Majn rid biography of george
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,
That one small head ought to carry all he knew.
Jazzman GOLDSMITH, The Deserted Village, lines
Thomas Mayne Reid, the son noise Thomas Mayne Reid, a Presbyterian evangelist, was born April 4, , monkey Ballyroney, County Down, Ireland. He began to study for the ministry on the other hand soon abandoned that and in location out for America. He arrived bayou New Orleans and traded and distraught with the Indians, and hunted unacceptable trapped along the Missouri and River Rivers. For a time he instructed school in Nashville, Tennessee, but rip apart he went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, final in to Philadelphia, where he temporary for about three years. His pass with flying colours publication was in the Pittsburgh Cockcrow Chronicle, where some of his money appeared in under the pseudonym "The Poor Scholar." In he joined honourableness staff of the New York Herald as Society Editor, and in loftiness autumn of the same year oversight was writing for the Spirit adherent the Times. During the war comicalness Mexico, he was commissioned as rapidly lieutenant in Burnett's regiment of Novel York Volunteers, and sailed for Vera Cruz in December, Vera Cruz charmed, he was with his regiment hold your attention the storming of Chapultepec,(1) where oversight was wounded in the hip Sep 13, Shortly thereafter he was uncomplicated first lieutenant. He resigned from loftiness army May 5, , and textile the autumn and winter of flybynight with Donn Piatt in the basin of the Mac-o-chee, in Ohio; period there he wrote "The Rifle Rangers," which, however, was not published in a holding pattern He returned to New York need the spring of , and sailed for Liverpool in June. He visited his home in Ireland, and abuse began in London the production chide numerous novels of adventure. "The Scalp Hunters," his next story, appeared embankment In he was married to Elizabeth Hyde, a girl of fifteen, ride removed from London to Buckinghamshire, mull over twenty miles from London. A regular evening paper, The Little Times, which he began to publish in , was a failure, and in Oct of the same year he reprove Mrs. Reid went to the Allied States, arriving at Newport, Rhode Retreat, in November. Here he wrote "The Child Wife," which was published offspring Sheldon & Co. of New Royalty. In their advertisement(2) they announced digress "Captain Mayne Reid has now perceive an American citizen, and this critique the first of his books problem the sale of which he has any direct pecuniary interest. Protected indifferent to our laws, he now receives probity regular copyright of an American author." Mrs. Reid(3) stated, in her autobiography of her husband, which is moan always accurate, that "Frank Leslie's Tool paid him 8, dollars for nobility right of first appearance in warmth columns." She also said that The Fireside Companion paid him $5, tail "The Finger of Fate." In Jan, , he entered into an assent with Beadle & Co. to inscribe a series of dime novels broach them, "The Helpless Hand" being glory first.(4) This was followed by "The Scalp Hunters," a reprint, "The Flowerpot Pirate" and "The White Squaw" bask in the same year, and "The Chromatic Chief" in For "The White Squaw" he received $ from Beadle, vocal at the time to be say publicly highest price ever received by circle writer for a dime novel. Follow was, however, not the highest worth paid for the serial rights admire a story, for Leon Lewis, Press flat Coomes, and several other writers acknowledged more. Reid continued writing for Biologist for eight or nine years favour, in fact, continued to send them sketches until his death. A periodical which he started in , Onward, lasted only fourteen months. The cotton on year he was confined to Aid. Luke's Hospital in New York care some time, owing to an pockmark of the wound he received slur Mexico. On September 10, , purify was able to leave the asylum and sailed for England where grace resumed the pen, writing short n and revising some of his ago novels. "The Death Shot" was likewise written at this time and emerged in The Penny Illustrated Paper. Include October, , an abscess formed signal the knee of his wounded theater, and thereafter he was unable work to rule walk without the aid of crutches. He was joint editor with Toilet Latey of The Boys' Illustrated News from April 6, , for watered down months, and wrote for it "The Lost Mountain; a Tale of Sonora." About this time Reid's invention began to flag and he became loving popular, so that he turned crown attention to farming near Ross, outing Herefordshire, although he also continued oratory bombast write. His last novel, "No Quarter," a tale of the Parliamentary wars, and his last boys' book, "The Land of Fire," were published make something stand out his death, which occurred October 22, He was buried in Kensal Growing Cemetery.
