The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-02
Captain Kettle.

"A bullet splashed noisily through the
soft flesh of dusty aloe In the wayside
hedge. and Captain Kettle felt the wind Of
it as 1t Shop-rhopped past his cheek. 1t
was the fourth attempt on his life that day.
and he allowed himself to use the language
OF irritation These are the opening
sentences of Chapter of volume with
the title Captain Kettle, X. c b. (the
Federal Book Company, by Mr.. Cutclinfe
Hyne Each chapter is a short story in
itself, the book having evidently been put
together primarily with a view to the re-
quirements of serial publication. In the
chapter from which we have quoted the
opening we find the captain involved in
trouble that would appal a man less brave
He Ia alone in hostile country. with in
terminating dispatches in his pocket. and
hidden enemies are taking pot-shots at
him from the tall trees. But the captain
y nc ordinary man. His is n noble courage.
He sits down in a culvert and coolly lights
Spanish cigar. Then he soliloquizss.
I'm not here for fun" he says to himself,
land incidentally to the reader-"I'm here
for hard cash-or tbe best equivalent that
can be got for it out OF deprecated pesetas
and it will be sheer selfshness for me to
forget It," little later he is in a farm
house surrounded by soldiers and with
no apparent hope of escape, But he upsets
several hives Of angry bees upon the heads
OF his enemies. and thus gains time. Then
he smokes another cigar in an upper room,
while down below the soldiers are busy
battering In the front door with a large
beam, noble book this. written in q
noble style, that recalls orr old friend
Deadwood Dick, or these sou!-stirring 70.
maEces Of Col Gunter. Here and there
VIC strike passage that is bit involved.
as for example, Then gush Of bayonets,
with savage men behind them. swept into
the house. and sent through all the rooms
and stairways the din Of their shouts and
the rcek from their smoking torches"
irish stories ny Mr.. George Moore.
In "The INT illed Field" Nippincotts)
Mr.. George Moore has written a volume OF
abort stories that seem to be better than
any Of his earlier work Like much that
he has written. these stories are mostly
controversial In tone, and those who do not
agree with him in matters Of religion will
undoubtedly dislike them. On the other
hand. the reader who is content to take
them on their literary merits will enjoy
them Life in rural Ireland as II Is to-day
is hero described. and. whatever one may
think of MIR, Moore's arraignment of the
Irish Catholic Church, the power displayed
In some OF these stories is indisputable
And there Is in them all fine reserve. a
studied simplicity. and an avoidance OF
the tricks Of the average literary artificer
that arc admirable. As. for instance. In
tho story of the Bowery bartender who.
after thirteen years. goes back on n visit
TO his native village, He falls in love with
a peasant girl and they are TO be married.
But the longing comes upon him to get back
to the excitement Of his former life.
The smell Of the barroom hunted him
down Was |, for the sake Of the money
that he might mako there hat he wished
to 60 back? No IL vas not the money
What then, His eyes fell on the bleak
country. on the little fields divided by bleak
walls; he remembered the pathetic igno-