New-York tribune., 1898-12-06
BOYS BOOKS.
STIRRING ADVENTURE BY SEA AMI
LAND-CHRIsTMAS TALES WITH
ILLUSTRATIONS.

toms Luck" II is he freshest and livehest ana
most vivid of boys books Almost every con-
cevable adventure and misadventure that couio
happen 10 a manly young fellow happens 10
Tom He is saved from shipwreck only 70 rai'
into the hands Of savages. who hold MN
prisoner and he escapes from them TO he set
lid against wall for instant execution as a
spy in company with an irasc!be br>ush
baronet on his travels. The scene offers an
excellent example of Mr.. Hamblens mettle-so
here il is.
Their long march. .iresome 10 them, win
their emptv fainting stomachs. came 10 an
end AT last They doubled the end Of the bar
racks and were placed with their packs 10 a
whitewashed wall. There were no conns 10 Wv
seen-were they indeed to he thrown 10 tne
buzzardso Tom glanced sideways at SIR Jonn'
who stood two PAGES to his right. The Ene,lsn-
mans face showed pale under its tan but mere
was frown his brow and defan, sH,.er ~.
in his eye that helped Tom wonderfully The
soldiers were busy. deployins about the yard.
Sir John seized the opportunity TO speak.
How is II with you Tom?
Pretty tough. Sir John ,
1t is indeed my lad. am sorry brought
you TO this but q man can die but once. b"n
JET them see YOU finch-keep stiff upper up
my boy
I'm not lot on Sir John. never fear
That right. my Lad
recent acQu4intanCeship. each with unhnlted
faith in the other waiting for an unmerted
death But they mada No sign. for they were
- the breed from which the heroes OF Bunker
Hill and BalakaNs ~prauG
firing squad Of zen men were drawn up IN
front II them I'll. officer in charge of the
execution sat mojionless on his horse. few
PAGES To the right. \ subaltrrn put the firing
parry through M loading dri,l The sun was
not ~ risen but brilliant golden halo in the
eas' showed that tn time Was nearly MP.
Ton took IN Tho entire SON" with a hasty
garcc What view ola which % close ones
eyes forever Tho filthy haTack-yard gaping
H.,fs r3gr
sz,a swarthv boT-soldior- i1"re ara thus was
- cnd the carec, 90 nii,h h. had started 40
ful' Of hope and ambition
The man or horseback spoke Few words
two soldiers lcf' -, ralks and. advancing
took the prise ncrs by tho shoulders snd turned
their faces ~ the Nall TORI submitted pas
eivelv. hut Str John watching his chance.
boblsd his head sideways. giving the soldier q
butt that foorod him Amid the Laughter Of
the crowd h. rose. anu kicked the prisoner
until dragged away
The suns edge ike the rim Of Grcat golden
disc. showed red ahov. ~" horizon. his leve,
rays touching with finger of fire the acquire
the officer The crowd turned their faces 70 II
and murmurod :mnatiently. Like the crack
Of rife came the order lerked out with mill
tarv curtncss
Ready
There wac a faint sound of the distant
clatter Of hoofs The awe si'enced crowd in
voluntarily inclined their beads toward H.
Take aim
The clatterine noofs were al the enc Of th>
barracks 4 voice-a for''s1 vocs-shouted'
The crowd ,urneA in tn direction of the
voice The sol6icrs shifted thcir weight TO the
other foot The firing party unconsciously
lowered the muzzles Of theI guns The sub
eltern and the oNcer n charge knowing that
the execution Of foreigners enc Of whom had
declared himself - be an English gentleman.
was not exactly "on regl-." hesitated. cranirg
their recks
Round the corner came hatless. tattered
gray-haired man and 2 youth. mountei on mules
that We're nearly spent. The mans face and
hands dsisured by scratches and dried
blood that his own mother would not have
known him. As they turned the corner the
youth handed the old man a red. white and
blue parcel. With Jerk he opened II out 1t
was the st. Georges Cross. the British Union
Jack. His mule in turning. stumbled. planted
its forcfeet straight ahead. wavered from side
To side. and as X toll. exhausted. the old gentle
man. with agility ~ which Vaquero need
not have been ashamed. leaped lightly TO the
ground He rushed IN front of the firing squad
and snread the Jack over the shoulders ~ The
prisoners. then turning to the sold s-s with blaz
ing eyes he shook his fist n, them and roared
N good Anglo-Saxon' Fire on that. YOU yellow
ours. II YOU dare
And with that refreshing defiance from the
lps Of the British Minister. leave Mr.
Handlers exciting book of adventure 10 tho
rejoicing consideration Of all American boys
lucky enough 70 get II in the holiday time.
The same authors Story ~ Yankee Rov'
tCharles Scrbners Sons) has more of the land
than Of the sea. and is take t. intended for
somewhat younger readers than are the expert
ences Of Tom Benton. This. too, is book Of
vigorous and animated movement. full ~ all
those episodes Of work and play. ~ practical
tokes and dangerous daring that most delight
the young males of the human race
There plenty Of chances for startling
story n he perir1 and r,lars In which Mr. Kirk
Munroe has set HIS tale of the American Navy.
In Pirate Waters Charles Scribner's Sons)
A. the beginning Of the century the Mediter-
rsnean Was swept by Barhary corsdtrs and the
United states. as we'i as various European
countries vera aying tribJ.e TO the robbers
the price Of immunity from piratical attack
The hoy hero ~ this boo, assists In the
tinctior of This covardly systeIa. taking part IN
Some - 'he fghts which brought glory 70
the American Navy. and incidentally saving
his nttle girl sweetheart from slavery ar,ong
the Turks. There are enough breathless sus-
pense and "buggness' in this tale 10 serve for
six ordinary boys books Bloodthirstiness Is
also prominent in Mr.. Frank r Stocxton's
buccaneers and Pirates Of Our Coasts" (The
Macmillan Company The most famous gentry
81 the black flag are dealt with in this narrative
and Mr.. Stockton even includes the Great Dis
coverer the first who practsed piracy In
American waters" Those who are accustomed
10 attach something more Of sentiment to the
name OF Columbus may resent the vigorous at.
tack upon the sailors memory. but the average
small boy VINO wants nothing so much as 10
become bold. bad buccaneer himself viii no
doubt. acquire a new respect for the Genoese
il Mr.. Stockton may be believed. the respect bic
small boys mind is greatly attuned to piracy
I he
20 be a pirate. and the reason for this was the
absolute independence Of that sort Of life. Re
strictions Of all sorts had become onerous to
me- and in my reading OF the adventures Of the
main i had unconsciously selected those por-
tions of a pirates life which were attractive TO
me. and had totally disregarded all the rest
In fact i had a great desire 10 become what