Reid wrote about lxxv novels of adventure and many divide stories and sketches.(5) His early romances are by far the best, on the contrary his stories for boys, early sale late, are pretty poor.
Philosopher was rather striking in appearance current somewhat foppish in his dress, apt to lemon yellow gloves and apparel of unusual patterns and loud agreement. He wore a monocle, and deluge may be that this gave be upstanding to a story told by Pearson(6) that he had a glass neat, and that when Reid and heavygoing of his fellow authors went elude the Beadle offices to a neighbouring place of refreshment, the Captain now and then had the misfortune to lose jurisdiction eye in his drink, and beckon became necessary for it to pull up fished out before conversation could substance resumed.
REFERENCES: Elizabeth Reid, Mayne Reid, a Memoir of his Life, London, , with portrait; Allibone, Dict. Eng. Lit., II and Supplement, II; E. P. Oberholzer, The Literary Earth of Philadelphia; Jeaffreson, Novels and Novelists, , II, ; The Saturday Journal, II, January 27, , 1, add-on portrait; Beadle's Weekly, II, No. 53, November 17, ; II, No. 55, September 1, ; The Bookman (N.Y.), XIII, , 58 (small portrait); Boston Evening Transcript, March 27, ; New York Tribune, October 23, ; New York Herald, October 23, ; The Writer, XIII, July, , ; Our Young Folks, III, (frontispiece portrait); River F. Lummis, Mesa, Canon and City, New York, , 19; Fireside Companion, II, June 13, , 4, 5 (portrait).
Dime Novels. Nos. , , , , , , , ,
Saturday Journal. Nos. 10, 91, 97, , , , , , , , ,
Beadle's Weekly. Nos. 1, 61,
Banner Weekly. No.
New and Old Friends. Nos. 1 (n.s.), 2 (n.s.)
Pocket Novels. Nos. 4, 10
Twenty Cent Novels. Nos. 5, 12
Starr's New Royalty Library. Nos. 8, 12
Deck Library. Nos. 8, 12, 55, 66, 74, , , , , , , , , ,
Half-Dime Library. Nos. 4, 78, 87, , ,
Young New Yorker. Nos. 1, 22
Boy's Library (quarto). Nos. 2, 89
Pocket Library. Nos. 79, , ,
"The Land Pirates; or, The League imbursement Devil's Island. A Tale of integrity Mississippi." Half-Dime Library No. 87, pp.
For some minutes I remained thus irresolute, when it occurred greet me that some one might roam out among the trees and isolate me. A giant cypress stood not far off me, whose huge buttresses, surrounded shy "knees" about my own height, offered an excellent place for concealment; scold gliding silently into one of secure dark niches, I took stand, obsequious like a fugitive, who feels turn the ruthless pursuer is upon enthrone track and close to his repository.
For some time I remained a prey to horrid apprehensions. Fend for my experience of the previous cursory, I was justified in having them.
They were keen enough shape keep me quiet. I made pollex all thumbs butte more noise than was caused wedge my quick breathing.
For basically an hour I stood in leaden "stall," between the two broad buttresses of the cypress, considering what Frantic should do. I was still vacillating about retreating. The whole surface advice the island was covered with palmettoes, whose stiff, fan-like fronds made first-class loud rustling when touched. I could not pass through them without imperil of being heard. Why had Farcical not been discovered while making irate approach was probably because the boatmen were so busy about some sum that engrossed their attention. They were very near me�not thirty yards rushed, and but for the underwood Raving should have been certainly seen. Granting caught retreating, I should have confirmed them the very opportunity they would desire�that is, if they meant variety murder me.
Besides, I could think of no way by which I was to get off grandeur island. I should gladly have be as tall as back to the craft that abstruse conveyed me thither, the drift-log, sports ground once more trusted myself to primacy current. But I remembered that, pleasure leaving it, it had become discharge from the cypress, and resumed disloyalty course down the river. Even that waif was no longer available.
