THE RIVER OF STARS POPULAR NOVELS BY EDGAR WALLACE PUBLISHED BY WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED _In various editions_ SANDERS OF THE RIVER BONES BOSAMBO OF THE RIVER BONES IN LONDON THE KEEPERS OF THE KING’S PEACE THE COUNCIL OF JUSTICE THE DUKE IN THE SUBURBS THE PEOPLE OF THE RIVER DOWN UNDER DONOVAN PRIVATE SELBY THE ADMIRABLE CARFEW THE MAN WHO BOUGHT LONDON THE JUST MEN OF CORDOVA THE SECRET HOUSE KATE PLUS TEN LIEUTENANT BONES THE ADVENTURES OF HEINE JACK O’ JUDGMENT THE DAFFODIL MYSTERY THE NINE BEARS THE BOOK OF ALL-POWER MR. JUSTICE MAXELL THE BOOKS OF BART THE DARK EYES OF LONDON CHICK SANDI THE KING-MAKER THE THREE OAK MYSTERY THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE FROG BLUE HAND GREY TIMOTHY A DEBT DISCHARGED THOSE FOLK OF BULBORO THE MAN WHO WAS NOBODY THE GREEN RUST THE FOURTH PLAGUE THE RIVER OF STARS THE RIVER OF STARS By EDGAR WALLACE Author of “Four Just Men,” “Council of Justice,” “Sanders of the River,” etc. WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED LONDON AND MELBOURNE Dedication TO MY SISTER GLADYS GANE Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE THE PROLOGUE 7 I AMBER 16 II AT THE WHISTLERS 25 III INTRODUCES PETER, THE ROMANCIST 36 IV LAMBAIRE NEEDS A CHART 50 V AMBER ADMITS HIS GUILT 69 VI IN FLAIR COURT 78 VII AMBER GOES TO SCOTLAND YARD 88 VIII FRANCIS SUTTON ASKS A QUESTION 99 IX AMBER SEES THE MAP 108 X THE MAN IN CONVICT’S CLOTHES 120 XI INTRODUCES CAPTAIN AMBROSE GREY 131 XII AMBER SAILS 144 XIII IN THE FOREST 154 XIV A HANDFUL O’ PEBBLE 167 XV IN THE BED OF THE RIVER 178 XVI AMBER ON PROSPECTUSES 188 XVII WHITEY HAS A PLAN 200 XVIII WHITEY’S WAY 212 XIX AMBER RUNS AWAY 230 CHAPTER THE LAST 243 THE PROLOGUE The road from Alebi is a bush road. It is a track scarcely discernible, that winds through forest and swamp, across stretches of jungle land, over thickly vegetated hills. No tributary of the great river runs to the Alebi country, where, so people say, wild and unknown tribes dwell; where strange magic is practised, and curious rites observed. Here, too, is the River of Stars.