The Robert Louis Stevenson Library

In which young Dick Shelton, accompanied by the cunning outlaw Lawless, seeks refuge and warmth in a secret forest den during a relentless snowfall, where Lawless equips him with a friar’s disguise for a bold venture. Thus disguised, they cautiously journey towards Shoreby, testing their guises among suspicious company, preparing for the delicate enterprise that awaits them under the shadow of Sir...

In which a wounded lord entrusts young Dick with secret orders crucial to the fortunes of England, even as their ill-fated vessel is cast ashore upon a bleak and snowy coast. The shipwrecked band, weary and half frozen, find themselves mistrusted and assailed by wary villagers who imagine them to be foes, revealing the harshness of these troubled times.

In which the perilous attempt to land men from the vessel Good Hope is met with fierce resistance and fearful confusion, resulting in disorder and retreat beneath the gloom of a tempestuous night. Amidst the turmoil, the steadfast helmsman Lawless guides the battered ship through treacherous seas, while a few loyal souls rally about him to face the uncertain fate that lies ahead.

In which young Richard Shelton devises a daring plan to seize a small ship, the Good Hope, from the harbour under the cover of stormy weather, enlisting the aid of a seasoned outlaw and some merry, if somewhat inebriated, sailors. The night is fraught with peril as they set sail into the howling gale, seeking to outwit their foes on land and overcome the wrath of the sea.

In which a nocturnal skirmish unfolds near a seaside garden wall as Dick Shelton and his rough band confront a mysterious band of armed men, their clash marked by swift violence and strategic cunning beneath the shadowed stars. The evening's tumultuous encounter ends with an uneasy parley and a quiet retreat, leaving behind the tranquillity of an emptied shore and the promise of a dawn meeting.

In which young Dick Shelton meets with Lord Foxham at the ancient St. Bride’s cross to discuss terms following their recent encounter, displaying the honour and gravity befitting their stations and the turbulent times. They strike a tentative accord regarding the lady Joan Sedley, tempered by promises and the complexities of loyalty and circumstance in war-torn England.

In which bold young Dick Shelton makes a desperate escape from Sir Daniel’s grim fortress, despite grievous wounds and odds that would daunt a braver soul, and finds unexpected refuge among allies who cherish his family’s cause. Meanwhile, a sharp and defiant challenge is sent forth to the cruel knight, foreshadowing a storm of conflict that shall rise in due course.

In which the wintry roads and shadowed lanes of a troubled town are alive with secret movements and whispered schemes, as young Richard Shelton pursues a mysterious company led by ill-famed knights under flickering torchlight to a desolate coastal house. There, amid the drafty stables and guarded gardens, he makes a stealthy and cautious discovery that sets the stage for urgent and perilous action...

In which Dick and Joanna, caught within the labyrinthine passages beneath a hostile stronghold, engage in quiet discourse of their tangled fortunes and precarious plight. They discover a concealed escape hatch, whose unlocking offers a glimmer of hope amid the gloom and the company of wary sentinels.

In which young Dick finds himself ensnared in a perilous chamber within Tunstall House, his restless thoughts troubled by secret passages and imminent danger, until a familiar yet disguised visitor brings both comfort and urgency in the dark hours. Together they seize a fleeting chance for escape amidst the tumult and whispered threats, while the walls close about them with menace and confusion.

In which young Richard Shelton confronts his guardian, Sir Daniel, with grave suspicions about his late father's death, only to be met with harsh denial and an oath of innocence that stirs uneasy distrust. Amidst the tense exchange, an ominous black arrow strikes the hall, and Richard is informed he must relocate to a chamber above the chapel, reputedly haunted, deepening the shadow that falls ove...

In which a beleaguered company takes refuge in a stoutly defended manor, brooding over wounds, whispered fears, and the ominous shadow cast by a relentless foe known as the Black Arrow. Amidst this tense vigil, young Richard Shelton wrestles with grim suspicions and half-revealed truths as he seeks word from a dying soldier and contemplates the heavy obligations that fate and family have set upon...

In which two weary fugitives make their escape through a shadowed forest, encountering both peril and fleeting moments of solace amid the turmoil of a shattered battle. Their strained companionship is tested by harsh words and sorrow, yet finding reprieve at the water’s edge, they are granted a brief, tranquil repose beneath the trembling stars.

In which two weary lads, roused by a mysterious and dreadfully muffled bell, encounter a seemingly sinister figure bound by a leper’s hood and go forth into the forest with no small measure of trembling and awe. They are soon revealed to be in the company of Sir Daniel Brackley himself, who, despite a grim disguise, offers them succour and a course towards the troubled stronghold of Tunstall.

In which two young comrades, threading their way through the wind-swept Tunstall Forest, chance upon the smouldering ruins of an ancient house and the secretive assembly of a roving band of outlaws, whose rough voices and fiery talk betray a brewing storm of vengeance and forest lawlessness. The silent tension of the scene is shattered by a sharp arrow, summoning the men to swift action and leavin...

In which two young men, bound by oath yet torn by loyalty, traverse a forest ripe with danger and deception, their conflict as sharp as the arrows that fly unseen. They bear witness to an ambush that unfolds with cruel delight, where courage and peril intertwine beneath the whispering boughs of ancient trees.

In which Dick Shelton and his kinsman, the slender John Matcham, brave a treacherous river crossing fraught with hostile watchers and dangerous currents, finding both peril and companionship amid the wild willows and swelling tide. Their flight through marsh and forest reveals both the hazards of their quest and the budding courage that shall be required for the days ahead.

In which a young gentleman, gallantly riding home through a treacherous fen, discovers a fellow traveller in dire peril and offers aid with no small courage and kindness. Amidst cautious talk of kinship, marriage, and escape, they hasten together towards sanctuary, the fresh morning wind carrying both their tale and their hope.

In which a stern and cunning knight, Sir Daniel, tightens his grip on a contested manor amidst fens and feuds, commanding loyalty with stern justice and a readiness for war. Amidst skirmishes of suspicion and the stir of battle, a secretive boy slips into the shadows, as the knight prepares to ride forth with both men and misgivings.

In which the quiet village of Tunstall is roused by a summons to arms as dark tidings of impending conflict spread, and the young Richard Shelton prepares to lead a wary band through brewing dangers marked by ominous black arrows and whispered threats. Amidst old loyalties and new suspicions, a deadly shot in a humble garden stirs fears and forces swift decisions, setting these rustic folk upon a...