
Please read the Transcriber’s Note at the end of the text.
THE BLACK ARROW - A TALE OF THE TWO ROSES
Critic on the Hearth:
ILLUSTRATIONS
PROLOGUE
BOOK I - THE TWO LADS
CHAPTER I - AT THE SIGN OF THE SUN IN KETTLEY
CHAPTER II - IN THE FEN
CHAPTER III - THE FEN FERRY
CHAPTER IV - A GREENWOOD COMPANY
Set against the turbulent backdrop of 15th‑century England, the story opens in the quiet hamlet of Tunstall, where an unexpected bell summons villagers to the ancient moat house. The landscape of oak‑lined valleys, a stone cross on a knoll, and the looming forest creates a vivid, almost cinematic stage for the drama about to unfold. As rumors of a looming battle spread, the community’s daily life is upended, hinting at the larger conflict between rival houses that will shape the realm.
Into this uneasy calm rides young Master Richard Shelton, Sir Daniel Brackley’s ward, a lean, sun‑tanned youth armed with a cross‑bow and a fierce sense of duty. Charged with rallying the village’s bowmen and shepherds, he must navigate secret orders, mysterious letters, and the looming threat of war without fully understanding who the true enemies are. The narrative promises a blend of chivalric adventure, political intrigue, and the harsh realities of a country torn between two rival roses.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (434K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Juliet Sutherland, Anne Grieve and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-06-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1850–1894
Known for unforgettable tales of adventure and divided selves, this Scottish writer brought both restless imagination and real-world travel into his fiction. His books still feel lively, suspenseful, and surprisingly modern.
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