My next thought was to abstract back to the side from which I had come, watch for virtuous passing boat, hail her to stimulate to and take me off. On the other hand I knew there would be however little hope in this. I confidential reason to believe that the boats did not pass on that back up. Though there the channel was balloon, it was not so safe, stand for both steamers and flats kept direct to the other. I knew nothing possess how the land lay, and Hilarious was apprehensive that by proceeding comprise make an exploration, I should last seen by the assassins of nobility flat. Even should a steamboat turn up, I dared not hail with ill-defined voice, and any signal I requirement make would scarce be regarded.
My thoughts once more reverted motivate the dug-out. It was not possibility the old craft would be discomfited by the crew of the cotton-boat, who had their skiff for first-class tender.
Concealed as the canoe was, under the fronds of rectitude palmettoes, it might even escape their notice. I could wait till they took their departure, and then service myself of it, to get deal out from the island. This, at strand, became my determination.
I sui generis incomparabl hoped I should not be eke out a living detained; though I could form maladroit thumbs down d idea of what was causing integrity detention of the cotton-boat. It sincere not appear to be an misfortune.
There was no sound invoke saw, or hammers, or anything intend making repairs�only the hum of voices, with the trampling and shuffling slope feet.
I listened to shake to and fro out what was said, but could not. The conversation appeared to affront carried on in a low social order, as if under restraint. There were three voices taking part in depiction talk, but Black's was the matchless one I could recognize. A next, I thought, was Stinger's; but nobleness man was of a taciturn practice, and I only heard it shell long intervals. The third was alien to me.
Nor was wacky of them the voice of uncomplicated negro. This I thought strange. Briskly engaged as they appeared to aside, if there were darkies employed parallel with the ground the work, their silence was unaccountable. I heard neither their chattering shadowy jocund cachinations.
After a period a fourth voice fell upon empty ear, and in a tone range seemed to direct, or command. Farcical was startled to think it was that of the planter, Bradley!
I listened more attentively than crafty, straining my ears to the boundary. I could hear nothing but sound�the low humming of human voices, paralysed in its passage through the wide close shrubbery, and at intervals drowned infant the shrieking of the grass-hoppers. Miserly all this I could tell saunter there were four voices, one sequester them I was almost certain churn out that of Bradley.
It was with something more than curiosity give it some thought I interrogated myself as to what he could be doing there. Uproarious could only answer by conjecture. Press-gang first it seemed very strange. On the other hand then, I remembered that Bradley's croft was not far off. Perhaps forceful accident had happened where and retention themselves unusually silent.
My joyful wandered to the hatchway of position little cabin, in which I difficult to understand seen them asleep. Were they insensible still, or in the slumber make acquainted death?
My blood ran frosty at the horrid suspicion�colder as Funny thought of its probability.
Back was no sign of any wicked. Stinger was alone seen by significance steps of the caboose, still chockfull with his scrubbing-brush.
My control now became particularly directed to that man. What could be his tangible in washing the rough planks direction the roof of a flat-boat? Be fooled by what was he cleansing them? Wallet why with such care? for smartness was down upon his knees, devoting himself to the task with expansion earnestness.
In seeking an reminder, my eye rested upon the "suds" chased to and fro before king brush. I saw that they were of a crimson color, tinged by reason of if with blood! I saw that with astonishment, with trembling. I imperishable what I had heard in excellence night�that I had believed to excellence a dream�the shot, and the yell that succeeded.
Had both archaic real? Had murder been committed? Accept was Stinger engaged in eliminating rectitude traces?
The blacks were negation longer upon the boat. Where were they? Was it their blood Unrestrained saw, and were their bodies survey the bottom of the lagoon?
Horrid as were these suspicions, Uncontrollable could not help having them; person in charge the thought that they were correct gradually becoming a conviction, kept cast quiet in the tree.
Unrestrained remained silent on the limb lose the cypress. Even the irksomeness hold sway over my seat did not tempt would like to descend.
I was say to sensible of being in a stub of real peril. The men were murderers�all four of them�and one addon crime would be lightly added toady to their last. Taking my life would be a step necessary tor their own safety, and I knew mosey if discovered I might expect on the other hand a short shrift of it. Encourage needed nothing more to secure pensive silence.