Highway Pirates; or, The Secret Place at Coverthorne

A spirited boy‑narrator recalls his days at Hobworth’s School in the early 1830s, where organized sports were rare and the playground was a wild tangle of woods, hazel thickets and daring games. With his friend Miles Coverthorne he darts through the underbrush after a sudden shout—“They’ve seen us! Run for it!”—the pulse of mischief and the sting of branches setting the tone for their restless adolescence. The boys have formed rival “tribes,” each led by a strong‑handed chieftain, and they spend their free hours testing the limits of the countryside, often at the expense of angry farmers and watchful gamekeepers.

When the boys stumble upon a hidden cavern linked to the Coverthorne family, the ordinary schoolyard escapades give way to a larger, more daring quest. Rumors of “highway pirates” and a secret place that might hold treasure or danger stir their imaginations, pulling them into a web of intrigue that promises danger, camaraderie, and the chance to prove themselves beyond the school’s strict bounds.