HOME AGAIN.
Godfrey felt in wild spirits as they hoisted their sail, for the end of
the journey was close at hand, and, unless some altogether unforeseen
misfortune were to befall them, they would have accomplished an
undertaking that had been deemed almost impossible. They kept well out
from land, increasing the distance as they sailed west until they were
some ten miles out, for the map showed that some five-and-twenty miles
from the point where they had camped a rocky peninsula jutted out. In
three hours they could make out its outline, for the land was bold and
high, and it took them another four hours before they were abreast of
its eastern point, Cape Navalok. Then they coasted along the peninsula
until they arrived at Cape Kekour, its western point. They had now been
paddling nearly twelve hours, for Godfrey was too impatient to be
content with the sail only. Just before they arrived at the cape, Luka,
seeing a good place for landing, suggested a halt.
"No, no," Godfrey said, "we will not risk another landing. We have been
marvellously fortunate up to now, and it would be folly to run even the
slightest risk when we are so near the end of our journey. We will keep
on. There are only thirty or forty more miles to go, and then we shall
enter the Voranger Fiord. Then we shall be in Norway. Think of that,
Luka! We can snap our fingers at the Russians, and tell everyone we meet
that we have escaped from their prisons."
"Who shall we meet?" Luka asked.
"Ah, that is more than I can tell you. The sooner we meet some one the
better. Norway is not like this country we have been passing along; it
is all covered with great mountains and forests. I don't know anything
about the coast, but I fancy it is tremendously rocky, and we should
have a poor chance there if caught in another storm from the north.
There are Laplanders, who are people just like the Samoyedes, and who
have got reindeer; if we find any of them, as I hope we shall, we ought
to be all right. We have got a hundred silver roubles, and if you show a
man money and make signs you want to go somewhere, and don't much care
where, he is pretty safe to take you. Now you take a sleep, Luka. I will
steer. There is no occasion to paddle, the wind is taking us along
nearly three miles an hour, and time is no particular object to us now.
You get three hours, then I will take three, and then we will set to
with the paddles again."
Eight hours later they could make out high land on the starboard bow,
and knew that they were approaching the entrance to the fiord. They had
not taken to their paddles again, for the wind had freshened, and they
were going fast through the water. Luka cooked a meal, and as it was
growing dark the land closed in on both sides to a distance of about
eight miles.
An hour later they saw lights on their right hand. "Hurrah!" Godfrey
exclaimed, "there is a village there. We won't land to-night. We might
find it difficult to get a place to sleep in. One night longer on board
won't do us any harm. Thank God we are fairly out of Russia at last, and
shall land as free men in the morning."
They drew in towards the shore a mile or so above the lights, and
paddled cautiously on until close to the land. There they dropped their
anchor overboard, and, wearied out by their long row, were speedily
sound asleep.
It was broad daylight when they woke. Godfrey, when he sat up, gave a
loud cheer, which set Jack off barking wildly. "Look!" Godfrey shouted,
"it is a town, and there are two steamboats lying there. Thank God, our
troubles are all over. You had better get breakfast, Luka. It is of no
use going ashore till people are awake."
Breakfast over the anchor was at once pulled up, and in a quarter of an
hour they were alongside a quay. Their appearance was so similar to that
of the Lapps that they themselves would have attracted but little
notice, but the canoe was so different in its appearance to those used
by these people that several persons stood on the little quay watching
them as they came alongside. Their surprise at the boat was increased
when Godfrey came up on to the quay. No Laplander or Finn of his height
had ever been seen, and moreover, his face and hands were clean. They
addressed him in a language that he did not understand. He replied first
in English, then in Russian. Apparently they recognized the latter
language, and one of them motioned to Godfrey to follow him.
"You wait here till I come back, Luka. I daresay the people are honest
enough, but I don't want any of our furs or things stolen now that we
have got to the end of our journey."
He then followed his conductor to a large house in the principal street,
where he went in to a sort of office and spoke to a man sitting there.
Then he went out, and in a minute returned with a gentleman.
"Do you speak English, sir?" Godfrey said.
"I speak it a little," the gentleman replied in surprise at hearing the
language from one who looked like a Laplander.
"Do you speak Russian better?" Godfrey next asked.
"Yes," he replied in that language. "I know Russian well. And who are
you?"
"I am an Englishman. I was resident in St. Petersburg when I was seized
and condemned to exile in Siberia as a Nihilist, although I was
perfectly innocent of the charge. I was taken to the mines of Kara in
the east of Siberia, but made my escape, descended the Yenesei, and have
coasted from there in a canoe."
The man looked at him incredulously.
"I am not surprised that you doubt my story," Godfrey said. "If you will
come down with me to the wharf you will see the canoe in which I made
the journey. I built it on the Yenesei. I have with me a Tartar who
escaped with me and shared my fortunes."
The merchant put on his hat and walked down to the wharf.
"It is a strange craft," he said, "though I have seen some at
Christiania similar in form but smaller, built of wood, that Englishmen
have brought over. And is it possible that you have sailed from the
mouth of the Yenesei in her?"
"There has been no great difficulty about it," Godfrey said. "We have
kept near the coast, and have generally landed when bad weather came on.
I have a gun, and with that and fishing there has been no difficulty
about food. The journey has been a long one. It is seventeen months
since I left Kara. I am provided with Russian money, sir, and shall be
glad if you can tell me what is my best way of getting back to England."
"It is fortunate indeed that you did not arrive here two days later, for
the last steamer will sail for Hamburg to-morrow. She touches at many
ports on her way, but I don't know that you can do better than go to
Hamburg, whence there is a steamer nearly every day to England. If you
had been two days later you would have lost her, for the season is just
over, and you would then have had to travel by land and river down to
Tornea on the Gulf of Bothnia. But come up with me to my house; I am the
agent here for the steamer. What are you going to do with your canoe?"
"I shall take her home with me just as she stands," Godfrey said.
"And the Tartar?"
"Yes, the Tartar and the dog."
