected turn of fortune's wheel, however, brings
Philip and his father together. In "The Errand Boy" Philip Brent is
possessed of the same sterling qualities so conspicuous in all of the
previous creations of this delightful writer for our youth.
=The Slate Picker=: The Story of a Boy's Life in the Coal Mines. By
Harry Prentice. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This is a story of a boy's life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania.
There are many thrilling situations, notably that of Ben Burton's
leap into the "lion's mouth"--the yawning shute in the breakers--to
escape a beating at the hands of the savage Spilkins, the overseer.
Gracie Gordon is a little angel in rags, Terence O'Dowd is a manly,
sympathetic lad, and Enoch Evans, the miner-poet, is a big-hearted,
honest fellow, a true friend to all whose burdens seem too heavy for
them to bear. Ben Burton, the hero, had a hard road to travel, but
by grit and energy he advanced step by step until he found himself
called upon to fill the position of chief engineer of the Kohinoor Coal
Company.
=A Runaway Brig=; or, An Accidental Cruise. By James Otis. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
"A Runaway Brig" is a sea tale, pure and simple, and that's where it
strikes a boy's fancy. The reader can look out upon the wide shimmering
sea as it flashes back the sunlight, and imagine himself afloat with
Harry Vandyne, Walter Morse, Jim Libby and that old shell-back, Bob
Brace, on the brig Bonita, which lands on one of the Bahama keys.
Finally three strangers steal the craft, leaving the rightful owners
to shift for themselves aboard a broken-down tug. The boys discover
a mysterious document which enables them to find a buried treasure,
then a storm comes on and the tug is stranded. At last a yacht comes
in sight and the party with the treasure is taken off the lonely key.
The most exacting youth is sure to be fascinated with this entertaining
story.
=Fairy Tales and Stories.= By Hans Christian Andersen. Profusely
Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"If I were asked to select a child's library I should name these three
volumes 'English,' 'Celtic,' and 'Indian Fairy Tales,' with Grimm and
Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales."--_Independent._
=The Island Treasure=; or, Harry Darrel's Fortune. By Frank H.
Converse. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Harry Darrel, an orphan, having received a nautical training on a
school-ship, is bent on going to sea with a boyish acquaintance named
Dan Plunket. A runaway horse changes his prospects. Harry saves Dr.
Gregg from drowning and the doctor presents his preserver with a bit of
property known as Gregg's Island, and makes the lad sailing-master of
his sloop yacht. A piratical hoard is supposed to be hidden somewhere
on the island. After much search and many thwarted plans, at last Dan
discovers the treasure and is the means of finding Harry's father. Mr.
Converse's stories possess a charm of their own which is appreciated by
lads who delight in good healthy tales that smack of salt water.
=The Boy Explorers=: The Adventures of Two Boys in Alaska. By Harry
Prentice. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Two boys, Raymond and Spencer Manning, travel from San Francisco to
Alaska to join their father in search of their uncle, who, it is
believed, was captured and detained by the inhabitants of a place
called the "Heart of Alaska." On their arrival at Sitka the boys with
an Indian guide set off across the mountains. The trip is fraught
with perils that test the lads' courage to the utmost. Reaching the
Yukon River they build a raft and float down the stream, entering the
Mysterious River, from which they barely escape with their lives, only
to be captured by natives of the Heart of Alaska. All through their
exciting adventures the lads demonstrate what can be accomplished
by pluck and resolution, and their experience makes one of the most
interesting tales ever written.
=The Treasure Finders=: A Boy's Adventures in Nicaragua. By James Otis.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Roy and Dean Coloney, with their guide Tongla, leave their father's
indigo plantation to visit the wonderful ruins of an ancient city.
The boys eagerly explore the dismantled temples of an extinct race and
discover three golden images cunningly hidden away. They escape with
the greatest difficulty; by taking advantage of a festive gathering
they seize a canoe and fly down the river. Eventually they reach safety
with their golden prizes. Mr. Otis is the prince of story tellers, for
he handles his material with consummate skill. We doubt if he has ever
written a more entertaining story than "The Treasure Finders."
