Produced by Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) THE WATCHER BY THE THRESHOLD JOHN BUCHAN BY JOHN BUCHAN THE WATCHER BY THE THRESHOLD PRESTER JOHN SALUTE TO ADVENTURERS THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME GREENMANTLE THE POWER-HOUSE THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY THE WATCHER BY THE THRESHOLD BY JOHN BUCHAN _Author of "Greenmantle," "Salute to Adventurers," etc._ [Illustration: Logo] NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY _Copyright, 1918, By George H. Doran Company_ _Printed in the United States of America_ TO STAIR AGNEW GILLON MY DEAR STAIR, _We have travelled so many roads together, highland and lowland, pleasant and dreary, that I ask you to accept this book of travellers' tales. For Scotland is a wide place to travel in for those who believe that it is not bounded strictly by kirk and market-place, and who have an ear for old songs and lost romances. It is of the back-world of Scotland that I write, the land behind the mist and over the seven bens, a place hard of access for the foot-passenger but easy for the maker of stories. Meantime, to you, who have chosen the better part, I wish many bright days by hill and loch in the summers to come._ _R. M. S. Briton, at sea_ _J. B._ "Among idle men there be some who tarry in the outer courts, speeding the days joyfully with dance and song. But the other sort dwell near the portals of the House, and are ever anxious and ill at ease that they may see something of the Shadows which come and go. Wherefore night and day they are found watching by the threshold, in fearfulness and joy, not without tears." Extract from the writings of Donisarius of Padua, circa 1310. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I NO-MAN'S LAND 13 II THE FAR ISLANDS 100 III THE WATCHER BY THE THRESHOLD 137 IV THE OUTGOING OF THE TIDE 204 V THE RIME OF TRUE THOMAS 238 VI BASILISSA 255 VII DIVUS JOHNSTON 286 VIII THE KING OF YPRES 301 THE WATCHER BY THE THRESHOLD I NO-MAN'S-LAND I: THE SHIELING OF FARAWA