"Very well. Stay here for ten minutes," he said to Luka, "I will send a
man down to help you up with the canoe. We may as well put it in my
yard," he went on as he started back with Godfrey. "The people are as
honest as the day, but they might be pulling it about and examining it,
and it is just as well to stow it away safe. Well, this is a wonderful
escape of yours! During the twenty years I have been here, it has never
happened before."
"I wonder it has not been done many times," Godfrey said. "Canoes go
from Archangel to the Petchora, which is quite half-way to the mouth of
the Obi, and there is no more difficulty between the Petchora and the
Yenesei than there is on this side. The first thing to do now is to get
some clothes."
"The first thing to do, I think, is to get some breakfast," the trader
said.
"I have already had some breakfast on board," Godfrey said; "but I
daresay I can eat another."
"I will warrant you can. Your breakfast was probably of the roughest."
"It was," Godfrey admitted. "I have not eaten a piece of real bread for
more than a year. We haven't had much of anything made of flour since we
started in the canoe in June; but one gets to do without bread very
well."
"I have not asked you your name yet," the trader said.
"It is Godfrey Bullen. My father is head of a firm in London that does a
good deal of trade with Russia. He was Living in St. Petersburg a good
many years. That is how it is that I speak the language."
"I was wondering how it was that you spoke it so well. Now, then, let me
introduce you to my wife and family. This is an English gentleman,
wife," he said in his own language to a pleasant-looking lady. "He does
not look like it, but when I tell you that he has made his escape from
Siberia in a canoe it will account for it."
Godfrey found that his early meal had in no way abated his appetite. The
breakfast was an excellent one, but he confined himself to bread and
butter, and thought he had never tasted anything so good in his life. He
learned that his host was an importer of goods of all kinds, and did the
principal trade at Vadsö, besides supplying all the villages on the
fiord.
"If you had been here a few days earlier," he said, "you would have
found a countryman of yours, a Mr. Clarke, who almost monopolizes the
whaling trade here. He owns three steamers, and has a great melting-down
establishment. I myself send great quantities of cod to Hamburg by
steamer. Most of the boats here work for me."
After breakfast Godfrey gave his host a sketch of his adventures.
"It has been a wonderful journey," his host said when he concluded. "I
have heard of one or two cases where men have made their way to
Archangel, and thence by land to our frontier, but I never heard of
anyone attempting it by sea before. It was a perilous journey indeed,
and required a knowledge of canoeing, which no Russian prisoner would be
likely to have. Then you were certainly fortunate in having a companion
with you who was at home with those Ostjaks. Still, as you brought him
with you for that purpose, that was forethought rather than luck."
"Which is the first port at which the steamer will stop that I can send
a telegram from?"
The merchant laughed. "If you go down-stairs into the office, and go
through the door to your left hand, you will find yourself in a
telegraph office."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. We have had the telegraph here for some little time."
Godfrey rushed down-stairs, and sent off a telegram as follows:--
"_Have just arrived here. Made my escape from prison at Kara, in
Siberia. Seventeen months on the way. Am in first-rate health. Start
to-morrow by steamer to Hamburg. Hope all are well. Have plenty of
money._"
He directed it to his father's office, so that the news might be broken
gradually to his mother. In the afternoon the answer came:--
"_Thank God for His mercies. All well. I shall cross to Hamburg to meet
you._"
While Godfrey was being made much of by the merchant and his family,
and, indeed, by many of their acquaintances, who, upon hearing the news,
came in to see him and inquire into the wonderful voyage, Luka was no
less a centre of attraction to the fishermen, and was so generously
treated that long before it became dark he was obliged to be assisted,
in a state of inebriation, to a pallet that had been prepared for him.
Godfrey was annoyed when he heard it; "but," as his host said, "after
being eighteen months, and, for aught I know, eighteen months before
that, without touching liquor, very little would be likely to produce an
effect upon him. I daresay it is his talking as much as the spirit that
has turned his head; besides, you know, the lower class of Russians and
Tartars are all fond of spirits."
"I shall not be angry with him in the morning," Godfrey said, "because I
do think that it is pardonable; but I shall talk seriously to him about
it, and tell him that if he is coming home to England with me he must
give up spirits. He has done without them so long that it can't be any
hardship."
"What are you going to do with him?"
"I have not the most remote idea," Godfrey laughed. "If he likes to
return to his people I daresay my father would be able, through the
Russian embassy, to get a pardon for him and permission to go back; but
I don't think he has any notion of that. He lost his parents when he was
a child, and I never heard him express the slightest desire to go back
again. He has attached himself to me heart and soul, and I think looks
upon it as a settled thing that he will be always with me. I don't know
in what capacity, still, I suppose, something will be found for him."
The steamer was to start at nine o'clock on the following morning, and
by that hour Godfrey, Luka, and Jack were on board and the canoe
carefully stowed on deck. Both had obtained a complete fit-out from the
merchant's stores, and although Godfrey's garments would scarcely have
passed muster in London, they did very well for the voyage. Luka was
greatly amused at his own appearance in European garb, though Godfrey
thought he looked much better in his Ostjak costume.
"We will rig him out fresh when I get him home," he said to the
merchant. "I don't know what he looks like now in that greatcoat and
billycock hat."
The merchant stayed on board until the last moment. As soon as he got
into his boat the paddles began to revolve and the steamer started on
her way. She was ten days on her voyage, ascending many of the fiords,
landing or taking on board cargo or passengers.
Godfrey enjoyed the voyage greatly. The scenery was magnificent, and
eagerly as he desired to be at home, he was almost sorry when the end
approached. It had been so strange to have nothing to do but to sit and
watch the shore, to eat and to sleep. Luka had been very penitent over
his little excess at Vadsö, and had solemnly promised Godfrey to abstain
from spirits in future; and he, too, enjoyed the voyage in his way,
eating enormously, and drinking vast quantities of tea and coffee.
