40 chapters
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Selected Chapters
40 chapters
"Dropped him again with a cry that echoed in my helmet."
"Dropped him again with a cry that echoed in my helmet."
A Crime of the Under-Seas CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER IX CHAPTER X CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII The Phantom Stockman The Treasure of Sacramento Nick Into the Outer Darkness The Story of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster" Quod Erat Demonstrandum Cupid and Psyche Misplaced Affections In Great Waters Mr. Aristocrat This Man and This Woman OTHER PUBLICATIONS...
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
There is an old saying that "one half of the world does not know how the other half lives," but how true this is very few of us really understand. In the East, indeed, it amounts almost to the marvellous. There are men engaged in trades there, some of them highly lucrative, of which the world in general has never heard, and which the ordinary stay-at-home Englishman would in all probability refuse to believe, even if the most trustworthy evidence were placed before him. For instance, on the even
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
"In the first place, Mr. Collon," said the old gentleman, who had shown himself so anxious to obtain my services, "I must introduce myself to you. My name is Leversidge, John Leversidge, and I am the junior partner of the firm of Wilson, Burke & Leversidge, of Hatton Garden, Paris, Calcutta, and Melbourne. We are, as you will have gathered from our first address, diamond and precious stone merchants, and we do a very large business in the East generally; also among the Pacific Islands an
24 minute read
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"I sprang to my feet on hearing this. 'Not the first!' I cried."
"I sprang to my feet on hearing this. 'Not the first!' I cried."
"Because a schooner started yesterday for the wreck, with a full diving plant aboard. Jim Peach is running the show, and he has Yokohama Joe with him ." I did not wait to hear any more, but picking up my hat made for the door, and before you could have counted fifty was flying up the street at my best speed. Jim Peach had beaten me once before, he was not going to do so again if I could help it....
27 minute read
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CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
As I reached the hotel again after my interview with that crafty old rascal, Maalthaas, I saw Mr. Leversidge entering it by another gate. I hurried after him and just managed to catch him as he was crossing the verandah to pass into his own sitting-room. He turned sharply round on hearing my step behind him, and one glance at my face must have told him that there was something the matter. His face turned pale, and I noticed that his mouth twitched nervously. "What is it?" he asked breathlessly.
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CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
To my surprise before we had been twenty-four hours at sea every one on board the König Ludwig seemed to have imbibed a measure of our eagerness, and to be aware that we were not in reality engaged in a pleasure trip, as had been given out, but in a race against a schooner which had sailed from the same port nearly forty-eight hours before. As a matter of fact it was Mr. Leversidge who was responsible for thus letting the cat out of the bag. Imperative as it was that the strictest reticence shou
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CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
Of all the thousand and one strange phenomena of the mighty deep, to my thinking there is none more extraordinary than the fogs which so suddenly spring up in Eastern waters. At one moment the entire expanse of sea lies plain and open before the eye; then a tiny cloud makes its appearance, like a little flaw in the perfect blue, far down on the horizon. It comes closer, and as it does so, spreads itself out in curling wreaths of vapour. Finally, the mariner finds himself cut off from everything,
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CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
The novice when making his first descent beneath the waves in a diving dress is apt to find himself confronted with numerous surprises. In the first place he discovers that the dress itself, which, when he stood upon the deck, had appeared such a cumbersome and altogether unwieldy affair, becomes as light as any feather as soon as he is below the surface. To his amazement he is able to move about with as much freedom as he was accustomed to do on land. And despite the fact that his supply of air
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CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
So overpowered was I by the importance of the discovery I had made in the bowels of that sunken ship, that when I reached the top of the ladder and found myself standing once more among my fellow-men in the decent and clean world above the waves, it seemed as if I must begin my story to old Leversidge before the front glass of my helmet was removed; and, if such a thing were possible, his impatience was even greater than my own. There we stood, scarcely three feet apart, in the same world, breat
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CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
The sun was in the act of disappearing behind the fringe of jungle which clothes the western hilltops of Thursday Island, when our schooner passed through Prince of Wales' Straits and dropped her anchor off the small township of Port Kennedy. Every one on board was on deck at the moment, and I can vouch for the fact that in two minds at least, those of Mr. Leversidge and myself, there was a feeling of intense excitement. Ever since we had sat together in the schooner's cabin, and I had told him
