R. M. Ballantyne
42) Rivers of Ice
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Excerpt: "On a certain summer morning, about the middle of the present century, a big bluff man, of seafaring aspect, found himself sauntering in a certain street near London Bridge. He was a man of above fifty, but looked under forty in consequence of the healthful vigor of his frame, the freshness of his saltwater face, and the blackness of his shaggy hair."
43) Erling the Bold
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This is a tale of a Sea rover, or Viking as they're called. In the author's own words: The present tale is founded chiefly on the information conveyed in that most interesting work by Snorro Sturleson 'The Heimskringla, or Chronicles of the Kings of Norway.' It is translated from the Icelandic. On perceiving the intention of the Danes to attack him, Erling's heart was glad, because he now felt sure that to some extent he had them in his power. If...
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(Excerpt): "It is evident that the land over there is peopled with savages who, probably, never saw white men before. If we treat these young fellows kindly, and send them away with gifts in their hands, we shall, no doubt, make friends of the savages. If we treat them ill, or kill them, their relations will come over, mayhap in swarms, and drive us into the sea. I drop the Swinton law of might being right, and ask you who are now the law-makers --...
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(Excerpt): ""Well, Jeff, what do you think of doing?" asked that austere relative, two days after the funeral. "Of course at your age you can't carry on the school alone." "Of course not," answered the boy, with a suppressed sob. "What say you to entering my office and becoming a lawyer, Jeff?" "Thanks, uncle, I'd rather not." "What will you do, then?" demanded the uncle, somewhat offended at this flat rejection of his proposal. The lad thought for...
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(Excerpt): "After becoming acquainted with gun-cotton, nitroglycerine, dynamite, lithofracteur, and other combinations of powerfully-explosive agents, I took to searching for and inventing methods by which these might be utilized. To turn everything to good account is a desire, which I cannot resist. Explosives naturally drew my attention to mines-tin-mines, coalmines, and other commercial enterprises. They also suggested war and torpedoes. At that...
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On a small island in the heart of the Pacific, a colony of settlers receives a visit from a mysterious man known as the Sandal Wood trader. Some say he's a pirate while others believe he is exactly what he claims-a harmless trader. Join Henry, Bumpus, Reverend Mason, and a host of other memorable characters as they unravel the mystery of who this trader really is. Are the settlers about to be robbed and destroyed? Or, is this man's assistance necessary...
48) Post Haste
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In this fun adventure in merry, old England, the reader is taken back to the beginning days of the General Post-Office, learning about the founding of the mail system. In the 1800's, guaranteeing a letter to delivery was a bit of a challenge, as Phillip Maylands, his sister Mary, and their friend George Aspel quickly find out. Though the British Post-Office at this time delivered in good condition over fourteen hundred million letters, a half-dozen...
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Excerpt: "The problem of colonization in the north-western portion of British America is fast working itself out. The same destiny which pushed forward Anglo-Saxon energy and intelligence into the rich plains of Mexico, and which has peopled Australia, is now turning the current of emigration to another of the "waste-places of the earth." The discovery of extensive goldfields in the extreme west of the territories now occupied by the Hudson's Bay...
50) Jarwin and Cuffy
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(Excerpt): "In all the wide expanse of ocean that surrounded that island, there was nothing visible save one small, solitary speck on the far-off horizon. It might have been mistaken for a seagull, but it was in reality a raft-a mass of spars and planks rudely bound together with ropes. A boat's mast rose from the center of it, on which hung a rag of sail, and a small red flag drooped motionless from its summit. There were a few casks on the highest...
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One day, many years ago, a brig cast off from her moorings, and sailed from a British port for the Polar Seas. That brig never came back. Many a hearty cheer was given, many a kind wish was uttered, many a handkerchief was waved, and many a tearful eye gazed that day as the vessel left Old England, and steered her course into the unknown regions of the far north.
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Excerpt: "Towards the close of a bright and warm day, between fifty and sixty years ago, a solitary man might have been seen, mounted on a mule, wending his way slowly up the western slopes of the Andes. Although decidedly inelegant and unhandsome, this specimen of the human family was by no means uninteresting. He was so large, and his legs were so long, that the contrast between him and the little mule, which he bestrode, was ridiculous. He was...
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The Dog Crusoe and His Master A Story of Adventure in the Western Prairies by R. M. Ballantyne Who doesn't like a story that involves a great dog and his young master and friends? In this book you will share their action packed journey and adventures as they wander through the Western prairies with a mission to bring peace between the white population and the assorted Indian tribes. They face many perils and become heroes many times over.
54) The Eagle Cliff
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It is the story of young John Barret an active sportsman, who with his friends Bob Mabberly and Giles Jackman sail off on a vacation in Bob's father's yacht and are promptly ship-wrecked on a Scottish isle. The entire crew is saved and John is sent off to find help. He does so in the young 'Tonald' (Donald) who guides him to one of the small villages on the island. The next day, John travels to Kinlossie to tell the 'Laird' of the island the story...
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(Excerpt): "A Surprise, a Combat, and a Feed. There is a river in America, which flows to the northwestward of Great Bear Lake, and helps to drain that part of the great wilderness into the Arctic Sea. It is an insignificant stream compared with such well-known waterways as the Mackenzie and the Coppermine; nevertheless it is large enough to entice the white whale and the seal into its waters every spring, and it becomes a resting-place for myriads...
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(Excerpt): "A solitary horseman-a youth in early manhood-riding at a snail's pace over the great plains, or karroo, of South Africa. His chin on his breast; his hands in the pockets of an old shooting-coat; his legs in ragged trousers, and his feet in worn-out boots. Regardless of stirrups, the last are dangling. The reins hang on the neck of his steed, whose head may be said to dangle from its shoulders, so nearly does its nose approach the ground....
57) Silver Lake
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Excerpt: "It was on a cold winter morning long ago, that Robin Gore, a bold hunter of the backwoods of America, entered his parlor and sat him down to breakfast. Robin's parlor was also his dining room, and his drawing room, besides being his bedroom and his kitchen. In fact, it was the only room in his wooden hut, except a small apartment, opening off it, which was a workshop and lumber-room. Robin's family consisted of himself, and his wife, and...
58) The Pioneers
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"The Pioneers" is a historical children's novel by Scottish author R. M. Ballantyne, first published in 1872. Set in the American Old West, this exciting story of high adventure and daring-do is perfect for children with an interest in history, and it is not to be missed by collectors of classic Western fiction.
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Travel back in time to the land near the Red River, when the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company were in competition for the furs and other items of trade. Join the settlers, from Scotland, Switzerland, Canada, as they struggle for survival in a harsh land. Easy to fall in love with the characters and how they deal with adversity. Takes place in 1821.