[Illustration: cover art] Captured at Tripoli BY PERCY F. WESTERMAN _Crown 8vo, cloth extra. Illustrated_ Captured at Tripoli: A Tale of Adventure. _2s. 6d._ "We cannot imagine a better gift-book than this to put into the hands of the youthful book-lover, either as a prize or present." --Schoolmaster. The Quest of the "Golden Hope": A Seventeenth-century Story of Adventure. _2s. 6d._ "The boy who is not satisfied with this crowded story must be peculiarly hard to please."--Liverpool Courier. A Lad of Grit: A Story of Restoration Times. _2s. 6d._ "The tale is well written, and has a good deal of variety in the scenes and persons."--Globe. LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, LTD., 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. [Illustration: "'WHY, IT'S THE RIVER!' EXCLAIMED GERALD" Frontispiece] Captured at Tripoli A Tale of Adventure BY PERCY F. WESTERMAN Author of "The Quest of the Golden Hope" "A Lad of Grit" &c. _ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES M. SHELDON_ BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY Contents CHAP. I. OFF TO THE SEAT OF WAR II. UNDER FIRE III. PRISONERS IV. THE SHEIKH'S SALT V. THE SANDSTORM VI. THE ESCAPE VII. THE FIGHT IN THE DESERT VIII. A DISCOVERY IX. THE MIRAGE X. CHALLENGED XI. THE MEDIAEVAL CITY XII. SIR JEHAN DE VALX XIII. THE MOSLEM HOST XIV. THE DASH FOR THE GUN XV. THE STRUGGLE AT THE BREACH XVI. SIR JEHAN'S SUCCESSOR XVII. THE FLIGHT FROM CROIXILIA XVIII. REEVES'S RUSE XIX. THE PERILS OF THE RIVER XX. RUNNING THE LAST GAUNTLET Illustrations "'WHY, IT'S THE RIVER!' EXCLAIMED GERALD" Frontispiece THE APPROACH OF THE MONOPLANE THE CITY OF CHARLETON THE SECOND GUN TEST A GOOD SHOT CAPTURED AT TRIPOLI CHAPTER I Off to the Seat of War "WELL, we've seen something of the fun," exclaimed Hugh Frazer, as the last of the 89th Regiment of Infantry filed through the jealously-guarded gateway of the Naval Yard at Naples. "Come on, let's get back to the front, and we may see the transports leave the bay." Hugh Frazer and his stanch companion, Gerald Kit-by, were staying with the former's parents at the Hôtel des Etrangers. Both lads had been spending their summer holidays in Italy, and were leaving for England at the end of the week. They ought to have been already at school, but a slight attack of malaria, which with the utmost impartiality had affected both boys, had prevented them from returning to Rossall at the commencement of the term.