The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 12, 1902, Page 12

THE SUNDAY CALL. v \?”m’m.mww n A | CONDUCTED BY | B. G. LATHROP L i ICHARD HARDING DAVIS has done some of his best work in his latest vel, “Captain Mackiin,” that has just appeared from the press of Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York A= in “Soldiers of For- tune,” r. Davis places the scene for his ara his new book under sunny skies, and once more we find ourselves active participants in a good old-fash- foned Central American revolution—this time in Honduras. s There is only one point on which Mr. vis may possibly be open to criticism, d that the incompleteness of the present story and undoubted evidences a sequel should follow in the near The last pages of the book find still unmarried and heart free— w condition in Mr. Davis’ ro- d, moreover, just ready to set a new set of adventures., Whe possibly Captain Macklin is to be Sherlock Holmes and ever witk Well, after you have once made -hit tance you will always be glad tc e the captain, especially if he car > appear in the same interest- roles that he plays in the introductory book The present work is written in the form cf a memoir and the first forty or fifty the more deliberate style formal and dignified in- the hero of his own me- re meet young Macklin as n something of his hopes the son of a soldier who t the head of his column son of one of the greatest our history, it is easy to pro- liing open to a boy with »od in his veins. enters West Point and of the usual life of a ca- the time of his gradua- demy he meets with the ing expelled because he breaks rules of the institution by ying hooky one night to attend a dance neighboring town. ne of the darkest' times in the is really the first step d. At this time his the only kith and ting Macklin’s” son in, Beatrice. to be a toss up will elect to remain at nd perchance marry his charming or whether he only finally seems boy cousin will follow his chosen profession; but the “fighting” blood 15, and after looking all papers he finds, as a for the ordinary com- that a revolution in Honduras and * has been formed under of General La- guerre, a celebrated soldier of fortune. Now begins the r interest of thé tory, and the reader is soon at the front with young Macklin and in the thick of intrigue and fighting of the kind that Mr. Davis knows so well how to portray. Laguerre is a fine type of man and dler, though our young Macklin’s in- itial introdu to ' him is decidedly dramatic and not altogether to the com- fort of the budding soldier, still a bond of sympa is soon formed that is last- ing through the story—and, if Mr. Davis’ promise holds good, should be in evidence in another book or two. Laguerre and his Foreign Legion con- sider themselves on the side of liberty and against the false government that has been foisted on the people by a mer- cenary steamship line; but it is only a tion An Unficlitious Novel A S artling, Dramatic ftudy cf Chinese ( onditions. BLESSING: EYSTER; $1.5S0 net $1 20 e Elder and Shepard 238 Post Strect ‘San Francisco BOUKS § ] hpndsi € Book Catalogue! { ‘ Retail, ¢ “RE+ar ™ SEKD FOR OUR IM- MENEE TWO NEW BOOKS OF TRAVELS. Backsheesh—A Woman's Wander- Mrs. William Beckman (1I- price $1 50, ip to the Orient,” by Rev. J. ns (Ulustrated), price $1 50, lst of our ublications sent gratis wpog_ TEE VEITAKER & PAY COMPANY, PUBLISHERE AND BOOKSELLERS, 723 Market Btreet, San Franclsco, Do00000000. rovosrnce short time before they find that even their own side cannot resist the general corruption. prevalent in Central Ameri- can politics and that they are about to be sold to the enemy and the whole For- eign Legion massacred. Macklin at this time is a captain, his first commission having come to him from asoldier of fortune. Macklin, Laguerre and the other officers of the Legion, upon learn- ing the disquieting news of the treach- ery among their allies, immediately hold a council and decide to act at once, on their own account, and to attack the cap- ital. This is done and success crowns the banners of the reckless adventurers. The next morning finds them duly in- stalled in the city and practically at the head of the government of the counlry.’ Ldguerre ie to be the first ruler and Macklin acts as Minister of War. At | this time the owner of the steamship | line and his family happen to be in the | city, and this affords the author a splen- | did opportunity for a dramatic scene between the son of the ship-owner and | young Macklin. The son makes an in sulting remark about this new govern- | ment of Laguerre's that is overheard by Macklin and promptly and forcibly re- | sented. This brings about a duel be- tween the two young men and a meet- ing between Macklin and his opponent’s sister, who appears with the hope of stop- ping the duel. It seems very probable that this charming young lady will be ot first consideration in the heart of Mack- lin by the time the end of the book is reached—but we may as well say it. The author allows cupid no chanee to make a killing with this new hero of his; pos- sibly she may appear again in the sequel to the present tale, and if so it will not be a wide guess that picks her for the bride of “Fighting Macklin.” The description of the dugl is one of the parts of the book that willburn for you the midnight ofl, for it is written with that “human interest” style—possibly hinted at by some as “gallery play”— 80 characteristic of Davis at his best. The government under Laguerre is no sooner in that it is out. This time the treachery of their wily opponents meets with success, and Macklin and the rest of them have a close call for their lives. All through the present book the ac- tion of the story is quick and sharp, and it is safe to say that once taken up this . nover wii not pé put aside until it has been finished. Here follows an extract that is self-explanatory and shows M= Davis in his best vein: 1 was even more unpopular with the men, but there was a reason for that; for I was rather severe with them, and imposed as strict a discipline on them as that to which I had been accustomed at West Point. The greater part of them were ne’er-do-wells and adventur- ers picked up off the beach at Greytown, and they were a thoroughly independent lot, Teck- less and courageous; but I doubt if they had ever known anthority or restraint, unless it was the restraint of a jail. With the men of my own troop 1 got on well enough, for thay saw I understood how to take care of them, and that things went on more smoothly when they were carried out as I had_directed, so they obeyed me without sulking. But with the ) 2 A RBAL, v The illustrations on this page are from Richard Hard- ing Davis’ latest novel, “Cap- tain Macklin—His Memoirs,” and were drawn by Walter Ap- pleton Clark. The book is pub- lished by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. Copyright, 1902, SFIAWLING— (B~ SAGUVA LA GIRANLE WOULD LWAYS SUIT men of the troons mot directly under my com- mand I frequently met with trouble; and om several occasions diiferent men refused o obey my orders as adjutant, and swore and even Opie Read’s New Novel Rich in delightful “humor, tender pathos, dramatic interest, stirring pa- triotism, and genuine human nature The Starbucks Is one of the R most charming love-storics ever written, with characters true to life. For sale at all Bookstores Sales the largest among current literature Art cloth, beautifully illustrated in colors. Price, $1:50 LAIRD & LEE, CHICAGO struck down, forced to support my authority in Some way. After learning the circumstances Laguerre ex- at_me, onerated me and punished the men. men over to my side. as popular as Laguerre himself. the death of me; and, ‘When this out of the cathedral of Comayagua. really a church and mot a cathedral, it ‘“The Cathedral.” ers at each orner, paving stones, steps which led to this door. as I was returning the fire grew so I drobped on my. face. watering trous: and I ulwleg from the rear, in the towers of the cathedral. was not a nleasant one, for every cut loose at me; me, I did not ter. I could hear the sweep of the about two yards above my head. But at the fourth volley a bullet the trough. flew in my eyes. 1 looked back hit me then. Fire higher.” so that I had to knock them I regretted this exceedingly, but I was Naturally this did not help me with the volunteers, and for the first ten days after I had joined the legion 1 was the mist generally disliked man in it. This Jasted until we reached Comayagua, when something happened which brought the Indeed, 1 believe I be- | came & sort of hero with them, and was nearly So in the end it came out all right, but it was near to being next to haning, meanest kind of a death a man could suffer. incident occurred, which came S0 near to ending tragically for me, we had been trylng to drive the Goverpmént troops It was but it was so much larger than any other building ‘we had seen in Honduras that the men called It occupied dne whole side of the plaza. There were four open tow- and the front entrance a barn. Their cannon, behind ‘were on the the 1 carried a message from Laguerre along the end of the plaza opposite the cathedral, aud hot that There was a wooden at the edge of the sidewalk, over and lay behind it. Di- rectly back of me was a restaurant into which a lot of Heinze's men had broken their way They were firing up at the men My position raised my head the soldlers in the belfry would nd, though they failed