=Household Fairy Tales.= By the Brothers Grimm. Profusely Illustrated,
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages this
work ranks second to none."--_Daily Graphic._
=Dan the Newsboy.= By Horatio Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The reader is introduced to Dan Mordaunt and his mother living in a
poor tenement, and the lad is pluckily trying to make ends meet by
selling papers in the streets of New York. A little heiress of six
years is confided to the care of the Mordaunts. At the same time the
lad obtains a position in a wholesale house. He soon demonstrates
how valuable he is to the firm by detecting the bookkeeper in a bold
attempt to rob his employers. The child is kidnapped and Dan tracks the
child to the house where she is hidden, and rescues her. The wealthy
aunt of the little heiress is so delighted with Dan's courage and many
good qualities that she adopts him as her heir, and the conclusion of
the book leaves the hero on the high road to every earthly desire.
=Tony the Hero=: A Brave Boy's Adventure with a Tramp. By Horatio
Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Tony, a sturdy bright-eyed boy of fourteen, is under the control of
Rudolph Rugg, a thorough rascal, shiftless and lazy, spending his time
tramping about the country. After much abuse Tony runs away and gets
a job as stable boy in a country hotel. Tony is heir to a large estate
in England, and certain persons find it necessary to produce proof of
the lad's death. Rudolph for a consideration hunts up Tony and throws
him down a deep well. Of course Tony escapes from the fate provided
for him, and by a brave act makes a rich friend, with whom he goes
to England, where he secures his rights and is prosperous. The fact
that Mr. Alger is the author of this entertaining book will at once
recommend it to all juvenile readers.
=A Young Hero=; or, Fighting to Win. By Edward S. Ellis. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
This story tells how a valuable solid silver service was stolen
from the Misses Perkinpine, two very old and simple minded ladies.
Fred Sheldon, the hero of this story and a friend of the old ladies,
undertakes to discover the thieves and have them arrested. After much
time spent in detective work, he succeeds in discovering the silver
plate and winning the reward for its restoration. During the narrative
a circus comes to town and a thrilling account of the escape of the
lion from its cage, with its recapture, is told in Mr. Ellis' most
fascinating style. Every boy will be glad to read this delightful book.
=The Days of Bruce=: A Story from Scottish History. By Grace Aguilar.
Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about all
of Grace Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the interest and
admiration of every lover of good reading."--_Boston Beacon._
=Tom the Bootblack=; or, The Road to Success. By Horatio Alger, Jr.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A bright, enterprising lad was Tom the bootblack. He was not at all
ashamed of his humble calling, though always on the lookout to better
himself. His guardian, old Jacob Morton, died, leaving him a small sum
of money and a written confession that Tom, instead of being of humble
origin, was the son and heir of a deceased Western merchant, and had
been defrauded out of his just rights by an unscrupulous uncle. The
lad started for Cincinnati to look up his heritage. But three years
passed away before he obtained his first clue. Mr. Grey, the uncle, did
not hesitate to employ a ruffian to kill the lad. The plan failed, and
Gilbert Grey, once Tom the bootblack, came into a comfortable fortune.
This is one of Mr. Alger's best stories.
=Captured by Zulus=: A story of Trapping in Africa. By Harry Prentice.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
This story details the adventures of two lads, Dick Elsworth and Bob
Harvey, in the wilds of South Africa, for the purpose of obtaining a
supply of zoological curiosities. By stratagem the Zulus capture Dick
and Bob and take them to their principal kraal or village. The lads
escape death by digging their way out of the prison hut by night. They
are pursued, and after a rough experience the boys eventually rejoin
the expedition and take part in several wild animal hunts. The Zulus
finally give up pursuit and the expedition arrives at the coast without
further trouble. Mr. Prentice has a delightful method of blending
fact with fiction. He tells exactly how wild-beast collectors secure
specimens on their native stamping grounds, and these descriptions make
very entertaining reading.
=Tom the Ready=; or, Up from the Lowest. By Randolph Hill. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
This is a dramatic narrative of the unaided rise of a fearless,
ambitious boy from the lowest round of fortune's ladder--the gate of
the poorhouse--to wealth and the governorship of his native State.
Thomas Seacomb begins life with a purpose. While yet a schoolboy he
conceives and presents to the world the germ of the Overland Express
Co. At the very outset of his career jealousy and craft seek to
blast his promising future. Later he sets out to obtain a charter
for a railroad line in connection with the express business. Now he
realizes what it is to match himself against capital. Yet he wins
and the railroad is built. Only an uncommon nature like Tom's could
successfully oppose such a combine. How he manages to win the battle is
told by Mr. Hill in a masterful way that thrills the reader and holds
his attention and sympathy to the end.
