Evening star., 1937-03-06
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET CERMOND.

When DR.. Starkie. in the early part
Of 1885, put forth from the shores Of
England on . new adventure in Spain
his equipment for the extensive and un-
hurried trek which has resulted in this
enchanting record of his experiences as
. nomad with the rowing, restless gypsies
of the land of Don Quixote was almost as
ridiculous Is that Of the two intrepid
young Americans who three-wheeled
across Africa on an empty oil can, q
banjo and q camera. DR.. Starkie, occu-
pant of q PROFESSIONAL chair at Dublin,
took with him on this latest journey
into Spain a bill Of sound health, .
pair of strong legs. a clear head,
fiddle, an iron-tipped walking stick and
three pounds for use in case emergencies
requiring immediate cash should arise.
In earlier books, recounting his ad-
ventures in Rumania, Hungary and
Northern Spain, it will be remembered
that DR.. Starkie proved himself to be
an actor Of enviable ability in character
roles. And it is with the same ease and
grace that he assumes the guise of any
clan, band, professional or individual
that will aid him in his quest for knowl-
edge as he travels from place to place,
from adventure to adventure in Spanish
Morocco and through Southern Spain
from Algeciras to the caves and wind
mills and the turbulent, jealous town.
ships of La Manca, which are still
Squabbling for supremacy of fame at
tendant upon the pilgrimage of Don
Quixote
For fifteen years DR. Starkie has been
student OF the people of Spain, period
ically succumbing TO the urge to play
the minstrel and roam the hills and
valleys with its gypsy clans in order that
he might acquire deeper, fuller under
standing of the restless. passionate spirit
of the multiple racial groups which make
of that now unhappy land one of the
most fascinating countries of the earth
to the student of folk rather than polit-
ical characteristics. He lives among its
people as friend, shares their joys and
their sorrows, participates ZealouSly in
their ceremonial rites, has no scrupleS
about joining in enterprises which in his
own country would be regarded as of
doubtful honesty, and whOleheartedly
engages In any means OF earning live
lihood that the necessity Of the hour
dictates.
His method may perhaps seem an odd
one for q scholar and Q professor to
adopt as key to the secrets he means
to discover, the mysteries he longs to
explore, the traditions he hopes to trace
to their origin and the folk lore from
which he seeks to fathom the Supersti-
tions that have through Spain's various
eras of civilization influenced the pas
sions and guided the patterns OF the
lives of the nomadic race which wan
dered out of Egypt to roam the earth
and to And in Spain. Rumania and
others OF the smaller European countries
their nearest approach to satisfying the
urge for q home land. But 1t is
method which succeeds where the reg
ular traveller, the scholar the economist,
the political scientist and the interna-
tional expert fail.
It therefore becomes fascinating ex-
perience to don the rags Of a tramp and
Join Prof. Starkie as he f1ddleS his fan
tastic way along the coast of Morocco,
across the Gibraltar Straits to Algeciras
and through some hundreds Of miles on
this picturesque and romantic journey
with friends and with many strange
companions across country to the famous
wind mills and back again. 1t is
colorful and embracing adventure, packed
with information and plentifully sprin-
kled with illustrations and with folk
songs, set to music by the author, who
is an accomplished musician as we'll as
a scholar, a philosopher and explorer.
|
THE LAST TRUMP. BY Lee Thayer.
New York: Dodd. Mead & Co.
The red badge of the Dodd. Mead
house bears witness to the seal Of ap-
proval given to this newest tale Of crime
| and its detection by an author whose
| two earlier novels in the same class OF
fiction won immediate response from the
| Unsuitable readers Of air-raising, spine
prickling thrillers. And no disappoint-
ment turks in the final pages Of THE
Last Trump" for Peter Clancy is again
faced with a baming problem which
must be solved in q limited time. and
Peter Clancy, in addition to being q
very aStute and clever detective, is also
q very likaole, red d-haired Irishman with
a ready wit and q native gift for nattery.
A one-cabin passenger ship is the
scene of Mr. Clancy's immediate activ-
tiles, though the case on which he is
| working dates back to two crimes in
| America that bear the earmarks Of
racketsers and that have gained noto-
riety through exploitation by the press
as the ACE of Spades Murders" The
story Is based on the wide spread coun-
| terfeit sweepstakes racket which 1t Is
believed prevails in this country. and
both murders are thought to have been
committed by a person on board the
unpretentious Sutherland" Peter and
| his equally delightful man, Wiggar,
| under assumed names, are hunting big
game.
| The usual assortment of travellers on
board q slow ship is offered the two
| companions in sleuthing, and it would
seem that the tracking down of their
game would be a simple matter. A
| rather handsome woman OF middle years,
several attractive young girls, a man
believed to be a spy in the service OF
| India. a priest British diplomat and
his nephew, a newspaper woman. sew
eral nondeScriptS addicted to drunken
| ness, a chimpanzee and his trainer. a
couple of school teachers and number
of other passengers OF more or less un-
interesting personality make UP the
fairly limited group to be considered.
| But before the sleuthing job is fairly
we'll underway murder is committed
on the ship, and to the horror of Peter
| and Wiggar an ace of spades is found
| floating in the swimming tank, with
the body of the man who has been