Kidnapped

KIDNAPPED

Robert Louis Stevenson

Cover

Title Page

Chapter 1 I Set off Upon My Journey to the House of Shaws

Chapter 2 I Come to My Journey’s End

Chapter 3 I Make Acquaintance of My Uncle

Chapter 4 I Run a Great Danger in the House of Shaws

Chapter 5 I Go to the Queen’s Ferry

Chapter 6 What Befell at the Queen’s Ferry

Chapter 7 I Go to Sea in the Brig Covenant of Dysart

Chapter 8 The Round-House

Chapter 9 The Man With the Belt of Gold

Chapter 10 The Siege of the Round-House

Chapter 11 The Captain Knuckles Under

Chapter 12 I Hear of the “Red Fox”

Chapter 13 The Loss of the Brig

Chapter 14 The Islet

Chapter 15 The Lad with the Silver Button: Through the Isle of Mull

Chapter 16 The Lad With the Silver Button: Across Morven

Chapter 17 The Death of the “Red Fox”

Chapter 18 I Talk With Alan in the Wood of Lettermore

Chapter 19 The House of Fear

Chapter 20 The Flight in the Heather: The Rocks

Chapter 21 The Flight in the Heather: The Heugh of Corrynakiegh

Chapter 22 The Flight in the Heather: The Moor

Chapter 23 Cluny’s Cage

Chapter 24 The Flight in the Heather: The Quarrel

Chapter 25 In Balquhidder

Chapter 26 End of the Flight: We Pass the Forth

Chapter 27 I Come to Mr. Rankeillor

Chapter 28 I Go in Quest of My Inheritance

Chapter 29 I Come into My Kingdom

Chapter 30 Good-Bye!

Classic Literature: Words and Phrases Adapted from the Collins English Dictionary

About the Author

History of Collins

Copyright

About the Publisher

I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father’s house. The sun began to shine upon the summit of the hills as I went down the road; and by the time I had come as far as the manse, the blackbirds were whistling in the garden lilacs, and the mist that hung around the valley in the time of the dawn was beginning to arise and die away.

Mr. Campbell, the minister of Essendean, was waiting for me by the garden gate, good man! He asked me if I had breakfasted; and hearing that I lacked for nothing, he took my hand in both of his and clapped it kindly under his arm.

“Well, Davie, lad,” said he, “I will go with you as far as the ford, to set you on the way.”

And we began to walk forward in silence.

“Are ye sorry to leave Essendean?” said he, after a while.

“Why, sir,” said I, “if I knew where I was going, or what was likely to become of me, I would tell you candidly. Essendean is a good place indeed, and I have been very happy there; but then I have never been anywhere else. My father and mother, since they are both dead, I shall be no nearer to in Essendean than in the Kingdom of Hungary; and, to speak truth, if I thought I had a chance to better myself where I was going I would go with a good will.”

“Ay?” said Mr. Campbell. “Very well, Davie. Then it behoves me to tell your fortune; or so far as I may. When your mother was gone, and your father (the worthy, Christian man) began to sicken for his end, he gave me in charge a certain letter, which he said was your inheritance. ‘So soon,’ says he, ‘as I am gone, and the house is redd up and the gear disposed of’ (all which, Davie, hath been done), ‘give my boy this letter into his hand, and start him off to the house of Shaws, not far from Cramond. That is the place I came from,’ he said, ‘and it’s where it befits that my boy should return. He is a steady lad,’ your father said, ‘and a canny goer; and I doubt not he will come safe, and be well liked where he goes.”’

“The house of Shaws!” I cried. “What had my poor father to do with the house of Shaws?”

“Nay,” said Mr. Campbell, “who can tell that for a surety? But the name of that family, Davie boy, is the name you bear—Balfour of Shaws: an ancient, honest, reputable house, peradventure in these latter days decayed. Your father, too, was a man of learning as befitted his position; no man more plausibly conducted school; nor had he the manner or the speech of a common dominie; but (as ye will yourself remember) I took aye a pleasure to have him to the manse to meet the gentry; and those of my own house, Campbell of Kilrennet, Campbell of Dunswire, Campbell of Minch, and others, all well-kenned gentlemen, had pleasure in his society. Lastly, to put all the elements of this affair before you, here is the testamentary letter itself, superscribed by the own hand of our departed brother.”

He gave me the letter, which was addressed in these words: “To the hands of Ebenezer Balfour, Esq., of Shaws, in his house of Shaws, these will be delivered by my son, David Balfour.” My heart was beating hard at this great prospect now suddenly opening before a lad of seventeen years of age, the son of a poor country dominie in the Forest of Ettrick.

“Mr. Campbell,” I stammered, “and if you were in my shoes, would you go?”

“Of a surety,” said the minister, “that would I, and without pause. A pretty lad like you should get to Cramond (which is near in by Edinburgh) in two days of walk. If the worst came to the worst, and your high relations (as I cannot but suppose them to be somewhat of your blood) should put you to the door, ye can but walk the two days back again and risp at the manse door. But I would rather hope that ye shall be well received, as your poor father forecast for you, and for anything that I ken come to be a great man in time. And here, Davie, laddie,” he resumed, “it lies near upon my conscience to improve this parting, and set you on the right guard against the dangers of the world.”