=Roy Gilbert's Search=: A Tale of the Great Lakes. By Wm. P. Chipman.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
A deep mystery hangs over the parentage of Roy Gilbert. He arranges
with two schoolmates to make a tour of the Great Lakes on a steam
launch. The three boys leave Erie on the launch and visit many points
of interest on the lakes. Soon afterward the lad is conspicuous in the
rescue of an elderly gentleman and a lady from a sinking yacht. Later
on the cruise of the launch is brought to a disastrous termination
and the boys narrowly escape with their lives. The hero is a manly,
self-reliant boy, whose adventures will be followed with interest.
=The Young Scout=; The Story of a West Point Lieutenant. By Edward S.
Ellis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The crafty Apache chief Geronimo but a few years ago was the most
terrible scourge of the southwest border. The author has woven, in a
tale of thrilling interest, all the incidents of Geronimo's last raid.
The hero is Lieutenant James Decker, a recent graduate of West Point.
Ambitious to distinguish himself so as to win well-deserved promotion,
the young man takes many a desperate chance against the enemy and
on more than one occasion narrowly escapes with his life. The story
naturally abounds in thrilling situations, and being historically
correct, it is reasonable to believe it will find great favor with the
boys. In our opinion Mr. Ellis is the best writer of Indian stories now
before the public.
=Adrift in the Wilds=: The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. By
Edward S. Ellis. 12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, cousins and schoolmates,
accompanied by a lively Irishman called O'Rooney, are en route for
San Francisco. Off the coast of California the steamer takes fire.
The two boys and their companion reach the shore with several of the
passengers. While O'Rooney and the lads are absent inspecting the
neighborhood O'Rooney has an exciting experience and young Brandon
becomes separated from his party. He is captured by hostile Indians,
but is rescued by an Indian whom the lads had assisted. This is a very
entertaining narrative of Southern California in the days immediately
preceding the construction of the Pacific railroads. Mr. Ellis seems to
be particularly happy in this line of fiction, and the present story is
fully as entertaining as anything he has ever written.
=The Red Fairy Book.= Edited by Andrew Lang. Profusely Illustrated,
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
"A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk who have
been fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery
stories."--_Literary World._
=The Boy Cruisers=; or, Paddling in Florida. By St. George Rathborne.
12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
Boys who like an admixture of sport and adventure will find this book
just to their taste. We promise them that they will not go to sleep
over the rattling experiences of Andrew George and Roland Carter, who
start on a canoe trip along the Gulf coast, from Key West to Tampa,
Florida. Their first adventure is with a pair of rascals who steal
their boats. Next they run into a gale in the Gulf and have a lively
experience while it lasts. After that they have a lively time with
alligators and divers varieties of the finny tribe. Andrew gets into
trouble with a band of Seminole Indians and gets away without having
his scalp raised. After this there is no lack of fun till they reach
their destination. That Mr. Rathborne knows just how to interest the
boys is apparent at a glance, and lads who are in search of a rare
treat will do well to read this entertaining story.
=Guy Harris=: The Runaway. By Harry Castlemon. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Guy Harris lived in a small city on the shore of one of the Great
Lakes. His head became filled with quixotic notions of going West to
hunt grizzlies, in fact, Indians. He is persuaded to go to sea, and
gets a glimpse of the rough side of life in a sailor's boarding house.
He ships on a vessel and for five months leads a hard life. He deserts
his ship at San Francisco and starts out to become a backwoodsman, but
rough experiences soon cure him of all desire to be a hunter. At St.
Louis he becomes a clerk and for a time he yields to the temptations of
a great city. The book will not only interest boys generally on account
of its graphic style, but will put many facts before their eyes in a
new light. This is one of Castlemon's most attractive stories.
=The Train Boy.= By Horatio Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Paul Palmer was a wide-awake boy of sixteen who supported his mother
and sister by selling books and papers on one of the trains running
between Chicago and Milwaukee. He detects a young man named Luke Denton
in the act of picking the pocket of a young lady, and also incurs the
enmity of his brother Stephen, a worthless fellow. Luke and Stephen
plot to ruin Paul, but their plans are frustrated. In a railway
accident many passengers are killed, but Paul is fortunate enough to
assist a Chicago merchant, who out of gratitude takes him into his
employ. Paul is sent to manage a mine in Custer City and executes his
commission with tact and judgment and is well started on the road to
business prominence. This is one of Mr. Alger's most attractive stories
and is sure to please all readers.