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CHAPTER X
CHAPTER X
Within an hour and a half of our setting foot ashore in Thursday Island from the schooner, we were on board the mail-boat en route for Brisbane and the South. It was a glorious evening, and the beauty of the scenery as one approaches and enters the famous Albany Pass is, I am prepared to say, second to none in the maritime world. I am afraid, however, on this particular occasion our thoughts were too much occupied with the chase we were engaged in, and the news we had so lately received, for us
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CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XI
Who that has ever seen it will forget daybreak on a fine morning in Honolulu Harbour? Surely no one. The background of tree-clad island, so dark yet so suggestive of tropical luxuriance; the sky overhead so full of rainbow hues, and the sea so calm and yet possessed of all the colours of the inside of a pearl shell. When one sees it one is forced to the conclusion that there could never be another like it. It is beautiful beyond conception. The sun had not yet made his appearance above the horiz
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CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XII
It was well-nigh mid-day before we reached our hotel; but as soon as we did so Mr. Leversidge placed the small box containing the pearl in a safe place. Having had such difficulty in finding it, he had no desire to run the risk of losing it again. This done, we devoted half an hour to business, and after that I went down to the agent's office to make inquiries about the mail-boat for Japan, which was due to arrive from San Francisco the following day. The remainder of the afternoon was occupied
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The Phantom Stockman
The Phantom Stockman
"A remarkably charming situation, and as pretty a homestead as any I have seen in the Bush," I said. "You have certainly worked wonders during the short time you have been in possession." It was a moonlight night, and Jim Spicer and I were sitting in the verandah of Warradoona Station in Western New South Wales. Ten o'clock had struck nearly half an hour before, and, at a quarter past, Mrs. Spicer had bidden us "Good-night" and had gone off to bed. On hearing that I did not feel tired, her husba
49 minute read
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"A native fruit-hawker came round the corner."
"A native fruit-hawker came round the corner."
"For two or three days not a shadow of a sign came from him. Then one of those Chinese hawkers came into the square with two coolies carrying his goods, and as soon as we set eyes on the second nigger we recognised Milwaukee, and stood by to take his message in whatever form it might come. Pulling up at our chairs, the Chinkey told his men to set down their loads, himself coming across to us with a tray of fans, scents, and what not; but seeing Milwaukee had a packet of slippers in his hands, we
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"Then, just as her nose grounded, my eyes caught sight of a big creeper-covered mass."
"Then, just as her nose grounded, my eyes caught sight of a big creeper-covered mass."
"She may have been close on a hundred tons burden, but it was impossible to calculate her size exactly for the heap of stuff that covered her. How she ever got on to that plain, and why she hadn't rotted clean away during the two hundred years or more she must have lain there, are things I can't explain. Anyhow, I didn't stay to puzzle 'em out then, but set to work hunting for a way to get inside her. From the main-deck seemed to be the best course, and to reach that I started hacking at the blo
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Into the Outer Darkness
Into the Outer Darkness
You will, perhaps, remember how the soul of Tom Guilfoy was saved by his wife, how Godfrey Halkett was killed by his sweetheart, and how the plans of the Kangaroo Girl were shattered at one blow by a certain grandee aide-de-camp. All those things are matters of history. This is a story of a similar nature, but with a somewhat different ending. I am not going to tell you how I acquired my information, nor shall I say in which Australian colony the events occurred. If you have ever originated a sc
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The Story of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster"
The Story of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster"
Men in all ranks of society, from cabinet ministers to hotel clerks, are apt to underestimate the true importance of Little Things. Women never do, because it is their business in life to overestimate everything. Though these statements may seem paradoxical, when you've studied the sad history of Tommy Dodd and "The Rooster," my meaning will be as clear as noonday. Jack Medway's Love Affair was a case in point; for if he had paid proper attention to small matters, he would not have cuffed "The R
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Quod Erat Demonstrandum
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
Any afternoon, between three and five, you will probably find in the Club Library, somewhere near the S T E and T R A Bookcase, a thin, restless-eyed man of perhaps five-and-fifty years of age. He will answer to the name of Pennethorne—Cornelius Pennethorne—and he can sometimes be trusted to converse in a fairly rational manner. Generally, however, he is chock-full of nonsensical ideas, founded on what he calls "Inferences from Established Principles," and these make it almost impossible for him
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"One moonlight night ... somebody stepped up beside him."