Godfrey had sent off one or two telegrams from the ports at which he
touched, so that his father might be able to judge when the ship was
likely to arrive; and when one morning early the vessel steamed up to
the wharf at Hamburg Godfrey saw him waiting there. It was a joyful
meeting indeed, and it was not until they were alone together at an
hotel, Luka being left down-stairs in charge of the canoe, that they
were enabled to begin to talk.
"Did you know what had become of me, father?"
"Yes, my boy. Petrovytch telegraphed to me that you had been missing
three days, and I at once went over to St. Petersburg. He thought that
you had fallen into bad hands, and had been murdered and thrown into the
Neva; but remembering that you had got into that silly scrape before
with the police, I thought it possible that, coming, as your absence
did, directly after the affair at the Winter Palace, suspicion had
fallen on you again. I went to the head of the police; he declined to
give me any information. Then I set the embassy at work, and they found
out that you had been arrested with some desperate Nihilists. At last
they obtained a sight of the records of the court-martial before which
you had been tried, and told me that the case was so strong against you
that nothing could be done; indeed, had it not been for your youth, and
the fact that you were a British subject, you would certainly have been
executed. I tried everything, but I found it absolutely useless. The
embassy recommended me to let the matter drop for the present, and in
time, perhaps, when the Nihilist scare passed off, it might be possible
to interest some minister or other in your favour and obtain a reversion
of your sentence. Then a few months later came the assassination of the
Czar, and, of course, that rendered it more hopeless than ever, and all
we could hope for was, that in the course of years we might again move
in the matter. Of course it has been a terrible business for us all. But
we won't talk about that now. Thank God it is over, and that you have
returned to us. But what madness, Godfrey, to mix yourself up with these
people!"
"Indeed, father, I was perfectly innocent, though I cannot blame the
court-martial for finding me guilty." And he then gave his father the
details of his connection with the two Nihilists Akim Soushiloff and
Petroff Stepanoff, and of the circumstances of his arrest in their room.
"I am very glad to hear that, Godfrey. Not that it makes any actual
matter now, but because, after the warning I had given you to avoid the
society of any people holding extreme opinions, it seemed to me you must
have showed an incredible amount of wilfulness and folly in getting
yourself mixed up with these desperate conspirators. I am heartily glad
to find that I was mistaken, and that, except as regards that foolish
business at the theatre, you have really not been to blame in the
matter, and have been altogether a victim of circumstances. Now, tell me
how you got away. And first, who is that queer-looking little fellow
with your canoe?"
"He is my comrade and friend, father. He escaped from prison with me,
and is devoted to me; but for him I should have had no chance whatever
of making my way through all the difficulties of the journey." And he
then gave his father an outline of their adventures from the time of
their leaving Kara.
When he had finished, Mr. Bullen went down-stairs and saw Luka, and
shook hands with him heartily, telling him in Russian that he had heard
from Godfrey how much he owed to him, and assuring him that he need have
no fear for the future.
Two days later the party arrived at home. There is no occasion to say
anything as to the joy of that meeting. The three years of hardship and
roughing it had converted the careless school-boy into a powerful young
fellow. His spirits were as high and he was as full of fun as of old;
but the experience he had gone through had strengthened his character,
had given him self-reliance and confidence, and had, as his father and
mother soon saw, had a very beneficial effect in forming his character.
Two or three days after his arrival Godfrey wrote to Mikail. It was a
very guarded letter, because he knew that it would be opened by the
prison authorities, but it thanked him for the kindness he had shown to
him while in prison, and expressed a hope that, now that he would have
obtained partial freedom, and would be united to his wife, he would
succeed and prosper. He inclosed a five-hundred-rouble note from his
father as a present in return for the kindness he had shown him, and he
also inclosed a directed envelope, so that he could acknowledge the
receipt of the letter.
An answer written by the priest of the village--for Mikail was unable to
write--came at the end of five months. It was expressed in the most
grateful terms. He had been released four months after Godfrey left, and
the governor had, as a reward for his good conduct, allowed him to work
for a farmer instead of in the mines. He said that he was perfectly
happy, and that, as he should now be able to purchase a small farm for
himself, he should be sure to do well. "I have a boy," he said, "who was
born three months ago; we have christened him Godfrey, in memory of the
night when you saved my life at the risk of your own."
Luka was for some time a difficulty. He absolutely refused to return to
Russia, and was for a time established as doorkeeper at the office, but
in the spring after Godfrey's return the latter took him down with him
to a house Mr. Bullen had just purchased near Richmond. Luka was so
delighted with the country that he was established there, and became a
sort of general factotum, assisting in the garden, stables, or house,
wherever he could make himself useful, and being in special charge of a
sailing boat that Godfrey keeps on the river. He had picked up a good
deal of English from Godfrey on their travels, and soon came to speak it
fairly, and being regarded as a friend by all the family, he is in every
way perfectly contented with his lot. Four years after Godfrey's return,
a clerk one day came into the office with the news that a gentleman
wished to speak to him, and Godfrey was astounded at the entry of
Alexis.
"I have come," the Russian said. "You told me to come, and I have done
so."
"I am delighted to see you, Alexis. I had thought of you as married and
settled among the Buriats."
"I did marry," Alexis said; "but three years afterwards I lost my wife.
What was I to do? I could not remain all my life a wandering shepherd,
afraid ever to enter a town or to speak with a civilized being; so I
sold my flocks and herds. You know my wife owned a third of those of the
Buriat. He was a rich man and bought most of them, and for the rest I
found other purchasers. Then he negotiated for me with one of the tea
merchants, and I managed to go as a driver with one of his caravans to
Pekin."
"And what do you mean to do, Alexis? I can still keep my promise, and
make a berth for you here in the office."
"I thank you, my friend," Alexis said; "but I shall return to my
profession. I am a doctor, you know, and have my Russian diplomas. I
shall learn your language, and study in your hospitals for a time; then
I shall set up here. I believe you have many Russians in your poorer
districts; and as, besides, I speak German, I should be able to obtain a
sufficient practice. Moreover, I have brought with me orders on a bank
here for five thousand pounds, which I paid into their branch at
Hong-Kong. I will get you to invest that for me, and you will see that
it will give me an income sufficient for all my wants."