=Joe's Luck=: A Boy's Adventures in California. By Horatio Alger, Jr.
12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
Without a doubt Joe Mason was a lucky boy, but he deserved the golden
chances that fell to his lot, for he had the pluck and ambition to push
himself to the front. Joe had but one dollar in the world when he stood
despondently on the California Mail Steamship Co.'s dock in New York
watching the preparations incident to the departure of the steamer.
The same dollar was still Joe's entire capital when he landed in the
bustling town of tents and one-story cabins--the San Francisco of '51,
and inside of the week the boy was proprietor of a small restaurant
earning a comfortable profit. The story is chock full of stirring
incidents, while the amusing situations are furnished by Joshua
Bickford, from Pumpkin Hollow, and the fellow who modestly styles
himself the "Rip-tail Roarer, from Pike Co., Missouri." Mr. Alger never
writes a poor book, and "Joe's Luck" is certainly one of his best.
=Three Bright Girls=: A Story of Chance and Mischance. By Annie E.
Armstrong. With full page Illustrations by W. Parkinson. 12mo, cloth,
price $1.00.
By a sudden turn of fortune's wheel the three heroines of this story
are brought down from a household of lavish comfort to meet the
incessant cares and worries of those who have to eke out a very limited
income. And the charm of the story lies in the cheery helpfulness of
spirit developed in the girls by their changed circumstances; while the
author finds a pleasant ending to all their happy makeshifts.
"The story is charmingly told, and the book can be warmly recommended
as a present for girls."--_Standard._
=Giannetta=: A Girl's Story of Herself. By Rosa Mulholland. With
full-page Illustrations by Lockhart Bogle. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The daughter of a gentleman, who had married a poor Swiss girl, was
stolen as an infant by some of her mother's relatives. The child having
died, they afterward for the sake of gain substitute another child for
it, and the changeling, after becoming a clever modeler of clay images,
is suddenly transferred to the position of a rich heiress. She develops
into a good and accomplished woman, and though the imposture of her
early friends is finally discovered, she has gained too much love and
devotion to be really a sufferer by the surrender of her estates.
"Extremely well told and full of interest. Giannetta is a true
heroine--warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all good women
nowadays are, largely touched with enthusiasm of humanity. The
illustrations are unusually good. One of the most attractive gift books
of the season."--_The Academy._
=Margery Merton's Girlhood.= By Alice Corkran. With full-page
Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her
father--an officer in India--to the care of an elderly aunt residing
near Paris. The accounts of the various persons who have an after
influence on the story, the school companions of Margery, the sisters
of the Conventual College of Art, the professor, and the peasantry of
Fontainebleau, are singularly vivid. There is a subtle attraction about
the book which will make it a great favorite with thoughtful girls.
"Another book for girls we can warmly commend. There is a delightful
piquancy in the experiences and trials of a young English girl who
studies painting in Paris."--_Saturday Review._
=Under False Colors=: A Story from Two Girls' Lives. By Sarah Doudney.
With full-page Illustrations by G. G. Kilburne. 12mo, cloth, price
$1.00.
A story which has in it so strong a dramatic element that it will
attract readers of all ages and of either sex. The incidents of the
plot, arising from the thoughtless indulgence of a deceptive freak,
are exceedingly natural, and the keen interest of the narrative is
sustained from beginning to end.
"Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned stories--pure
in style, original in conception, and with skillfully wrought out
plots; but we have seen nothing equal in dramatic energy to this
book."--_Christian Leader._
=Down the Snow Stairs=; or, From Good-night to Good-morning. By Alice
Corkran. With Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 12mo, cloth, price 75
cents.
This is a remarkable story: full of vivid fancy and quaint originality.
In its most fantastic imaginings it carries with it a sense of reality,
and derives a singular attraction from that combination of simplicity,
originality, and subtle humor, which is so much appreciated by lively
and thoughtful children. Children of a larger growth will also be
deeply interested in Kitty's strange journey, and her wonderful
experiences.
"Among all the Christmas volumes which the year has brought to our
table this one stands out _facile princeps_--a gem of the first water,
bearing upon every one of its pages the signet mark of genius....
All is told with such simplicity and perfect naturalness that the
dream appears to be a solid reality. It is indeed a Little Pilgrim's
Progress."--_Christian Leader._
=The Tapestry Room=: A Child's Romance. By Mrs. Molesworth. Illustrated
by Walter Crane. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.