SPECIAL MESSENGER
| Works of Robert W. Chambers | |
| Special Messenger | |
| The Firing Line | Iole |
| The Younger Set | The Reckoning |
| The Fighting Chance | The Maid-at-Arms |
| Some Ladies in Haste | Cardigan |
| The Tree of Heaven | The Haunts of Men |
| The Tracer of Lost Persons | The Mystery of Choice |
| A Young Man in a Hurry | The Cambric Mask |
| Lorraine | A Maker of Moons |
| Maids of Paradise | The King in Yellow |
| Ashes of Empire | In Search of the Unknown |
| The Red Republic | The Conspirators |
| Outsiders | A King and a Few Dukes |
| In the Quarter | |
| For Children | |
| Garden-Land | Mountain-Land |
| Forest-Land | Orchard-Land |
| River-Land | Outdoorland |
“Daintily her handsome horse set foot in the water.” Page 131.
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MESSENGER By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
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D. APPLETON AND COMPANY | |||
| NEW YORK | MCMIX | ||
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Copyright, 1909, by
ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
Copyright, 1904, 1905, by Harper and Brothers
Copyright, 1908, by P F Collier & Son
Copyright, 1908, by The Curtis Publishing Company
Published, March, 1909
TO
GEORGE F. D. TRASK
IN MEMORY OF
OUR FIRST MARTIAL EXPLOITS
IN THE NURSERY
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.—Psalm lx, 4.
PREFACE
In the personality and exploits of the “Special Messenger,” the author has been assured that a celebrated historical character is recognizable—Miss Boyd, the famous Confederate scout and spy.
It is not uncommon that the readers of a book know more about that book than the author.
R. W. C.
CONTENTS
| PART ONE | |||
| WHAT SHE WAS | |||
| I. | — | Noncombatants | [3] |
PART TWO | |||
| WHAT SHE BECAME | |||
| II. | — | Special Messenger | [39] |
| III. | — | Absolution | [67] |
| IV. | — | Romance | [99] |
| V. | — | Red Ferry | [127] |
| VI. | — | An Air-Line | [157] |
| VII. | — | The Pass | [192] |
| VIII. | — | Ever After | [223] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| FACING PAGE | |
| “Daintily her handsome horse set foot in the water.” | [Frontispiece] |
| “‘They seem to be allfired sure of us.’” | [78] |
| “Then, like a flash his hand fell to his holster, and it was empty.” | [90] |
| “‘Turn around,’ said the Special Messenger.” | [176] |
| “She dropped her sunbonnet—stooped to recover it.” | [216] |
| “White-faced, desperate, she clung to him with the tenacity of a lynx.” | [220] |
| “‘We was there—I know that, yes, an’ we had a fight.’” | [238] |
| “‘Yes,’ she gasped, ‘the Special Messenger—noncombatant!’” | [258] |
PART ONE
WHAT SHE WAS