Alexis carried out his plans, and has now a large although not very
remunerative practice among the Russian and German colony in the East
End of London. He married the daughter of a clergyman there, and remains
fast friends with Godfrey, who has now set up an establishment of his
own, of which Luka is major-domo, and special guardian and playmate to
Godfrey's little boys.
Godfrey has not returned to Russia, but is his father's right hand in
the London business; at the same time he is free to visit St. Petersburg
did he wish to do so, as Mr. Bullen drew up a full statement of his
case, and this having been forwarded by the Russian ambassador, with a
strong recommendation on his part, a reversal of the sentence of the
court-martial was obtained, and a full pardon granted to him. It is not
probable, however, that he will again set foot on Russian soil, his
experiences as a prisoner in Siberia having been, as he says, ample for
a lifetime.
THE END.
* * * * *
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interest is sustained in a fight with, and capture of, brigands.
"A strong interest of open-air life and movement pervades the
whole book."--_Scotsman._
-- With Buller in Natal: or, A Born Leader. With 10 page Illustrations
by W. RAINEY, R.I., and a Map. 6s.
The heroic story of the relief of Ladysmith forms the theme of
one of the most powerful romances that have come from Mr.
Henty's pen. When the war breaks out, the hero, Chris King, and
his friends band themselves together under the title of the
Maritzburg Scouts. From first to last the boy scouts are
constantly engaged in perilous and exciting enterprises, from
which they always emerge triumphant, thanks to their own skill
and courage, and the dash and ingenuity of their leader.
"Just the sort of book to inspire an enterprising
boy."--_Army and Navy Gazette._
-- By England's Aid: or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604).
With 10 page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE, and 4 Maps. 6s.
Two English lads go to Holland in the service of one of "the
fighting Veres". After many adventures one of the lads finds
himself on board a Spanish ship at the defeat of the Armada, and
escapes from Spain only to fall into the hands of the Corsairs.
He is successful, however, in getting back to Spain, and regains
his native country after the capture of Cadiz.
"Boys know and love Mr. Henty's books of adventure, and will
welcome his tale of the freeing of the
Netherlands."--_Athenæum._
-- Condemned as a Nihilist: A Story of Escape from Siberia.
With 8 page Illustrations by WAL PAGET. 5s.
Godfrey Bullen, a young Englishman resident in St. Petersburg,
becomes involved in various political plots, resulting in his
seizure and exile to Siberia. After an unsuccessful attempt to
escape, he gives himself up to the Russian authorities.
Eventually he escapes, and reaches home, having safely
accomplished a perilous journey which lasts nearly two years.
"The escape from Siberia is well told and the description of
prison life is very graphic."--_Academy._
[Illustration: _From THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS_
BY G. A. HENTY (See page 1)]
* * * * *
G. A. HENTY
-- Maori and Settler: A Story of the New Zealand War with 8 page
Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. 5s.
The Renshaws lose their property and emigrate to New Zealand.
Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant lad, is the mainstay of the
household. The odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they
succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the
pleasantest of the New Zealand valleys.
"A book which all young people, but especially boys, will
read with avidity."--_Athenæum._
-- Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion of Britain. With 12
page Illustrations by W. PARKINSON. 6s.
Beric is a boy-chief of a British tribe which takes a prominent
part in the insurrection under Boadicea: and after the defeat of
that heroic queen he continues the struggle in the fen-country.
Ultimately Beric is defeated and carried captive to Rome, where
he succeeds in saving a Christian maid by slaying a lion in the
arena, and is rewarded by being made the personal protector of
Nero. Finally, he escapes and returns to Britain, where he
becomes a wise ruler of his own people.
"He is a hero of the most attractive kind.... One of the most
spirited and well-imagined stories Mr. Henty has
written."--_Saturday Review._
"His conflict with a lion in the arena is a thrilling
chapter."--_School Board Chronicle._
"Full of every form of heroism and pluck."--_Christian
World._
-- The Dash for Khartoum: A Tale of the Nile Expedition. With 10 page
Illustrations by JOHN SCHÖNBERG and J. NASH. 6s.
In the record of recent British history there is no more
captivating page for boys than the story of the Nile campaign,
and the attempt to rescue General Gordon. For, in the
difficulties which the expedition encountered, and in the perils
which it overpassed, are found all the excitement of romance, as
well as the fascination which belongs to real events.
"_The Dash for Khartoum_ is your ideal boys'
book."--_Tablet._
"It is literally true that the narrative never flags a
moment."--_Academy._
"_The Dash for Khartoum_ will be appreciated even by those
who don't ordinarily care a dash for anything."--_Punch._
-- With Wolfe in Canada: or, The Winning of a Continent. With 12 page
Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 6s.
Mr. Henty tells the story of the struggle between Britain and
France for supremacy on the North American continent. The fall
of Quebec decided that the Anglo-Saxon race should predominate
in the New World; that Britain, and not France, should take the
lead among the nations.
"A moving tale of military exploit and thrilling
adventure."--_Daily News._
* * * * *
G. A. HENTY
-- Held Fast for England: A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. With 8 page
Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 5s.
The story deals with one of the most memorable sieges in
history. The hero, a young Englishman resident in Gibraltar,
takes a brave and worthy part in the long defence, and we learn
with what bravery, resourcefulness, and tenacity the Rock was
held for England.
"There is no cessation of exciting incident throughout the
story."--_Athenæum._
-- In the Irish Brigade: A Tale of War in Flanders and Spain. With 12
page Illustrations by CHARLES M. SHELDON. 6s.
The hero is a young officer in the Irish Brigade, which for many
years after the siege of Limerick formed the backbone of the
French army. He goes through many stirring adventures,
successfully carries out dangerous missions in Spain, saves a
large portion of the French army at Oudenarde, and even has the
audacity to kidnap the Prime Minister of England.
