
BOOK I
CHAPTER I THE MAN ON THE CAIRN
CHAPTER II RUDDYFORD
CHAPTER III A THEATRE OF FAILURE
CHAPTER IV SYMPATHY
CHAPTER V THE KEEPER OF THE CASTLE
CHAPTER VI WATTERN OKE
CHAPTER VII PLAIN SPEAKING
CHAPTER VIII A REPRIMAND
CHAPTER IX THE COMMITTEE MEETS
A fierce, silver‑filled storm sweeps over Dartmoor’s white‑capped hills, carrying a lone, sturdy figure across the wind‑torn landscape. From a cairn he surveys a lonely valley, where thatched farms and grazing livestock cling to the earth beneath the tumultuous sky. The opening paints a vivid clash between the raw, untamed moor and the quiet, enduring rhythms of rural life, inviting listeners to feel the chill of rain and the warmth of a solitary smile amid the gale.
As the narrative follows this solitary observer, it drifts through the lives of the people at Ruddyford Farm—farmhands, shepherds, and village folk—each scene a small, intimate portrait of perseverance and community. Through their everyday struggles, celebrations, and quiet moments of faith, the story unfolds as a tapestry of human resilience set against nature’s ever‑changing moods, promising a contemplative journey that lingers long after the wind dies down.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (602K characters)
Series
Dartmoor cycle, 17
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1907.
Credits
Al Haines
Release date
2023-11-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1862–1960
Best known for vivid stories set on Dartmoor, this remarkably prolific English writer produced novels, plays, poems, and mysteries across a career that lasted for decades. His work is closely tied to the landscapes of Devon, which gave many of his books their strong sense of place.
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