John Fox, Jr.

The Stetsons and the Lewallens had come to the Cumberland as friends but lived as enemies for almost fifty years. After the Civil War they were still neighbors and still irascible foes. The war had supplied them both with defenses which demonstrated an hereditary loathing for human life and an appetite for unrestraint. Even though peace had been tolerated for many years, one day, in an ambush, Old Jasper Lewallen killed Rome Stetson's father. Rome's Uncle Rufe escaped to the West, and the Stetsons had no leader. There was no news of Rufe for three years until suddenly he returned to town and opened a shop in the county-seat of Hazlan, on the opposite end of the street where Old Jasper had a store. The tension in Hazlan ran high, and Rufe was warned not to appear outside his door after dark. Young Jasper attended to this edict. However, his sister, Martha would take some corn to be ground at the mill on Stetson's side of the river, a mill operated by Old Gabe Bunch. Rome saw her there as he visited the mill one night, and memories of meeting her years ago flooded back. Rome learned of her history from Old Gabe, and he also formed his own impressions after noting her strong arms, the native dignity in the pose of her head, her deep eyes, her graceful movements. The motive for his opposition to the Lewallens had disappeared. He decided that her plucky spirit prompted his own craving for defiance. The high-strung situation continued until Rome met Young Jasper on a mountain ledge where Rome offered an end to the unyielding conflict. Finally, with the deaths of Old Jasper and Rufe, blame was questionable and any justice uncertain. Rome, after a spring season spent hiding from the soldiers sent to capture him for the recent deaths, was at last able to meet Martha and tell her the true occurrence on the mountain ledge. He asked her to run away with him to another jurisdiction where he was not a wanted man. Their mutual decision made the end to the generations-long feud complete and irrefutable.

It was the writing guy who drew this story out of Captain Shreve. He talked so much I think the Old Man spun the yarn just to shut him up. He had talked ever since his arrival on board, early that morning, with a letter from the owners' agent, and the announcement he intended making the voyage with us. He had weak lungs, he said, and was in search of mild, tropical breezes. Also, he was seeking local color, and whatever information he could pick up about "King" Waldon.He had heard of the death of "King" Waldon, down in Samoa—Waldon, the trader, of the vanishing race of island adventurers—and he expected to travel about the south seas investigating the "king's" past, so he could write a book about the old viking. He had heard that Captain Shreve had known Waldon. Hence, he was honoring a cargo carrier with his presence instead of taking his ease upon a mail-boat.Captain Shreve must tell him all he knew about the "king." He was intensely interested in the subject. Splendid material, you know. That romantic legend of Waldon's arrival in the islands—too good to be true, and certainly too good not to put into a book. Was Captain Shreve familiar with the tale? How this fellow, Waldon, sailed into a Samoan harbor in an open boat, his only companion his beautiful young wife? Imagine—this man and woman coming from nowhere, sailing in from the open sea in a small boat, never telling whence they came!He said this was the stuff to go into his book. Romance, mystery! It was quite as important as the later and better known incidents in the "king's" life. That was why Captain Shreve must tell him all he knew about the fellow. If he could only get at the beginning of the "king's" career in the islands. Where did the fellow come from? Why should a man bring his bride into an uncivilized and lawless section of the world, and settle down for life? There must be a story in that. Ah, yes, and he was the man who could properly do it.

"The Talisman" is a novel by Sir Walter Scott. It was published in 1825 as the second of his "Tales of the Crusaders", the first being "The Betrothed". "The Talisman" takes place at the end of the Third Crusade, mostly in the camp of the Crusaders in Palestine. Scheming and partisan politics, as well as the illness of King Richard the Lionheart, are placing the Crusade in danger. The main characters are the Scottish knight Kenneth, who is a fictional character version of David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon, who did in fact return from the third Crusade in 1190, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, and Edith

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Guy Holland had gone to South Africa to make his fortune, so that he could marry his sweetheart. He didn't make a fortune, but he came back home because he has had a vision that his uncle was dead, and when Guy arrived home he found out that the uncle was in fact dead. The will said that Guy would inherit everything if he could recover a certain ruby ring that had been obtained from his uncle by trickery of a certain actress, within three months of his uncle's death. However, since it passed several weeks after his uncle's death, now Guy has only a few days left, and it seems that few others are trying to get their hands on the jewel too.

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Every normal boy loves a motor-boat, but words fail to express his enthusiasm when that boat is also a racer. Behind the events recorded in this story are certain facts, so that the tale is largely true. The author will be glad if the account of life in the open, the adventures and fortunes, good or ill, the contests and exciting experiences interest his readers even partly as much as they did the boys who shared in the actual occurrences.

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