
HARILEK
THE STORY-TELLER’S INVITATION
FOREWORD
CHAPTER I I MEET WREXHAM AND FORSYTH
CHAPTER II OLD JOHN WREXHAM’S DIARY
CHAPTER III WREXHAM’S STORY
CHAPTER IV THE GREAT DECISION
CHAPTER V THE JUMPING-OFF LINE
CHAPTER VI THE DESERT
CHAPTER VII THE DISTANT HILLS
A weary officer returns from the front with a mysterious parcel—a handwritten record of a journey across a rugged, far‑off land. The manuscript, passed through traders and schoolmates, promises a blend of battlefield grit and lyrical romance, inviting the reader to step into a world of cliffs, deserts, snow‑capped peaks, and ancient pine forests. Its narrator, a fellow soldier, frames the tale as both a personal recollection and a vivid imagination.
Within the pages, a brave band of bowmen and their steadfast leader confront hostile tribes, cunning wizards, and looming citadels. At the heart of the story lies a striking princess with red‑gold hair, whose love affair with a valiant warrior unfolds amid duels, whispered promises, and the clash of steel and arrow. The early chapters balance fierce combat with tender moments, hinting at a romance that feels both timeless and fresh.
Listeners will be drawn into a tapestry of adventure and affection, where the line between myth and memory blurs. The prose captures the thrill of exploration and the quiet intensity of first love, setting the stage for a journey that feels both exotic and deeply human. It’s an invitation to linger in a valley of fear and hope, where brave eyes meet the promise of a warm kiss.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (629K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1923.
Credits
Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2023-06-05
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1886–1951
Best known by the pen name “Ganpat,” this Anglo-Indian soldier-writer turned his years in India and the Himalayas into brisk adventure fiction and vivid travel writing. His books carry a sense of place that still feels immediate, whether he was writing about Ladakh, frontier life, or danger at high altitude.
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