https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 THE SEAL TOSSED ROR\' C.\IL\' FR ~I SII) I\ ' J() SIIH.. https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 ALLAN ADAIR or HERE AND THERE IN MANY LANDS By DR. GORDON STABLES, R.N. A11thoreof::.' Dur Home in the S-ilver West,' 'In the Land of the Lion a1id the Ostrich,' etc., etc. WITH COLOURED AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS FOURTH IMPRESSION LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 CONTENTS PAGB CIIAPTER I. 'THE CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN'. 5 II. B'i THE BANKS OF THE QUEENLY TAY 16 " III. TIIE HO~IE-COMING OF UNCLE JACK " . 27 IV. 'THIS IS THE HousE THAT JACK BUILT' " . 39 V. LIFE AT CASTLE !NDOLENCE " . 51 VI. ÜNLY THE \YAIL OF THE WI'.\'D 62 " VII. HE OPENED HIS EYES IN A STRANGE RooM • 73 " VIII. THE STOWAWAY 86 " IX. LIFE ON THE Goon SHIP LIVINGSTONE , " . 96 X. ADVENTURES AT THE CAPE • 107 " XI. MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE IN THE FOREST u8 " XII. THE SWORD•FISH AND THE WHALE 128 " XIII. A NEW HERO 1 " 39 XIV. IN A DEN OF RATTLERS • 151 " A https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 2 CONTENTS CHAPTER XV. A Ho~m IN TIII; WII.PS XVI. 'IIANDS ur, l\lEN ! ' " XVII. WHERE DAYUGIIT Nl'.\'E:R Sl!IITS 1115 En:. l~j " XVIII. DENlZENS OF TIIE ARCTIC !>1:1:1· 19'i " XIX. IlEARS A1'D Sl!ARKS 108 " XX. A TERRIDLE H.. [\'l~R 219 " XXI. l'ATAGONIA. ANIJ Tl!E LAN!> ül' FIRt: l.JO " XXII. FACE TO FA.CE WIT!I SA\'At;J:,;. " 110 xxm. Ross l\lcLEAN AN!> 111S l'AIUSIIIO!',!TS lSO " XXIV. l\lF.ARNS AND II JS 1(,:, " Nur.r.r-:T. XXV. IN TIIE ENnry's CA~11· " Jli:,, XXVI. HAUL DOWN TIIF. F1.Ar. JR1.J https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 ALLAN ADAIR OR HERE AND THERE IN MANY LANDS - CHAPTER I 'THE CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN 1 LLAN ADAIR was a boy in a tliousand. I do not say so to his credit, nor to his dis- I credit. I. do not wish to set him up as a plaster image for my worthy young readers to adore. I have no great liking for plaster images myself! Boys will be boys; and so long as they are pure in mind and true at heart, I like them all the better because they are boys. I say, then, that Allan Adair was a boy in a thou- sand; and when I add that all the other nine hundred and ninety-nine boys would probably have clone, thought, and acted precisely as Allan did, under like · circumstances, I believe you will know what I mean. But when we first meet our young hero, he is like his salmon rod, all out of joint. He is sitting by the https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 6 ALLAN ADAJR banks of the most bcautiful and wildly romantic river in all broacl Scotland-surcly that is saying a dcal- thc quccnly Tay. Do not imaginc a rivcr in any way likc thc smooth and winding Thames, which, I grant you, is ,·cry prctty in many of its rcachcs, whcthcr overshadowed by hills and darkling woocls, or whcrc1 lowcr down, it goes winding and wincling, meandering and mcandcr- ing, all ovcrhung by pollarcls, ancl backccl by lcvcl green meadows, where, in the scason, cattlc wander knee-dccp in grass and buttcrcups. This is beautiful, though you may not call it anything else. Thc scencry is soothing, too, and calmativc; and whcn I have hecn Iying il1 in a foreign land, bot with fever and sleepless, I have repcatcd to myself that sweet Psalm, xxiii : 'The Lord 's my Shcphcnl, 1'11 not ,van!. He makcs me down to lie In pasturcs green ; He leadeth m e The quiet waters by.' Then, I declare to you, the bonnie banks of the Thames would rise up beforc me-1 saw thc browsing kine1 the buttercups, the cowslips and daisics; I heard the murmur of thc summer bees, and the soft sighing of wind in the willows; then the gentle, placid river, gliding darkly past, bore me away and away into dreamland. But the Tay is no such river as this. lt is quiet sometimes near to the ancient city of Dundce, where it is miles and miles in width, unless chafed by storm- winds, as on that awful night when, in the darkness, the bridge blew down, and a whole trainload of people was dashed over, and never seen