"A stirring book of military adventure."--_Scotsman._
-- At Agincourt: A Tale of the White Hoods of Paris. With 12 page
Illustrations by WAL PAGET. 6s.
Sir Eustace de Villeroy, in journeying from Hampshire to his
castle in France, made young Guy Aylmer one of his escort. Soon
thereafter the castle was attacked, and the English youth
displayed such valour that his liege-lord made him commander of
a special mission to Paris. This he accomplished, returning in
time to take part in the campaign against the French which ended
in the glorious victory for England at Agincourt.
"Cannot fail to commend itself to boys of all
ages."--_Manchester Courier._
-- A Final Reckoning: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. With 8 page
Illustrations by W. B. WOLLEN. 5s.
The hero, a young Englishman, emigrates to Australia, where he
gets employment as an officer in the mounted police. A few years
of active work gain him promotion to a captaincy. In that post
he greatly distinguishes himself, and finally leaves the service
and settles down as a squatter.
"A stirring story capitally told."--_Guardian_.
* * * * *
"Young readers have no better friends than Blackie & Son."--_Westminster
Gazette._
Blackie & Son's
Story Books for Boys
G. MANVILLE FENN
Dick o' the Fens: A Romance of the Great East Swamp. With 12 page
Illustrations by FRANK DADD. 6s.
Dick o' the Fens and Tom o'Grimsey are the sons of a squire and
a farmer living in Lincolnshire. Many sketches of their shooting
and fishing experiences are related, while the record of the
fenmen's stealthy resistance to the great draining scheme is
full of keen interest. The ambushes and shots in the mist and
dark, and the long-baffled attempts to trace the lurking foe,
are described with Mr. Fenn's wonted skill.
"Mr. Fenn has here very nearly attained perfection. Life in
the Fens in the old ante-drainage days is admirably
reproduced. We have not of late come across a historical
fiction, whether intended for boys or for men, which deserves
to be so heartily praised as regards plot, incidents, and
spirit. It is its author's masterpiece as yet."--_Spectator._
-- Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern Seas. With 8
page Pictures by GORDON BROWNE. 5s.
The boy Nat and his uncle go on a voyage to the islands of the
Eastern seas to seek specimens in natural history, and their
adventures there are full of interest and excitement. The
descriptions of Mr. Ebony, their black comrade, and of the
scenes of savage life sparkle with genuine humour.
"This book encourages independence of character, develops
resource, and teaches a boy to keep his eyes
open."--_Saturday Review._
-- The Golden Magnet: A Tale of the Land of the Incas. With 12 page
Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 3s.
The tale is of a romantic youth, who leaves home to seek his
fortune in South America. He is accompanied by a faithful
companion, who, in the capacity both of comrade and henchman,
does true service, and shows the dogged courage of an English
lad during their strange adventures.
"There could be no more welcome present for a boy. There is
not a dull page, and many will be read with breathless
interest."--_Journal of Education._
* * * * *
[Illustration: _From THE DIAMOND SEEKERS_
BY ERNEST GLANVILLE (See page 11)]
Dr. GORDON STABLES, R.N.
In the Great White Land: A Tale of the Antarctic Ocean. With 6
Illustrations by J. A. WALTON. 3s. 6d.
This is a most fascinating story from beginning to end. It is a
true picture of what daring healthful British men and boys can
do, written by an author whose name is a household word wherever
the English language is spoken. All is described with a master's
hand, and the plot is just such as boys love.
"The narrative goes with a swing and a dash from start to
finish."--_Public Opinion._
ERNEST GLANVILLE
The Diamond Seekers: A Story of Adventure in South Africa. With 8
Illustrations by WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I. 6s.
The discovery of the plan of the diamond mine, the dangers
incurred in reaching the wild, remote spot in an armoured wagon,
and the many incidents of farm and veldt life, are vividly
described by an author who knows the country well.
"We have seldom seen a better story for boys."--_Guardian._
Capt. F. S. BRERETON, R.A.M.C.
One of the Fighting Scouts: A Tale of Guerrilla Warfare in South Africa.
With 8 Illustrations by STANLEY L. WOOD, and a Map. 5s.
This story deals with the guerrilla aspect of the Boer War, and
shows how George Ransome is compelled to leave his father's farm
and take service with the British. He is given the command of a
band of scouts as a reward for gallantry, and with these he
punishes certain rebels for a piece of rascality, and
successfully attacks Botha's commando. Thanks to his knowledge
of the veldt he is of signal service to his country, and even
outwits the redoubtable De Wet.
"Altogether an unusually good story."--_Yorkshire Post._
-- Under the Spangled Banner: A Tale of the Spanish-American War. With 8
Illustrations by PAUL HARDY. 5s.
Hal Marchant is in Cuba before the commencement of hostilities.
A Spaniard who has been frustrated in an attempt to rob Hal's
employer attacks the hacienda and is defeated, but turns the
tables by denouncing Hal as a spy. The hero makes good his
escape from Santiago, and afterwards fights for America both on
land and at sea. The story gives a vivid and at the same time
accurate account of this memorable struggle.
"Just the kind of book that a boy would delight
in."--_Schoolmaster._
FREDERICK HARRISON
The Boys of Wynport College. With 6 Illustrations by HAROLD COPPING.
3s. _New Edition._
The hero and his chums differ as widely in character as in
personal appearance. We have Patrick O'Fflahertie, the
good-natured Irish boy; Jack Brookes, the irrepressible
humorist; Davie Jackson, the true-hearted little lad, on whose
haps and mishaps the plot to a great extent turns; and the hero
himself, who finds in his experiences at Wynport College a
wholesome corrective of a somewhat lax home training.
"A book which no well-regulated school-boy should be
without."--_Whitehall Review._
LÉON GOLSCHMANN
Boy Crusoes: A Story of the Siberian Forest. Adapted from the
Russian by LÉON GOLSCHMANN.
With 6 page Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE, R.I. 3s. 6d.
