The Courage of Captain PlumThis early work by James Oliver Curwood was originally published in 1908 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. Curwood's novel "The Courage of Captain Plum" is set in 1856 on an offshore island in Lake Michigan. An adventure filled story that sees a young man, Nathaniel Plum, against a colony of Mormons. The story takes place within 48 hours and includes scenes of torture, imprisonment and death by execution. James Oliver 'Jim' Curwood was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. He was born on 12th June, 1878, in Owosso, Michigan, USA. In 1900, Curwood sold his first story while working for the Detroit News-Tribune, and after this, his career in writing was made. By 1909 he had saved enough money to travel to the Canadian northwest, a trip that provided the inspiration for his wilderness adventure stories. The success of his novels afforded him the opportunity to return to the Yukon and Alaska for several months each year - allowing Curwood to write more than thirty such books. Curwood's adventure writing followed in the tradition of Jack London. Like London, Curwood set many of his works in the wilds of the Great Northwest and often used animals as lead characters (Kazan, Baree; Son of Kazan, The Grizzly King and Nomads of the North). Many of Curwood's adventure novels also feature romance as primary or secondary plot consideration. His most successful work was his 1920 novel, The River's End. The book sold more than 100,000 copies and was the fourth best-selling title of the year in the United States, according to Publisher's Weekly. He contributed to various literary and popular magazines throughout his career, and his bibliography includes more than 200 such articles, short stories and serializations. Curwood was an avid hunter in his youth; however, as he grew older, he became an advocate of environmentalism and was appointed to the 'Michigan Conservation Commission' in 1926. The change in his attitude toward wildlife can be best expressed by a quote he gave in The Grizzly King: that 'The greatest thrill is not to kill but to let live.' Despite this change in attitude, Curwood did not have an ultimately fruitful relationship with nature. In 1927, while on a fishing trip in Florida, Curwood was bitten on the thigh by what was believed to have been a spider and he had an immediate allergic reaction. Health problems related to the bite escalated over the next few months as an infection set in. He died soon after in his nearby home on Williams Street, on 13th August 1927. He was aged just forty-nine, and was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery (Owosso), in a family plot. |
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Common terms and phrases
ahead Arbor Croche arms Beaver Island blood boat breast breath burned burst cabin Captain Plum Casey caught chuckling close companion cried death door drew excitement exclaimed eyes face fear feet fell felt fingers fire flash forest girl gleam gloom gone GROSSET & DUNLAP guards half hand head heard heart held hour hurried instant James James Jesse Strang Jeekum kill Strang king's king's men knees knew Lamanites laughed leaped light lilac lips listened looked mainland Marion Mormon king Nathaniel saw Neil Neil's night Obadiah Price old councilor old man's passed path pistol prophet seemed sheriffs ship shone shore shoulders shouted silence sloop slowly smiled softly sound spoke stared step stood stopped Strang's wife sudden suddenly tell terrible thaniel thongs thought throat to-night trembled turned Typhoon voice waited whipping-post whispered window Winnsome Winnsome's woman words دو وو
Popular passages
Page 113 - ... the point. After a while, she and the chaperone had to take the train back to Bridgeport, but she gave me a rendezvous for later in the week. This was followed by others. In between times, and with many precautionary measures designed to keep her husband undisturbed, we wrote to each other. Finally one day she told me that she had made up her mind. She was leaving Fairfield, Connecticut, and her husband, and would go to live, at least for a while, with her Aunt Louise Mudge in Boston. I was still...
Page 104 - That is MacDougall with the lash — official whipper and caretaker of the slave hounds," explained Obadiah in a whisper. Nathaniel gave a start of horror. " Slave hounds ! " he breathed. ' The councilor grinned and twisted his hands in enjoyment of his companion's surprise. " We have the finest pack of bloodhounds north of Louisiana," he continued, so low that only Nathaniel could hear.
Page 261 - Your hands are tied to the post very loosely, with a slack of say six inches," continued Neil with an appalling precision. " There is a rawhide thong about your neck, wet, and so tight that it chafes your skin when you move your head. But the very uncomfortable thing just at this moment is the way your feet are fastened. Isn't that so? Your legs are drawn back, so...
Page 262 - You will hang upon the thong about your neck until you choke to death," finished Neil. "That's the 'Straight Death.' If the end doesn't come by morning the sun will finish the job. It will dry out the wet rawhide until it grips your throat like a hand. Poetically we call it the hand of Strang.
Page 97 - Croche, chief of sheriffs, scourge of the mainland — the Attila of the Mormon kingdom, whose very name caused the women of the shores to turn white and on whose head the men had secretly set a price in gold!
Page 114 - If they were not there, then she wished, without doubts or self-questionings, to enjoy the inmmense comfort and support that the sight of his face and the sound of his voice gave to her.
Page 132 - ... free expression, and as he watched his children he saw the truth as he had never seen it before, that human powers develop of themselves and in accordance with law. The problem of the teacher, therefore, was to understand the nature of this development in order to know how to guide and further it. This...
Page 178 - To the left a narrow staircase curved to the second floor, but she passed it and went on to the room at the end of the hall. The door was closed and for a moment she stood outside it with her hand on the smooth, cool knob.
Page 52 - But the women were in full view, three on each side of the table and one at the far end.