No preface
Contents
Stalked by Man-eating Lions 1An exciting story of the perils of a twentieth-century railway pioneer in East Africa.
Trapped! 6
A story of Chinese treachery and English pluck.
Roosevelt’s Ride for Life 19
The Cowboy-President said that his dash before a maddened herd, and in the teeth of a blinding storm, was “the ride of his life.”
Thugs! 23
How the men of the sacred “roomal” were swept out of the North-West Provinces of India.
The King’s Highway 32
Claude Duval, the gallant highwayman, has been the hero of many a tale of fiction, but some of the true stories of his life are as strange as any woven by novelists.
The End of Michael Howe 40
Australia in the early days was simply infested with bushrangers, of whom Michael Howe – the story whose final “hold-up” is told here – was one of the most daring
A Treacherous Guide 44
A thrilling story of hairbreadth escapes from danger and death in the Argentine.
The King of Gipsies 56
Tales of Bamfylde Moore-Carew, the boy who ran away from school, and, after a thousand perils, found himself King of the Romany.
A Chasing Terror 65
When the prairie “fires” and buffaloes stampede, the men of the West know it is time to run. This is a story of a race from death by fire and hoofs.
The Federal Fugitive 70
Lieut. Thompson, Federal Scout, after a long-drawn-out dash for freedom from captivity, finally won the land of liberty.
Under the Black Flag 80
There are pirates of fact and pirates of fiction; those who figure in this chapter were real flesh-and-blood scourges of the sea.
The Orchid Hunters 89
If Crosse, the orchid hunter, had been content with his flowers, all would have been well; but he also caught an ape, and lost his life as the price of it.
Attacked by Aborigines 96
Tells of Sir George Grey’s hairbreadth escape in the unexplored Australian Bush.
Fire at Sea 101
Maxwell, the pilot, standing at the wheel of the burning “Clydesdale,” is one of the heroic figures in the mercantile marine.
Captured by Red Indians 109
When the Red Indian did not scalp his foe, he generally had a rare kind of torture in view. This is a story of a narrow escape from a horrible death.
In the Depths 118
Thrilling stories of an entombment in a mine and of a duel beneath the sea.
The Raft of the “Medusa” 127
Shipwreck, then starvation and mutiny on a raft – all these things went to make up one of the most terrible chapters in the story of the sea.
The King’s Tragedy 140
A thrilling account of the heroism of Catherine Douglas in trying to save James I of Scotland.
The Choice 149
The mission of a peace plenipotentiary is always fraught with certain risks, but few men run dangers so terrible as those of Prof. Palmer in Africa.
The Mutiny of the “Bounty” 158
The story of a mutiny which resulted in the founding of a British colony.
Against Great Odds 176
Stirring adventures in the good old days of Britain’s army and navy.
Stealing a King’s Jewels 188
The story of Colonel Blood’s attempt on the Regalia has been told time and time again, but it bears repetition, for it is full of bold daring and pluck.
Adventures of a Film Hunter 196
Sitting in the dim picture palace, few people realise the dangers run to obtain the pictures being thrown upon the screen; but there are less dangerous professions than that of a film-hunter!
The Escape of Morgan the Raider 202
How Morgan, the terror of the Federals, was captured, and effected a daring escape through a hand-bored tunnel.
A Black Tragedy 214
Armed only with knives, two coolies kept a whole ship’s company at bay for two days; it is one of the most remarkable mutinies in history.
An Alpine Adventure 223
Mountaineering is a dangerous, if a pleasant, pastime, as these men of the ice-pick found.
A Leap for Life 227
A howling mob of enraged savages behind, a yawning chasm in front: Samuel Brady leaped, and – the story tells the rest.
“Boys Will Be Boys” 233
When the spirit of mischief or emulation takes hold of a boy, there is no telling what will happen. The two boys whose stories are told here little knew into what dangers they were climbing.
Smuggling Days 241
Some incidents of the stirring days when men ran forbidden cargoes under the noses of the Revenue officers.
Tracked by Wolves 251
A tale of adventure and heroism in the Russian snows.
Held to Ransom 258
A tragic story of brigandage in Greece.
Hunting Wild Elephants 268
Big game hunters generally take their lives in their hands; and although the elephant seems a docile kind of beast – at the Zoo – in his wild state he is no mean foe.
A Soldier of Fortune 277
A dashing story of the days when men looked upon the New World as El Dorado.
In Danger’s Hour 303
The Boy Scout is the most modern figure in history, and already he has achieved much and found adventures thrilling enough to satisfy the most exacting.