Two Russian lads are so deeply impressed by reading _Robinson
Crusoe_ that they run away from home. They lose their way in a
huge trackless forest, and for two years are kept busy hunting
for food, fighting against wolves and other enemies, and
labouring to increase their comforts, before they are rescued.
"This is a story after a boy's own heart."--_Nottingham
Guardian._
MEREDITH FLETCHER
Every Inch a Briton: A School Story. With 6 page Illustrations by SYDNEY
COWELL. 3s. 6d.
This story is written from the point of view of an ordinary boy,
who gives an animated account of a young public-schoolboy's
life. No moral is drawn; yet the story indicates a kind of
training that goes to promote veracity, endurance, and
enterprise; and of each of several of the characters it might be
truly said, he is worthy to be called, "Every Inch a Briton".
"In _Every Inch a Briton_ Mr. Meredith Fletcher has scored a
success."--_Manchester Guardian._
EDGAR PICKERING
In Press-Gang Days. With 4 illustrations by W. S. STACEY. 2s. 6d.
_New Edition._
In this story Harry Waring is caught by the Press-gang and
carried on board His Majesty's ship _Sandwich_. He takes part in
the mutiny of the Nore, and shares in some hard fighting on
board the _Phoenix_. He is with Nelson, also, at the storming of
Santa Cruz, and the battle of the Nile.
"It is of Marryat, that friend of our boyhood, we think as we
read this delightful story; for it is not only a story of
adventure, with incidents well-conceived and arranged, but
the characters are interesting and
well-distinguished."--_Academy._
FRED SMITH
The Boyhood of a Naturalist. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 6d. _New
Edition._
Few lovers of Nature have given to the world a series of
recollections so entertaining, so vigorous, and so instinct with
life as these delightful reminiscences. The author takes the
reader with him in the rambles in which he spent the happiest
hours of his boyhood, a humble observer of the myriad forms of
life in field and copse, by stream and hedgerow.
"We cannot too highly recommend the book to all
readers."--_Guardian._
The World of Animal Life. Edited by FRED SMITH. Profusely Illustrated
with Engravings after F. SPECHT and other eminent artists. 5s.
The aim of _The World of Animal Life_ is to give in
non-scientific language an account of those inhabitants of the
land, sea, and sky with whose names we are all familiar, but
concerning whose manner of life the majority of us have only the
haziest conceptions.
"An admirable volume for the young mind enquiring after
Nature."--_Birmingham Gazette._
EDGAR PICKERING
An Old-Time Yarn: Adventures in the West Indies and Mexico with Hawkins
and Drake. With 6 page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. 3s. 6d.
The hero sails from Plymouth in the flagship of Master John
Hawkins. Divers are the perils through which he passes. Chief of
these are the destruction of the English ships by the
treacherous Spaniards, the fight round the burning vessels, the
journey of the prisoners to the city of Mexico, the horrors of
the Inquisition, and the final escape to England.
"An excellent story of adventure.... The book is thoroughly
to be recommended."--_Guardian._
CLIVE PHILLIPPS-WOLLEY
Gold, Gold in Cariboo: A Story of Adventure in British Columbia. With 4
Illustrations by G. C. HINDLEY. 2s. 6d. _New Edition._
Ned Corbett, a young Englishman, and his companion set out with
a pack-train in order to obtain gold on the upper reaches of the
Fraser River. After innumerable adventures, and a life-and-death
struggle with the Arctic weather of that wild region, they find
the secret gold-mines for which they have toilsomely searched.
"It would be difficult to say too much in favour of _Gold,
Gold in Cariboo_. We have seldom read a more exciting tale of
wild mining adventure in a singularly inaccessible country.
There is a capital plot, and the interest is sustained to the
last page."--_The Times._
ROBERT LEIGHTON
The Golden Galleon. With 6 Illustrations by W. RAINEY, R.I. 3s.
_New Edition._
Gilbert Oglander, and his friend, Timothy Trollope, join in Lord
Thomas Howard's expedition to intercept the Spanish
treasure-fleet from the West Indies, and are on board _The
Revenge_ in the memorable fight between that one little
man-of-war and fifty-three great galleons of Spain. After the
battle come storm and shipwreck, and the lads, having drifted
for days, find refuge on board a derelict galleon, whence they
are rescued and brought home to England.
"A well-constructed and lively historical
romance."--_Spectator._
S. BARING-GOULD
Grettir the Outlaw: A Story of Iceland in the days of the Vikings. With
6 page Illustrations by M. ZENO DIEMER. 3s.
A narrative of adventure of the most romantic kind. No boy will
be able to withstand the magic of such scenes as the fight of
Grettir with the twelve bearserks, the wrestle with Karr the Old
in the chamber of the dead, the combat with the spirit of Glam
the thrall, and the defence of the dying Grettir by his younger
brother.
"Has a freshness, a freedom, a sense of sun and wind and the
open air, which make it irresistible."--_National Observer._
C. J. CUTCLIFFE HYNE
The Captured Cruiser: or, Two Years from Land. With 6 page Illustrations
by F. BRANGWYN. 3s. 6d.
The central incidents deal with the capture, during the war
between Chili and Peru, of an armed cruiser. The heroes and
their companions break from prison in Valparaiso, board this
warship in the night, overpower the watch, escape to sea under
the fire of the forts, and finally, after marvellous adventures,
lose the cruiser among the icebergs near Cape Horn.
"The two lads and the two skippers are admirably drawn. Mr.
Hyne has now secured a position in the first rank of writers
of fiction for boys."--_Spectator._
-- Stimson's Reef: With 4 page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY. 2s. 6d.
This is the extended log of a cutter which sailed from the Clyde
to the Amazon in search of a gold reef. It relates how they
discovered the buccaneer's treasure in the Spanish Main, fought
the Indians, turned aside the river Jamary by blasting, and so
laid bare the gold of _Stimson's Reef_.
