The Black Arrow A Tale of the Two Roses   By: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

A TALE OF THE TWO ROSES

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

ILLUSTRATED BY N. C. WYETH

[Illustration]

NEW YORK

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

MCMXXXIII

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner's Sons.

CRITIC ON THE HEARTH:

No one but myself knows what I have suffered, nor what my books have gained, by your unsleeping watchfulness and admirable pertinacity. And now here is a volume that goes into the world and lacks your imprimatur : a strange thing in our joint lives; and the reason of it stranger still! I have watched with interest, with pain, and at length with amusement, your unavailing attempts to peruse The Black Arrow ; and I think I should lack humour indeed, if I let the occasion slip and did not place your name in the fly leaf of the only book of mine that you have never read and never will read.

That others may display more constancy is still my hope. The tale was written years ago for a particular audience and (I may say) in rivalry with a particular author; I think I should do well to name him, Mr. Alfred R. Phillips. It was not without its reward at the time. I could not, indeed, displace Mr. Phillips from his well won priority; but in the eyes of readers who thought less than nothing of Treasure Island , The Black Arrow was supposed to mark a clear advance. Those who read volumes and those who read story papers belong to different worlds. The verdict on Treasure Island was reversed in the other court; I wonder, will it be the same with its successor?

R. L. S.

SARANAC LAKE, April 8, 1888

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

PAGE

JOHN AMEND ALL 3

BOOK I

THE TWO LADS

CHAPTER

I. AT THE SIGN OF THE SUN IN KETTLEY 25

II. IN THE FEN 36

III. THE FEN FERRY 44

IV. A GREENWOOD COMPANY 54

V. "BLOODY AS THE HUNTER" 64

VI. TO THE DAY'S END 75

VII. THE HOODED FACE 84

BOOK II

THE MOAT HOUSE

I. DICK ASKS QUESTIONS 97

II. THE TWO OATHS 108

III. THE ROOM OVER THE CHAPEL 118

IV. THE PASSAGE 127

V. HOW DICK CHANGED SIDES 133

BOOK III

MY LORD FOXHAM

I. THE HOUSE BY THE SHORE 147

II. A SKIRMISH IN THE DARK 156

III. ST. BRIDE'S CROSS 164

IV. THE "GOOD HOPE" 169

V. THE "GOOD HOPE" ( Continued ) 180

VI. THE "GOOD HOPE" ( Concluded ) 188

BOOK IV

THE DISGUISE

I. THE DEN 197

II. "IN MINE ENEMIES' HOUSE" 206

III. THE DEAD SPY 218

IV. IN THE ABBEY CHURCH 228

V. EARL RISINGHAM 240

VI. ARBLASTER AGAIN 245

BOOK V

CROOKBACK

I. THE SHRILL TRUMPET 261

II. THE BATTLE OF SHOREBY 270