New-York tribune., 1886-07-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BooK FOR Ys.YouNG AND OLD. A.,

>kspret ~hd txstAwts,. HIS sanerinss IN Dessit
{se. tNs Jsuruey- M the WHt f'shisnds; HIS Ac-
ouainiance With Alan iBrech .s,swart and oth,r
foseroa, wM th hs,t.Sr "f
nov set ferth by RoDtRT Louis STEVENSON if'ho'
pp 32i Charles serlhners Sons
The most versatile of living authors has once
more changed his direction AVID prodacet story oi
the last century and the time OF the " troubles i'll
Scotland which. while avowedly intended for poNs'
Is as certain as any of Nr. Steyenson's previous
books to find the majority of its readers amons
rrowr-up people. kidnapped " is refreshing oi.
of OlG-Wcr!d reproduction. Ii is written goo"
deal after the manner of those wonderful reais'o
mock memoirs which Defoc was master oi' an"
II has many Of the little touches of minute detai
which give s0ch an AR OF careful veidci'y W ''V
inventions of the author of Robinson CruSoe anu
the journal of the Plague"
1t is story of adventure and action, and perhaps
if is unnecessary to add that. the editor ot Da'"
Balfour's memoirs being Mr.. Stevenson tneS
abound with unusual and striking cpisoccs' N"'"
ing indeed could be less hackncyed. From Tue op'
ing description of Balfour Of Shaws the NcN'u o''
u,iser uncle TO he somewhat abrupt Close not o'
the story but Of the book, the interest never H"S
aud that which happens is almost always 'h' "n0N-
pccted The wicked old uncIecau-os his newly -1onho
nephew to be kidnapped. 1t was at time "ncn
Frolsnd cont her convicts tothe Caronasand when
betveen the mother country and the colonies
No+b,nc was easier than TO get obnoxious persons
l,duaoped then and David. beng very unsophis-
treated country lad fell into the trap that was ald
ot once He was enticed on board the brig Cove
nant Captain loseason. and the vessel lol'i"l'h
started on her voyage TO the Cnrolinas
Davids adventures on board were anything out
commonplace. He was IN the hands OF very
rough set; in fact The captain. his oinccrs' ana
most of the crew. were no better thah pi"''s'
Through the running down Of a boat of the sco'ch
coast a new actor, the notorious Alan brecK
Stewart is introduced, and the greco ana mnIueI-
ons plots of the captain and his mates Dilhg Oh
dcspcrate struggle between the Highlander and
David and all the rest OF the ships company
which gives opportunity for some dramatic scenes
of n kind to STIR the blood of young readers. Inc
ontcome of the CAPTAINS bafiled cruise Is the
wreck Of the Covenant off the Island OF Null
David reaches the shore, and after resting dis-
coyers that hc Is on an islct separated from Null
by strait. and containing no sign OF mhaDiiahcc
He lives on raw she'll fish for several davs' aud then
learns that he might havo walked across to the
main island twice every twenty-four hours, when
the tide was out Presently he IS witness OF t"e
assassination Of THE Red Fox as a certain chlci
Of the elan Campbell is called and he and Alan
Rreck are charged with the crime, and have to
take to the beaIher.
Then follows long AID wearsomc flight through
wild aud difficult country, and tins part o' '''
g., IS capitaly told. Once the fugltlves lie al
day IN a hollow on the top OF large rock "hehcc
they can sec the soldiers scattered all over the
country Inoklns for them. he sun pOufs down on
the rock so erccly that at last they cannot endure
tbe heat and nj the imminent risk OF capture th'N
Sin OF into the shade of the great stone Ah",hrr
time David sleeps when he should have W"'ch'"'
and the cor sequence is that party ol Dragons are
almost upon them before they know 1t. Inc escapo
in tim. ease is touch-and-g 30 business One OF the
most characteristic scenes is the meeting between
Alan Brccl aud Robin dig, son of Ron koN. lncS
are enemies and their first impulse Is to hgh'' bu'
their host bethnks himself that they poth play ."
the aipcs and he proposes that they should engage
in . ,ouslcal dueL The suggestion pieases them'
and the encounter begins. Alan Breck IL Iealy "
GOOD PLAYER and thinks himself the best III lhe
couutry; but Robin org is his master AT ln'
chonter. and finally fascinated and melted 10y The
skill and tenderness with which ROBIN mas ren-
dercd Alan's own favonte plbroch. the S'eW"''
frankly and manfully admits his rivals superior
ity. and thcmcetlug which opened so doury eh's
i'll prolonged carouse upon Athol brose.
The two comrades Alan and David, have many
auarrels and misundcr'tan ingS, bat tney are rec
oucled At length chiefly through Dayld's collapse
ness durlng which the faithful Highlandman
watches over hun uurcmittngly, and after all man
ner of trials they reach the other side of the Forth
and are out of the prescribed country. How David
makes himself known. how his claim to the lnhelli
ance THE established, and how his wlckec
pucle Is crcumvented, must leave TO the reade
TO ascertain. The story is not finished, however
DAVID and his friend Alan are LETT suddenly oi
their way to Edinburgh to get the attalndeT lakel
pfl Them In he matter of the murder OF the " Re'
Fox" 1t Is briefly mtimated that they succeed
but Nr stevenson says III concluding that II th
public like the story 1t may be carried further u
course the pubc Will like the story aud will clam
to have the contiaua ion OF 1t, and this demand
will not come alone from the boys who follow Bal
fours adventures with bTeatheSs interest, but iron
the moro staid and sober readers VINO find III " KID
mapped " fresh and lilelke narrative with enoug
historical touches to ballast it. and filled with ep
sode, characteristic Of the time, all told IN an ao
mirably clear and crisp and natural style.