"Few stories come within hailing distance of Stimson's Reef
in startling incidents and hairbreadth 'scapes. It may almost
vie with Mr. R. L. Stevenson's _Treasure
Island_."--_Guardian._
* * * * *
[Illustration: _From ONE OF THE FIGHTING SCOUTS_
BY CAPT. F. S. BRERETON (See page 11)]
* * * * *
R. STEAD
Grit will Tell: The Adventures of a Barge-boy. With 4 Illustrations by
D. CARLETON SMYTH. Cloth, 2s. 6d.
A lad whose name has been lost amidst early buffetings by hard
fortune suffers many hardships at the hands of a bargeman, his
master, and runs away. The various adventures and experiences
with which he meets on the road to success, the bear-hunt in
which he takes part, and the battle at which he acts as war
correspondent, form a story of absorbing interest and after a
boy's own heart.
"A thoroughly wholesome and attractive book."--_Graphic._
HARRY COLLINGWOOD
The Pirate Island. With 6 page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND and J.
R. WELLS. 3s. _New Edition._
By a deed of true gallantry the hero's whole destiny is changed,
and, going to sea, he forms one of a party who, after being
burned out of their ship in the South Pacific, are picked up by
a pirate brig and taken to the "Pirate Island". After many
thrilling adventures, they ultimately succeed in effecting their
escape.
"A capital story of the sea; indeed in our opinion the author
is superior in some respects as a marine novelist to the
better-known Mr. Clark Russell."--_Times._
FLORENCE COOMBE
Boys of the Priory School. With 4 page Illustrations by HAROLD COPPING.
2s. 6d.
The interest centres in the relations of Raymond and Hal
Wentworth, and the process by which Raymond, the hero of the
school, learns that in the person of his ridiculed cousin there
beats a heart more heroic than his own.
"It is an excellent work of its class, cleverly illustrated
with 'real boys' by Mr. Harold Copping."--_Literature._
JOHN C. HUTCHESON
Afloat at Last: A Sailor Boy's Log. With 6 page Illustrations by W. H.
OVEREND. 3s. 6d.
From the stowing of the vessel in the Thames to her recovery
from the Pratas Reef on which she is stranded, everything is
described with the accuracy of perfect practical knowledge of
ships and sailors; and the incidents of the story range from the
broad humours of the fo'c's'le to the perils of flight from, and
fight with, the pirates of the China Seas.
"As healthy and breezy a book as one could wish."--_Academy._
* * * * *
Blackie & Son's
Story Books for Girls
ETHEL F. HEDDLE
A Mystery of St. Rule's. With 8 Illustrations by G. DEMAIN HAMMOND, R.I.
6s. _Illustrated Edition._
"The author has been amazingly successful in keeping her
secret almost to the end. Yet the mystery attending a stolen
diamond of great value is so skilfully handled that several
perfectly innocent persons seem all but hopelessly identified
with the disappearance of the gem. Cleverly, however, as this
aspect of the story has been managed, it has other sources of
strength."--_Scotsman._
"The chief interest ... lies in the fascinating young
adventuress, who finds a temporary nest in the old
professor's family, and wins all hearts in St. Rule's by her
beauty and her sweetness."--_Morning Leader._
"Into the dignified atmosphere of a northerly academic town
Miss Ethel Heddle introduces a coil of events worthy of
Wilkie Collins."--_Manchester Guardian._
KATHARINE TYNAN
A Girl of Galway. With 8 full-page Illustrations by JOHN H. BACON. 6s.
When Bertha Grace is on the threshold of young womanhood, she
goes to stay with her grandfather in Ireland, with the trust
from her mother of reconciling him and his son, Bertha's father.
Bertha finds her grandfather a recluse and a miser, and in the
hands of an underling, who is his evil genius. How she keeps
faith with her mother and finds her own fate, through many
strange adventures, is the subject of the story.
"Full of the poetic charm we are accustomed to find in the
works of that gifted writer."--_World._
CAROLINE AUSTIN
Cousin Geoffrey and I. With 6 full-page Illustrations by W. PARKINSON.
3s.
The only daughter of a country gentleman finds herself
unprovided for at her father's death, and for some time lives as
a dependant upon her kinsman. Life is saved from being
unbearable to her by her young cousin Geoffrey, who at length
meets with a serious accident for which she is held responsible.
She makes a brave attempt to earn her own livelihood, until a
startling event brings her cousin Geoffrey and herself together
again.
"Miss Austin's story is bright, clever, and well
developed."--_Saturday Review._
ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS
A Queen among Girls. With 6 Illustrations by HAROLD COPPING. Cloth, 3s.
6d.
Augusta Pembroke is the head of her school, the favourite of her
teachers and fellow-pupils, who are attracted by her fearless
and independent nature and her queenly bearing. She dreams of a
distinguished professional career; but the course of her life is
changed suddenly by pity for her timid little brother Adrian,
the victim of his guardian-uncle's harshness. The story
describes the daring means adopted by Augusta for Adrian's
relief.
"An interesting and well-written narrative, in which humour
and a keen eye for character unite to produce a book happily
adapted for modern maidens."--_Globe._
-- A Girl of To-Day. With 6 page Illustrations by G. D. HAMMOND, R.I. 3s.
6d.
"What are Altruists?" humbly asks a small boy. "They are only
people who try to help others," replies the Girl of To-Day. To
help their poorer neighbours, the boys and girls of Woodend band
themselves together into the _Society of Altruists_. That they
have plenty of fun is seen in the shopping expedition and in the
successful Christmas entertainment.
"It is a spirited story. The characters are true to nature
and carefully developed. Such a book as this is exactly what
is needed to give a school-girl an interest in the
development of character."--_Educational Times._
FRANCES ARMSTRONG
A Girl's Loyalty. With 6 Illustrations by JOHN H. BACON. Cloth, 3s. 6d.
New Edition.
When she was still but a child, Helen Grant received from her
grandfather, on his death-bed, a secret message. The brief words
remained fast in her memory, and dominated her whole career. She
was loyal to her trust, however, and to her friends in the hour
of their need. For the girl was possessed of that quick courage
which leaps up in a shy nature when evil-doers have to be
unmasked, and wrongs made right.
