[Illustration: "'I INTEND RESIGNING MY COMMISSION, SIR'" (_See page 15_) HEMMING THE ADVENTURER BY THEODORE ROBERTS. AUTHOR OF "BROTHERS OF PERIL," ETC. _ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. G. LEARNED._ LONDON: WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED, 1906. A Dedication TO ONE WHO BROUGHT THE COLOUR OF REALITY BACK TO LIFE AT A TIME WHEN LIFE WAS LIKE A PICTURE, AND THE FACES OF MY FRIENDS WERE LESS REAL THAN THE FACES OF MY DREAMING. TO ONE WHOSE SWEET INTEREST IN MY STORIES MADE IT SEEM WORTH WHILE TO RECALL MY AIMLESS ADVENTURES. TO ONE WHOSE GENTLE MINISTRATIONS TURNED A WEARY SICKNESS INTO A HOLIDAY, AND WIPED OUT THE MEMORY OF PAST PAIN. TO ONE WHO TAUGHT ME THAT ROMANCE LIES NOT ALL IN THE MAKING OF NEW LANDFALLS AND THE SIGHTING OF NEW MOUNTAIN-TOPS. TO HER WHO READS THIS PAGE WITH UNDERSTANDING, AND A QUICKENING OF THE PULSE, THIS STORY OF HEMMING THE ADVENTURER IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED 1903 T. R. CONTENTS PART ONE CHAPTER I. Captain Hemming Faces a Change of Life II. Hemming Meets with a Strange Reception III. Hemming Visits the Manager of the Syndicate IV. The Advent of Mr. O'Rourke and His Servant V. The Adventurers Dispense With Mr. Nunez VI. Hemming Hears of the Villain VII. An Elderly Champion VIII. Hemming Undertakes a Dignified Work IX. O'Rourke Tells a Sad Story X. Lieutenant Ellis Is Concerned XI. Hemming Draws His Back Pay PART TWO I. The Unsuspected City II. The Sporting President III. The Post of Honour.--The Secretary's Affair IV. The Thing That Happened V. Chance in Pernambuco VI. Cuddlehead Decides on an Adventure VII. Hemming Learns Something about His Army VIII. Captain Santosa Visits His Superior Officer IX. Mr. Cuddlehead Arrives X. The First Shot XI. The Colonel's Ultimatum XII. O'Rourke to the Rescue XIII. The Unexpected Sailor XIV. The Attack XV. Rest in Pernambuco PART THREE I. The Real Girl II. A New Restlessness III. A Rolling Stone IV. "The Dear, Dear Witchery of Song" V. An Uncanny Guest VI. The Bachelor Uncle to the Rescue VII. Hemming Receives His Sailing Orders from a Master Not to Be Denied VIII. Hemming Would Put His Dreams To The Proof IX. To Part No More X. A New Command LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "'I intend resigning my commission, sir'" (_See page 15_) _Frontispiece_ "Several days later Miss Travers wrote to Hemming" "The door came in with a rending, sidelong fall" "'I have decided, sir, to stick to scribbling'" "At that moment Molly tripped into the room" PART ONE HEMMING, THE ADVENTURER CHAPTER I. CAPTAIN HEMMING FACES A CHANGE OF LIFE The colonel sat in Captain Hemming's room. He looked about at the snug furnishings, and the photographs above the chimney. Even the row of polished spurs on their rack against the wall, and the line of well-shone boots and shoes at the head of the bed, could not do away with the homelike air of the room.