"One moonlight night ... somebody stepped up beside him."
When, under the supervision of the "Kangaroo Girl," the shore parties for Naples were being organized, Miss Hinks was tacitly left out. Somehow the impression got about that she was poor, and no one cared about paying her expenses. But eventually she did go, and it was in the charge of the fourth officer. When she thanked him for his kindness, he forgot for the moment his pledge "to live henceforth only in a memory." The "Kangaroo Girl," on discovering that Miss Hinks had been on shore, under th
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Misplaced Affections
Misplaced Affections
The point I wish to illustrate is, that it is not safe, at any time, to play with such an inflammable passion as Love, even though it be to oblige one's nearest and dearest friend. Once upon a time pretty Mrs. Belverton used to laugh at me for warning her, but she is compelled to admit the truth of my argument now. It was Mrs. Belverton, you will remember, who originated the famous Under Fifty Riding Club, whose initials, U.F.R.C. , over two crossed hunting-crops and a double snaffle, were const
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In Great Waters
In Great Waters
"Don't thank me; I'm sure I'm equally obliged to you. I haven't seen a strange face these three months; and though I am that despised animal, a broken-down gentleman, I've never quite been able to overcome a foolish hankering after some dealing with my old caste again. Pardon the implied compliment! "You'd better hobble your horses and turn them loose towards the creek. I'll run them up in the morning with my own. "Having done that, if you're hungry, you'll find tea in the billy, and damper and
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Mr. Aristocrat
Mr. Aristocrat
The Australian Bush is pre-eminently a charnel-house of human lives, and therefore of the affections. Innumerable histories, neatly folded up and hidden away in the by-places of the great island continent, labelled Not wanted till the Judgment Day , will prove this indisputably. When Gabriel's trump shall call the sleepers from their resting-places in the shadows of the frowning mountains, in the long, grey gullies, and from the deserts and hopeless open plains, Australia's Bush contingent will
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This Man and This Woman
This Man and This Woman
First and foremost it must be understood that when men and women cross the Borderland of Discretion into that Never-never Country where wedding-rings are forgotten and family correspondence abruptly ceases, they do so, believing it to be unlikely that they will ever meet any one out of the old life again. This fallacy may be attributed to one of two things: either to an insufficient knowledge of their world, or to an exaggerated idea of their own exclusiveness. The first is the more common, but
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The Master Mummer.
The Master Mummer.
A romance of quality. A Princess of the Kingdom of Bartena is kept out of the way so that her position may be filled by that of her cousin. Her temporary guardian is killed, and, knowing nothing of her parentage, and while without friends, she finds one in an English gentleman, who makes a place for her in his house. Then a thousand intrigues to get her out of his hands are set on foot. It is without doubt the most romantic and entertaining novel which Mr. Oppenheim has yet written....
26 minute read
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The Betrayal.
The Betrayal.
The Dundee Advertiser says:—"Mr. Oppenheim's skill has never been displayed to better advantage than here.... He has excelled himself, and to assert this is to declare the novel superior to nine out of ten of its contemporaries."...
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Anna, The Adventuress.
Anna, The Adventuress.
The Globe says:—"The story is ingeniously imagined and cleverly wrought out. Mr. Oppenheim has the gift of invention and keeps his readers on the tenter-hooks of suspense." The Daily News says:—"Mr. Oppenheim keeps his readers on the alert from cover to cover, and the story is a fascinating medley of romance and mystery."...
16 minute read
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The Yellow Crayon.