"The one book for girls that stands out this year is Miss
Frances Armstrong's _A Girl's Loyalty_."--_Review of
Reviews._
G. NORWAY
A True Cornish Maid. With 6 page Illustrations by J. FINNEMORE. 3s. 6d.
The heroine of the tale is sister to a young fellow who gets
into trouble in landing a contraband cargo on the Cornish coast.
In his extremity the girl stands by her brother bravely, and by
means of her daring scheme he manages to escape.
"The success of the year has fallen, we think, to Mrs.
Norway, whose _True Cornish Maid_ is really an admirable
piece of work."--_Review of Reviews._
* * * * *
[Illustration: _From A MYSTERY OF ST. RULE'S_
BY ETHEL F. HEDDLE (See page 17)]
* * * * *
ROSA MULHOLLAND (LADY GILBERT)
The Girls of Banshee Castle. With 6 Illustrations by JOHN H. BACON.
Cloth, 3s. 6d. _New Edition._
Three girls, with an old governess, migrate from Kensington to
the West of Ireland. Belonging as they do to "the ould family",
the girls are made heartily welcome in the cabins of the
peasantry, where they learn many weird and curious tales from
the folk-lore of the district. An interesting plot runs through
the narrative, but the charm of the story lies in its happy
mingling of Irish humour and pathos.
"Is told with grace, and brightened by a knowledge of Irish
folk-lore, making it a perfect present for a girl in her
teens."--_Truth._
-- Gianetta: A Girl's Story of Herself. With 6 full-page Illustrations by
LOCKHART BOGLE. 3s.
The story of a changeling who is suddenly transferred to the
position of a rich English heiress. She develops into a good and
accomplished woman, and has gained too much love and devotion to
be a sufferer by the surrender of her estates.
ANNIE E. ARMSTRONG
Violet Vereker's Vanity. With 6 full-page Illustrations by G. DEMAIN
HAMMOND, R.I. 3s. 6d.
The heroine was an excellent girl in most respects. But she had
one small weakness, which expressed itself in a snobbish dislike
of her neighbours, the Sugdens, whose social position she deemed
beneath her own. In the end, however, the girl acknowledged her
folly, with results which are sure to delight the reader.
"A book for girls that we can heartily recommend, for it is
bright, sensible, and with a right tone of thought and
feeling."--_Sheffield Independent._
ALICE CORKRAN
Margery Merton's Girlhood. With 6 full-page Illustrations by GORDON
BROWNE. 3s. 6d.
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 are singularly vivid.
"_Margery Merton's Girlhood_ is a piece of true literature,
as dainty as it is delicate, and as sweet as it is
simple."--_Woman's World._
ELIZA F. POLLARD
For the Red Rose. With 4 Illustrations by JAMES DURDEN. 2s. 6d.
A gipsy finds a little girl in the forest of Wimbourne, after
the sacking of the castle by the Yorkists. He carries her to the
camp and she is adopted by the tribe. The story tells how, when
some years later Margaret of Anjou and her son are wrecked on
the coast of England, the gipsy girl follows the fortunes of the
exiled queen, and by what curious chain of events her own origin
is discovered.
"This is a good story, and of special interest to lovers of
historical romance."--_Court Circular._
MRS. E. J. LYSAGHT
Brother and Sister: With 6 page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 3s. 6d.
A story showing, by the narrative of the vicissitudes and
struggles of a family which has "come down in the world", and of
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* * * * *
[Illustration: _From THE FAIRCLOUGH FAMILY_
BY MRS. HENRY CLARKE (See page 24)]
* * * * *
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* * * * *
[Illustration: _From SIX AND TWENTY BOYS AND GIRLS_
BY JOHN HASSALL--CLIFTON BINGHAM (See page 25)]
* * * * *
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* * * * *
[Illustration: Some Children's Picture-Books (See page 32)]
* * * * *
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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as
possible, including obsolete and variant spellings. Obvious
typographical errors in punctuation (misplaced quotes and the like) have
been fixed. Corrections [in brackets] in the text are noted below:
Inconsistent spelling?:
Irkutsk (throughout) and Irkoutsk (pages 92, 94)
Yuruks (page 287) and Yuraks (pages 220, 309)
Mesentzeff (page 62) and Mezentsoff (page 66)
Moskow (page 62), although Moscow elsewhere
page 32: added quote
"He is released from his suffering," Katia said solemnly.
"Anything else, Akim?["]
page 35: added quote
as he entered. ["]It is a foolish business altogether, but if
page 41: typo corrected
"That is more cheerful by a long way," Godfrey said to
himself as the man, who had mantained[maintained] absolute
silence on
page 46: added quote
of being mixed up in the most remote way with politics, your
best friends will shun you like the plague.["]
page 61: extra quote removed
grave. Nothing was said until the servant, having handed
round the dishes, left the room.["]
page 69: typo corrected
Ireland. There are the Guards in London, but the
populalation[population] is so large that you might go a week
without seeing
page 117: added quote
political prisoners now. We might be honest peasants if it
were not for these confounded heads of hair.["]
page 122: typo corrected
"we should have been down on the Selinga[Selenga] to-morrow,
and we had calculated
page 132: extra quote removed
lifting the eyelid. "He is coming round now," he said at
last.["] A few more passes and the child drowsily opened
page 198: added hyphen
On the fourth day they saw a small farm[-]house lying not far
from the edge of the wood.
page 240: added hyphen
fishing, keeping holes broken in the ice and catching fish by
torch[-]light. The men walked with the sledges, which only
page 250: typo corrected
"The isvostchiks[Isvostchiks] are often frozen in St.
Petersburg in
page 276: added comma
"It may be either a fox or a bear," Luka said[,] making his
way farther back into the hut, and returning with his
End of Project Gutenberg's Condemned as a Nihilist, by George Alfred Henty