
Chapter One. - On the Hunt.
Chapter Two. - The “Fanatic” and the “Spy.”
Chapter Three. - The True and the False at Work.
Chapter Four. - The Hunting and Harrying Displayed.
Chapter Five. - Risks and Refuges.
Chapter Six. - Tells of Overwhelming Reverses.
Chapter Seven. - More than one Narrow Escape.
Chapter Eight. - Bothwell Bridge.
Chapter Nine. - Among the Tombs.
Chapter Ten. - Fiercer and Fiercer.
In the waning light of a seventeenth‑century Scottish summer, a troop of dragoons pushes through the rugged hills of Dumfriesshire, mud‑caked boots and iron helmets glinting in the sun. Their march follows the roar of a distant waterfall to a narrow, unbridged ford, a place where beauty and danger sit side by side. The commander rides ahead, his eyes fixed on a purpose that feels both urgent and ominous, while his two companions—a grizzled veteran and a restless youth—offer contrasting shades of experience. As the river’s thunder fades behind them, the landscape opens to a tangled network of paths that lead deeper into the moorland.
The soldiers are on the trail of Andrew Black, a notorious figure whispered about as a clever aid to the rebels and as slippery as an eel. Rumors claim he has evaded capture even by the feared Claverhouse, and now the troopers hope to corner him at his remote cottage. Dividing their forces, they each take a different road, ready to confront whatever lies hidden in the heath‑clad hills.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (249K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Release date
2007-06-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1825–1894
Best known for classic adventure stories such as The Coral Island, this Scottish writer drew on real travel and working life to give his tales energy, danger, and a strong sense of place. He wrote for young readers, but his stories still carry the pull of exploration and survival.
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