to hir to get up and run. ready the troush was leaking like a siove. There was no officer with the men in the cafe, 0 they were taking the word from one of their own number, and were firing regularly in vol- leys. They fired three times after I took shel- They were s0 near me that at each volley passing just gras- ed my cheek and drove itself into the wood of It was so near that the splinters oveér my shoulder and shouted, *Look out! You nearly Al- One of the men in the cafe called back, “We can’t haar you,” and I repeated, “Fire higher! You nearly hit me,” and pointed with my fia- ger to where the big 4i-caliber ball had left a black hole in the green paint of the trough. When they saw this there were exeited ex- clamations from the men, and I heard the one who was giving the orders repeatinx my warning. And then came the shock of another volley. ~ Simultaneously with the shock a bul- let cut through the wide brim of my som- brero and passed into the box about two inches below myv chin. It was only then that I understoed that this was no accident, but that some ome in the res- taurant was trying to murder me. The lhfl\lil;: was hideous and sickening. I could bear the of the enemy from the belry—that was part of the day's work: the danger of it only ex- cited me; but the idea that one of my own side was lying witbin twenty feet of me, de- liberately aiming with intent to kill, was out- rageous and revolting. I scrambled to my feet and faced the open front of the restaurant and as I stood up there was, on the instant. a Sharp fusillade from the belfry tower. But I was now far to consider that. The men were halted a few feet from them I stuck my finger through the bullet hole and held up my hat for them to see. “Look!” I shouted at them. you cowfrds. You want to murder me, do you?" 1 straightened myself and threw out , here's your chance,’* I criel 2 't shoot me in the back. Shoot me now Their lips hung apart. Their faces were drawn in lines of anger, confusion and dislike. “Go on!" 1 shouted. Fire a volley at that belfry, and let the man who wants me have another chance at me. - SH give the word. 1" 1 commanded. and then mechanically each man Jerked out the empty%shell a. drove the next cartridge in place.” “Aim!" T shouted. They hesitated and then raiséd their pieces in a wavering line, and I looked into the muzzles of a dozen rifles. 1 cried. “Fire “You did that, *“Now, then—damn you," They fired, and my eyes and nostrils were filled with burning smoke, but not a bullet ed near me. 5 P Dy eheered me again and again, although all the time the b ts from the belfry were striking about them, ringing on the iron tables and on the sidewalk, and tearing great gash in the awniggs overhead. 5 And then it seemed as though the sunligh on the yellow buildings and on the yellow earth of the plaza had been suddenly shut off, and I dropped into a well of blackness and nk deeper and deeper. "“knense‘; looked upplha big man was sitting on the floor holding me as comfortably as though I were a baby, and my face rest- ing against his red beard, and my clothes and everything about me smelt terribly of brandy But the most curious thing about it was that though they told every one in the legion that I had stood up and made them shoot at me, they never let any ome out that I had been so weak as to faint. gain”" I shouted, stamping my foot. I so angry that I suppose I was 1y hardly accountable for what I did. 1 told you you were coward “You can o don't like them. “T'm a a bully, am 1? rid of me! Once again now. 1 commargled. ‘“‘Aim! Fir Again the smoke swept up, and again I had escaped. 1 remember that I laughed at them and that the sound was crazy and hysterical and I remember that as I laughed I sh out my arms to show them [ was unhurt. And s I did that some one in the cafe cried “Thank God!” And another shouted, ““That's enough of this damn nonsense,” and a big man with a bushy red beard sprang up and pulled off bis hat. I cried. shoot men in the back. You taunting I'm don't you?" I cried, braggart, am 1? _Yes. Well, here's your chance. Make ready, “Now, then,”" he cried. #“All together, Three cheers for the little one!” and they jumped and shouted like mad people. Seen by the Spectator. Under the title “Seen by the Spectator™ the Outlook Company has published in book form a series of light and rambling papers which originally appeared in_the Outlook and doubtless found there a host of delighted readers, who will be pleased to enjoy them again in this new and more convenient form. The papers deal with a wide variety of topics, but all are treated with the same graceful touch and careless handling. No effort is made at instructing the reader. 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