The Yellow Crayon.
The Daily Express says:—"Mr. Oppenheim has a vivid imagination and much sympathy, fine powers of narrative, and can suggest a life history in a sentence. As a painter of the rough life of mining camps, of any strong and striking scenes where animal passions enter, he is as good as Henry Kingsley, with whom, indeed, in many respects, he has strong points of resemblance."...
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A Prince of Sinners.
A Prince of Sinners.
Vanity Fair says:—"A vivid and powerful story. Mr. Oppenheim knows the world and he can tell a tale, and the unusual nature of the setting in which his leading characters live and work out their love story gives this book distinction among the novels of the season." The World says:—"Excellent. A book to read, enjoy, and think over."...
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The Traitors.
The Traitors.
The Athenæum says:—"Its interest begins on the first page and ends on the last. The plot is ingenious and well-managed, the movement of the story is admirably swift and smooth, and the characters are exceedingly vivacious. The reader's excitement is kept on the stretch to the very end."...
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A Millionaire of Yesterday.
A Millionaire of Yesterday.
The Daily Telegraph says:—"The story is admirably constructed, and developed simply and forcibly. It abounds in dramatic situations, and there is more than one note of pathos which at once captures our sympathies. We cannot but welcome with enthusiasm a really well-told story like 'A Millionaire of Yesterday.' At the same time there is no lack of character-study in this very satisfactory book."...
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The Survivor.
The Survivor.
The Nottingham Guardian says:—"We must give a conspicuous place on its merits to this excellent story. It is only necessary to read a page or two in order to become deeply interested in the central figure of the story; while the opening scenes, on which not a word is wasted, impress by their originality and power, and give promise of something worth following up. A story marked by brilliant and terse narration, vivid touches of characterization, and a plot that is consistent and yet fruitful in
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The Great Awakening.
The Great Awakening.
The Yorkshire Post says:—"A weird and fascinating story, which, for real beauty and originality, ranks far above the ordinary novel." The Daily Telegraph says:—"Possesses an absorbing interest; it has also an extraordinary fascination."...
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As a Man Lives.
As a Man Lives.
The Sketch says:—"The interest of the book, always keen and absorbing, is due to some extent to a puzzle so admirably planned as to defy the penetration of the most experienced novel reader."...
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A Daughter of the Marionis.
A Daughter of the Marionis.
The Scotsman says:—"Mr. Oppenheim's stories always display much melodramatic power and considerable originality and ingenuity of construction. These and other qualities of the successful writer of romance are manifest in 'A Daughter of the Marionis.' Full of passion, action, strongly contrasted scenery, motives, and situations."...
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Mr. Bernard Brown.
Mr. Bernard Brown.
The Daily Graphic says:—"Mr. E. Phillips Oppenheim has a remarkable gift of making up an exciting story." The Aberdeen Daily Journal says:—"The story is rich in sensational incident and dramatic situations. It is seldom, indeed, that we meet with a novel of such power and fascination."...
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The Man and His Kingdom.
The Man and His Kingdom.
The Freeman's Journal says:—"It is high praise to say that in this novel the author has surpassed his previous thrilling and delightful story, 'The Mysterious Mr. Sabin.' Yet that high praise is eminently deserved. The story is worthy of Merriman at his very best. It is a genuine treat for the ravenous and often disappointed novel reader."...
17 minute read
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The World's Great Snare.
The World's Great Snare.
The World says:—"If engrossing interest, changing episode, deep insight into human character, and bright diction are the sine qua non of a successful novel, then this book cannot but bound at once into popular favour. It is so full withal of so many dramatic incidents, thoroughly exciting and realistic. There is not one dull page from beginning to end."...
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A Monk of Cruta.
A Monk of Cruta.
The Bookman says:—"Intensely dramatic. The book is an achievement at which the author may well be gratified."...
6 minute read
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Mysterious Mr. Sabin.
Mysterious Mr. Sabin.
The Literary World says:—"As a story of incident, with a deep-laid and exciting plot, this of the 'Mysterious Mr. Sabin' can hardly be surpassed."...
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