The times., 1900-12-30

mysterious region which lies between the
Punjab and Tibet, somewhere at the back
of beyond. The hero, Lewis Haystoun. is
a Scotch laird, and the heroine a little
Scotch Puritan maiden with decided rad
ical opinions. In spite of the very lively
action which occupies the latter nalf of
the book, 1t is essentially psychological
study, most fascinating in its way. The
character drawing is perfect, and the plot
is built entirely around one character,
the hero. The whole story is thoroughly
individual, and the author has evidently
made UP his mind to do certain thing,
and done it successf lily, adding his little
stone to the mighty structure of psyche
logical fiction.
The problem of the tale is this: Given
modern society with all of its compro-
misses, intrigues, pettiness, and complica-
tion, and the descendant of a leng line of
border soldiers, careless, adventurous,
and impulsive, and what will be the re-
suit? The plot is a little like a chess
game arrested at a critical point. with
the knight in a position where only one
successful move is possible. In the great
game of life there are natures which
move like the queen, easily and strongly,
in any direction; others which are pom
derous as castles, and only available in
great emergency; others which cannot be
straightforward, but will go far in their
own way; and some, like the knight.
which are drawn by two conflicting forces.
and may overleap obstacles and win the
game, or become penned in and taken.
Lewis Haystoun belongs to the knights.
His impulses are cramped and his nature
fretted by small conventions; he cannot
work patiently toward single end, ac-
cepting half-results and contradictions;
he is made for great ventures. for gam
bling, for sacrifice. Hemmed in by the
requirements of ordinary folk, he fails to
rise to the occasion simply because the
objects TO be attained seem to him not
worth the striving for, and he has no de-
light in the work for its own sake He
can spend day on lonely hillside, with
two small gamins, fishing, in perfect hap
plneSs; but he does not take kindly to the
routine of politics or of society. What is
to be done with such man, atavism as
he is? That is the novelist's problem
and he has worked it out in admirable
fashion. Still. it must be said that the
title is a misnomer. The man is not half
hearted; that is just the trouble with
him. He is the kind of person who must
have, and give, the whole; he cannot COM
promise or chatter.
Owing to the marvelously swift changes
in tho worlds civilization which have been
worked in the nineteenth century, there
are many such atavistic natures scattered
through the civilized world; and they are.
perhaps. most frequently : to be found
among the Gaelic or Celtic races. The
Highlander is peculiarly slow in throwing
on old traditions and habits of nature, and
it was happy inspiration of Mr.. Buchan
10 place his hero as he did. The first part
of the book is simply saturs led with
Scotch atmosphere, and thrills the reader
as certain old Jacobite airs might stir the
blood. 1t was such men as Lewis Haystoun
who made possible the wild, romantic, and
infinitely pathetic and heroic episode OF
Prince Charlie; such men as he who chafed
under the control of the wee, wee German
lairdie" and kindled the flame of rebellion
on every slope and corrie of the High
lands when they heard .'the news frae
and welcomed the Stuart back
TO his own. Boston: Houghton, Miffiin &c
20. s1.50.)