
FIRE!
THE GHOST.
IN A HOUSEBOAT.
ANIMALS.
HUMATIAÁ.
AT SEA.
A QUARREL IN CAMP.
THE WITCHING HOUR.
PERROCHINO.
SMALLPOX.
A restless narrator carries us across the wild edges of empire, from a cluster of timber huts scorching under a prairie fire to a lonely, snow‑filled cabin on the Illinois river that locals swear is haunted. The opening scenes crackle with danger—powder barrels threatened by flame, half‑clothed men scrambling for water, and a desperate scramble that feels both comic and visceral. In the same breath the story sweeps southward onto the Yangtze, where houseboats navigate towering bridges, pirates set masts ablaze, and the crew hunts pheasants among the ruins of an old rebellion.
Interspersed with a raucous pulpería in Argentina, the narrative mixes vivid description, sharp dialogue, and a wry humor that reveals the clash of cultures on distant frontiers. Each episode feels like a stand‑alone sketch, yet together they build a portrait of restless adventurers confronting fire, ghosts, and the unknown. The listening experience promises a travelogue that is as much about human folly and bravery as it is about the rugged landscapes it explores.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (70K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chris Curnow, Diane Monico, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2015-11-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
A little-known early 20th-century travel writer, remembered for a lively collection of sketches drawn from life on the road. His surviving work mixes adventure, humor, and sharp observation in a way that still feels vivid today.
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