again. https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 <THE CHJLD JS FATHER TO THE MAN' 7 Go up the Tay, 1'lot by train, but on foot or on 'bike,' up and up, and the farther you proceed, the wilder and the more enchantingly lovely becomes the scenery. The river becomes darker and darker as it rolls and dashes and foams through many a gloomy defile, forming cascades and deep 'pots' or pools that would give you a nightmare the first time you went to bed after beholding them. This is the home of the red salmon (Salmo salar). These are the haunts of the wily otter, the most ferocious animal that we now have in Britain. But if the river itself is turbulent and violent, for ever fighting with the boulders it encounters in its swift course seaward, for ever foaming and dashing against the rocky cliffs, that have been worn smooth by the chafing of ages, the beauty of scenery all around the stream is unsurpassable ; mind, I do not say on eaclt side, because the river changes its course so often, that all around it is the glory of magnificence and romance combined. Those beautiful hills, clad to their summits with splendid pine-trees, with the mountains behind, where rest the sunset's last crimson beams, whose summits receive the first coy kiss of morning, have inspired many an artist, dreamer, and poet with thoughts they trembled to place on canvas or put into verse. Y et is there nothing of gloom or sadness about the Tay above Dunkeld, nothing of the savage grandeur of glorious but treeless Skye. The greenery of the forest, the golden glory of laburnum, broom, and furze in spring-time, and the splendour of crimson or pink heath or heather in autumn, relieve the eye and make you contented and happy in the midst of all https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 6 ALLAN ADAIR that Nature has, with so lavish a hand, spread out before you. But poor Allan Adair was neither contented nor happy, as he sat all alone on a green bank under a rock and near to the river. A bold Scottish yellow- haired lad of fourteen or thereabouts, whose hand- some face, sturdy legs-he wore the kilt-and massive knees gave promise of a strong and healthful man- hood. But there was a frown on his face that did not well become it. A book of travels lay by his side, and he took it up as if to read, but presently threw it down again almest in disgust. His mind was dwelling on a recent misfortune which had befallen him. Then he took up his line and looked disconsolately at the hookless end of the tippet. The latter had been snapped through. Allan was a Highlander, and spoke no broad Scotch-only English and the purest Gaelic. The latter was not seldom needed. ' Such a beauty, too ! ' he said to himself aloud. 'Fifteen pounds if an ounce I Couldn't have been a pike. No, no; there are none here that ever I saw. Besides, didn't I catch a glimpse of her as she sprang, and of her orange-red sides glinting in the sun ? And my beautiful fly, too, gone-gone for ever. How proudly I would have marched home with my salmon, and how proud mother and sissie would have been when they met me, and saw my prize 1' 'But the gut couldn't have been bearable,' he added. Then he shook his little clenched fist at an invisible foe. 'John Scott,' he said, 'when I go back to Perth 1'11 half scare the life out of your old body for selling me https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 .. :~r-'r" !,' • ' . !Y,1 . ,,%j, ,p '/ _p ,,.,/ _'iJ\ ' / .1.; \ ;; -~ ALLAN FIRED AT THE 0 TTER. https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202003181102-0 1 THE CHILD /S FATHER TO ?HE MAN' 9 such stuff. I'll pretend I'm going to shoot you with dear dead father's empty revolver. That's what I'll do.' From his fishing-bag he took out the identical instrument as he spoke. Unknown to his mother, whom he would not have frightened for all the world, he used to carry the revolver when he went to the hill. This was very wrang, and he knew it. But he wanted to bc a really good shot, because, if there was one thing more than another that the boy had thoroughly made up his mind about, it v:as to travel when he grew bigger.