The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-03
Prisoners of Chance

AtSSbStS VI St1uSN
By Randall Parrish. author Of bob Hamp-
ton Of Placer" Beth NorveI1." etc. Pub
lisned by A. c. NcClurg & Co., Chicago.
Price $50.
prisoners OF Chance is the tale of
what befel Godfrey Benteen, gentle
man adventurer, through his love for
lady OF France" Mr.. Parrish needs
no introduction to the novel reading
public which has enjoyed When Wild
erness Was King" Ny Lady of the
North" and others of his readable ro-
mances; but this story is a departure
in style, at least. from his other works.
The author explains his position in
most ingenious foreword. He says:
The manuscript of this tale has been
In my possession several years. 1t
reached me through natural lines OF
inheritance. but remained nearly for
gotten until a chance reading revealed
a certain historic basis; then, making
note Of correspondence in minor de-
tails. I realized that what I had cast
aside as mere fiction might possess a
substantial foundation in fact. I'M
PEELED by this conviction, now submit
the narrative to public inspection, that
others, better fitted than I, may judge
as TO the worth of this Godfrey Ben
teen
He proceeds to sketch the career of
Godfrey Benteen, a resident of La
Petit Rocher and also bits of history In
Louisiana; how the French hated the
governor, Don Antonio de Ulloa. and
finally rose against him in 1868; how
certain chevalier, Di Noyan, led the in
surrection, and with several other no
bles remained in control over q wear:
how. at the end OF that time. the
Spaniards came back in overwhelming
numbers with the dreadful Cruel
q Reilly as their leader and promptly
threw these mobiles into prison and
condemned them TO be shot at dawn.
And at dawn they were shot; ali but
Di Noyan, and his escape was wrapped
IN, secrecy and mystery. The faded
old manuscript tells the whole story
and the author submits II to us for
inspection and opinion
Godfrey Benteen. gentleman adven-
turer and borderman. arrives in the
town OF New Orleans the day before
this execution is to take place. A
negro slave meets him in the street
and tells him lady would like to see
him. He keeps the appointment made
for him and discovers that the lady"
is former sweetheart who had re-
fused him because ne was not OF her
religion, 4 Catholic. This refusal had
driven him out into the wilderness.
where he had led the life OF wild
borderman for five years. and he is
doubly shocked to find that the LADY.
Eloise Jafruriere, has married Di Noy-
an, that he is condemned TO be shot
the next day. and that she wishes him
Geonrey Benteen. to attempt his res
cue
OF course he undertakes the task
which would have proven unsurmount-
able 10 any one else. and equally. OF
course. he is successful: or we should
nave had no story. The flight up the
mississippi river is very graphically
told: all sorts Of difficulties are mat
and surmouRted; besides Di Noyan and
ms wife and Benteen the party is re-
crulted by wandering Puritan preach
er, crazy, intolerant person very fond
of the sound Of his own voice and with
an Unsuitable appetite. He furnishes
the somewhat oyerdrawn but quite
necessary comedy element for the tale.
Up TO this point the book is good
reading The tale is dramatic and
full Of strong, exciting situations: the
character of Di Noyan is particularly
well drawn-a man OF inordinate per
sonal vanity. willing to risk his life
70 recover his curling irons of great
bravery. but variable as the winds and
extremely selfish. From the time when
the party falls in with a band of white
savages in the Ozark mountains. the
story becomes too much for the credj
~-%-NA~S VI 6AOWh PSOplCs one ca n
scarcely follow the events they are so
lavishly contrived. The travellers have
lively fight but are captured and pre-
pared for torture. The queen of thu
savages is an outcast French woman.
thoroughly depraved and savagely
cruel How she has CHANGED to be
the queen Of these people, calling her.
self The Daughter OF the Sun" is not
explained, but there she is. and makes
trouble. She falls in love with Di
Noyan and he succumbs to her charm
at once. All the members of the littis
party are imprisoned in difficult places.
but finally Benteen and Eloise and a
catholic priest, who has been a victim
Of the savages for two months, manage
10 escape. The heavens come to the
assistance of virtue at the last. and a
bolt of lightning destroys the last Of
the mound builders. All sorts of ex.
plantations and. theories about this pre-.
historic race Of people have been Of.
fered by archaeologists, but never any,
thing like the one IN this novel. one
could almost wish for the sake OF M
Parrish's art that the last half of his
book had not been so forced.