THE BLACK ARROW A TALE OF THE TWO ROSES ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ILLUSTRATED BY N. C. WYETH [Illustration] NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS MCMXXXIII COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS Printed in the United States of America _All rights reserved._ _No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner’s Sons._ CRITIC ON THE HEARTH: No one but myself knows what I have suffered, nor what my books have gained, by your unsleeping watchfulness and admirable pertinacity. And now here is a volume that goes into the world and lacks your _imprimatur_: a strange thing in our joint lives; and the reason of it stranger still! I have watched with interest, with pain, and at length with amusement, your unavailing attempts to peruse _The Black Arrow_; and I think I should lack humour indeed, if I let the occasion slip and did not place your name in the fly-leaf of the only book of mine that you have never read--and never will read. That others may display more constancy is still my hope. The tale was written years ago for a particular audience and (I may say) in rivalry with a particular author; I think I should do well to name him, Mr. Alfred R. Phillips. It was not without its reward at the time. I could not, indeed, displace Mr. Phillips from his well-won priority; but in the eyes of readers who thought less than nothing of _Treasure Island_, _The Black Arrow_ was supposed to mark a clear advance. Those who read volumes and those who read story papers belong to different worlds. The verdict on _Treasure Island_ was reversed in the other court; I wonder, will it be the same with its successor? R. L. S. SARANAC LAKE, April 8, 1888 CONTENTS PROLOGUE PAGE JOHN AMEND-ALL 3 BOOK I THE TWO LADS CHAPTER I. AT THE SIGN OF THE SUN IN KETTLEY 25 II. IN THE FEN 36 III. THE FEN FERRY 44 IV. A GREENWOOD COMPANY 54 V. “BLOODY AS THE HUNTER” 64 VI. TO THE DAY’S END 75 VII. THE HOODED FACE 84 BOOK II THE MOAT HOUSE I. DICK ASKS QUESTIONS 97 II. THE TWO OATHS 108 III. THE ROOM OVER THE CHAPEL 118 IV. THE PASSAGE 127 V. HOW DICK CHANGED SIDES 133 BOOK III MY LORD FOXHAM I. THE HOUSE BY THE SHORE 147