



Produced by Al Haines.




[Illustration: Cover]



[Illustration: WITH IT FELL CONAL!  _Page_ 162]




                          Courage, True Hearts

                      Sailing in Search of Fortune



                                   BY

                             GORDON STABLES

           Author of "The Naval Cadet" "For Life and Liberty"
                    "To Greenland and the Pole" &c.



                "I've wandered east, I've wandered west,
                        Through many a weary way;
                      But never, never can forget
                      The love of life's young day."

                         BLACKIE & SON LIMITED

                           LONDON AND GLASGOW




                            The Peak Library

                         _Books in this Series_

Overdue.  Harry Collingwood.
The Dampier Boys.  E. M. Green.
The King's Knight.  G. I. Whitham.
Their London Cousins.  Lady Middleton.
The White Witch of Rosel.  E. E. Cowper.
Freda's Great Adventure.  Alice Massie.
Courage, True Hearts!  Gordon Stables.
Stephen goes to Sea.  A. O. Cooke.
Under the Chilian Flag.  Harry Collingwood.
The Islanders.  Theodora Wilson Wilson.
Margery finds Herself.  Doris A. Pocock.
Cousins in Camp.  Theodora Wilson Wilson.
Far the sake of his Chum.  Walter C. Rhoades.
An Ocean Outlaw.  Hugh St. Leger.
Boys of the Priory School.  F. Coombe.
Jane in Command.  E. E. Cowper.
Adventures of Two.  May Wynne.
The Secret of the Old House.  E. Everett Green.


_Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow_




                               CONTENTS.

                                BOOK I.

                 IN SCOTTISH WILDS AND LONDON STREETS.

CHAP.

      I. Hope told a Flattering Tale
     II. Hurrah for "Merrie England"!
    III. The Boys' Life in London
     IV. Wild Sports on Moorland and Ice
      V. A Highland Blizzard--The Lost Sheep and Shepherd
     VI. "The breath of God was over all the land"
    VII. The Parting comes at last

                                BOOK II.

                   THE CRUISE OF THE _FLORA M'VAYNE_.

      I. The Terrors of the Ocean
     II. A Fearful Experience
    III. Bound for Southern Seas of Ice
     IV. On the Wings of the Wind
      V. Johnnie Shingles and Old Mr. Pen
     VI. "Back water all!  For life, boys, for life!"
    VII. "Here's to the loved ones at home"
   VIII. Captain Talbot spins a Yarn
     IX. Tongues of Lurid Fire--Blue, Green, and Deepest Crimson
      X. So poor Conal must Perish!
     XI. Thus Hand in Hand the Brothers Sleep
    XII. Winter Life in an Antarctic Pack
   XIII. A Chaos of Rolling and Dashing Ice
    XIV. "Heave, and she goes!  Hurrah!"
     XV. The Isles of Desolation

                               BOOK III.

                 IN THE LAND OF THE NUGGET AND DIAMOND.

      I. Shipwreck on a Lonely Isle
     II. A Weary Time
    III. Children of the Sky
     IV. Treasure-hunters.  The Forest
      V. Fighting the Gorillas
     VI. An Invading Army--Victory!
    VII. The Mysterious Stone
   VIII. The Battle at the Ford
     IX. The very Identical Bird
      X. The Welcome Home




                                 BOOK I

                  IN SCOTTISH WILDS AND LONDON STREETS




CHAPTER I--HOPE TOLD A FLATTERING TALE


Had you been in the beautiful and wild forest of Glenvoie on that bright
and blue-skied September morning--on one of its hills, let us say--and
heard the music of those two boys' voices swelling up towards you,
nothing that I know of could have prevented you from joining in.  So
joyous, so full of hope were they withal, that the very tune itself, to
say nothing of the words, would have sent sorrow right straight away
from your heart, if there had been any to send.

    "Cheer, boys, cheer, no more of idle sorrow,
      Courage, true hearts, shall bear us on our way;
    Hope flies before, and points the bright to-morrow,
      Let us forget the dangers of to-day."


There was a pause just here, and from your elevated situation on that
rocky pap, looking down, you would have rested your eyes on one of the
prettiest rolling woodland scenes in all broad Scotland.

It was a great waving ocean of foliage, and the sunset of autumn was
over it all, lying here and there in patches of crimson, brown, and
yellow, which the solemn black of pine-trees, and the funereal green of
dark spruces only served to intensify.

Flap-flap-flap! huge wood-pigeons arise in the air and go sailing over
the woods.  They are frightened, as well they may be, for a moment
afterwards two guns ring out almost simultaneously, and so still is the
air that you can hear the dull thud of fallen game.

"Hurrah, Conal!  Why