The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-01
Cnntnins Courageous.


Rudyard Kipling, famous for his short
stories and poems, has demonstrated that
he can tell long story as we'll as a short
one. and a story of American life as well
as of British Indian. He does this in
Captains Courageous, which. after being
published as a serial is now issued in book
form 1t is a romance of the Grand Banks
of Newfoundland, and is concerned almost
wholly with the adventures of the crew of
the codtishing schooner We're Here, of
Newfoundland The story deals largely
with the experiences of {. son of a Western
multi-milionaire who falls off an Atlantic
liner and is picked up by the schooner. He
is a boy of only fifteen years, and has
been spoiled by a doting and indulgent
mother When he RECEIVERS from his plunge
in the sea and his fright he tells his story
of how his father allowed him $40 month
pocket money and demands to be taken
back to New York. The captain of the
schooner is a typical Yankee skipper, who
scouts the boys story of wealth, ana When
the latter becomes insolent the captain
strikes him. Instead of being sent back 10
New York he is made TO work his way
and rough it till the end Of the cruise at
$40 a month and found. Finding he Is IN
for it the boy accepts the situation with
true American pluck and sets about learn
ing the things Newfoundland banker"
hardship on the little vessel and In the
dories and his association with the rugged,
sturdy fishermen develop the latent man
Illness of his character. 1t is remarkable
how in this part of the story the author
succeeds in interesting the reader in all
the small details of codtshing and the Incl
dents that happen in this hard life, Smotn-
cred in fog and in hourly danger of being
run down by the great liners. Kipling spent
q month or so on this New England coast
absorbing local color, and so Well did ne
use his eyes that a veteran skipper could
scarcely give more graphic picture OF life
on the Grand Banks, with its perilS and
it's tragedies, than he does. These features
of sea life are handled with that dramatic
power of which Kipling is a master. The
odd characters who form the schooner's
crew are strongly drawn. The book is full
of breezy romance of the sea, and some or
it's descriptive passages fairly throb with
life. The sea part of the story is the best
of it. When the homeward run is ended
and the schooner reaches Gloucester the
transition is complete. Harvey, the million
aires son, wires the news of his rescue
and safe arrival at Gloucester, and from
San Diego, where the millionaire is seeking
some benefit for his heart-broken wife,
flying trip is made across the continent
In ffty-Seven hours. The account of this
trip is a masterpiece of vivid description.
The meeting of parents and son is adj
mirably Sketched, and the new manl1nesS
of the boy, which calls out his fathers con-
fidence, conveys a good moral. The crush
ing discontinue of Captain Troop When
he finds the lad actually told the truth
about his millionaire father is very anus
ing. The millionaire does something hand
some for the captain. The closing scenes
of the story are trifie melodramatic, and
one loves best to recur to the salt sea part
of it and the rough life of the fishermen.
The story abounds with characteristic
passages illustrative of Kipling's genius,
and can be read with equal pleasure by
young and old. New York: The Century
COmapny.