LITERARY CHAT

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 4, Issue VI, 1 July 1902, Page 305

LITERARY CHAT

By "The Sage."

" The Dark o' the Moon " is the title of S. R. Crockett's latest production, published by Macmillan and Co., and forwarded by Messrs. Wildman, Lyell and Arey. Those who agree with me in considering " The Raiders " the best of the many good works by this deservedly popular author will be glad to see by the sub-title that the present book contains " Certain further Histories of the folk called 'Raiders.'" The story opens "at the Shiel of the Dungeon of Buchan — a strange place, half-natural cavern, the rest a rickle of rude masonry plastered like a swallow's nest on the face of the cliff among the wildest of the Southern

indeed a fitting dwelling.

place for Hector Faa and his folk." Joyce Faa, the outlaw's daughter and heroine, is thus described : — " Hair raven-black, but light as hill-mist, swept back from a broad low brow. Her face, full oval, yet clearly cut, eyes a wonder of blackness, with sparks of passionate fire shifting and passing in them, angers, defiances, relentings, passionate April weepings, all to be dried up in the quick sunshine of her smile." The hero, Maxwell Heron, who tells his own story, is brought by Hector Faa to the Shiel a captive in revenge for two ancient wrongs — " to pay a score in full that has long been on the slate." By his own account there is little of the man bat much of the woman about Maxwell, but as in duty bound he falls in love with Joyce, Vol. VI.— No. 4.-20.

and is offered his freedom by her father if he will marry her. A feeling of pride and dislike to be forced into a marriage, however much it may be to his taste, prevents him from closing with this offer, and affords opportunity for Joyce Faa, who loves him, but thinks it is not returned, to purchase his freedom at the expense of a promise of marriage with a man she detests. It also complicates matters sufficiently to give the author ample material for a very enjoyable romance. It enables him to relate how Marion Tamson led the Levellers at the Muster of Rascarrel in her assumed character of Dick-o'-the-Isle ; and how a gallant trio rode forth to effect the liberation of Maxwell Heron. "To wit there was Mistress Heron, of Rathan and Orraland, my fair and gracious mother; Grisel, our dear Miss Minx, light of heart, light of heel and — more than occasionally — light of head ; also thirdly, a most dashing young cavalier, one Dick-o'-the-Isle. . . .

My mother was gay — ' abune hersel',' as Eppie, our old dependent, would have said. Her youthful keenness for & freakish ploy came upon her like a seizure, and lo ! she was again May Mischief as of old." How they fared and for the rest of the story, the encounters of the Levellers -with the king's troops, and the part taken by Hector Faa and his brother Silver Sand, I must refer my readers to the book with the assurance that they will thoroughly enjoy its

perusal

From Messrs. Upton and 00., of Auckland, I have received Oonan Doyle's latest work, " The Hound of the Baskervilles " (which the sub-title announces to be another adventure of Sherlock Holmes), published in Longman's Colonial Library. In this welcome addition to his previous efforts the author has taken a West Country Legend as the foundation for a most exciting story. A certain Dr. Mortimer calls on our old friend, Sherlock Holmes, for his professional assistance to solve a " most serious and extraordinary problem." He commences by reading an old manuscript, dated 1742, to Holmes and his friend, Dr. Watson, which he stated had been committed to his care by Sir Charles Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death had created so much excitement in Devonshire some months before. This M.S. describes the origin of the Hound of the Baskervilles, having been written by one of the race who had the story from his father, who had it from his. At the time of the Great Rebellion it appeared, Hugo Baskerville, whose wanton and cruel humour made his name a byword through the West, loved the daughter of a yeoman. The young lady avoided him. He forthwith carried her off to his Hall, and placed her in an upper chamber while he held his usual nightly carousal with his friends. She escaped by climbing down the ivy-covered wall, and fled across the moor. When her flight was discovered one of the revellers suggested putting the hounds after her. No sooner said than done. Hugo, on his black mare, was first and foremost in the chase. A scared shepherd, asked if he had seen the hunt by those who followed, said he had seen the unhappy maid with the hounds on her track, and he added, " Hugo Baskerville passed me ... and there ran mute behind him such a hound of hell as God forbid should ever be at my heels." Following on, they found the maid and the squire lying dead, with an enormous black hound standing over Hugo, plucking at his throat. After reading this Dr. Mortimer explained that the late Sir Charles had been found lying dead in the Yew Alley,

and that some little distance off he had himself seen the footprints of a gigantic hound ! It will be at once seen that Conan Doyle had here a subject after his own heart, and in the elucidation of this mysterious death he puts his favourite detective to a very sharp test, out of which it is needless to say Sherlock comes victorious. But few authors have the faculty of using the same hero for several successive works without wearying the reader. The present work, however, proves, if proof were wanting, that Conan Doyle possesses it in no ordinary degree. The reader, on putting down " The Hound of the Baskervilles," cannot fail to acknowledge that both author and hero have lost no whit of their power to excite and interest, if indeed they have not increased it.

" Greater Love," by Joseph Hocking, though perhaps not quite equal to the best of his work, falls very little short of it, and certainly should be read. It was published by Ward, Locke and Co., and forwarded for review by Messrs. Wildman, Lyell and Arey. The scene is laid in Cornwall, though the hero is introduced to the reader in London, receiving severe admonishment from his aunt, who has brought him up, and who reproaches him for having had every chance in life, but being at twenty-eight a mere clubman, and practically a loafer around town. She threatens to stop supplies unless he mames a certain young lady she names. He pleads for twelve months to make up his mind, but only gets six. In the meantime he takes a trip to Oarvossa, in Cornwall, where a relative, as yet unknown to him, Squire Retallick, resided on the estate which had belonged to Hector Tresillian's ancestors for generations. He put up at the inn, and found the village inastate of great excitement over the sudden disappearance of the school mistress, Odessa Osborne. The landlord informed him that " we be nearly all 'artbroken, sur. Everybody loved Odessa Osborne; she's the beautifullest and the

lovesomest maid for miles around." The sight of the maid's photo and the requests of the villagers that he should assist them in their search induced him to do so. " You be a Londoner, and London people do knaw a lot. . . . Do'ee, sur, ef you can." He set to work with a will, interviewed Odessa's reputed parents, Peter and Mary Osborne, Tommy Dam, the old furze cutter, " who do live . . . . in a little cuddy near the sea. People do zay 'cc's a wizard, and can zee in the dark," burly Greorge Pentenwin, who was " maazed 'bout 'er," but " she never encouraged 'itn," and also Squire Retallick, who himself sent for a private detective

named Pembroke from Plymouth to assist in elucidating the mystery. Bit by bit Tresillian gets encouraged in his search, and finds the lady, but her persecutors keep a sharp eye on him, and make countermoves which complicate matters, and make his task an exceedingly difficult one. In the end he not only attains his aim, but finds his own long-lost father. The Cornish characters are particularly happily depicted, and the book will be read with great pleasure by those who have met the simple and exceedingly superstitious folk who still exist in villages remote from

hills

railroads