that of George the First,--who had passed the prime of his life abroad
and had picked up a good many bastard foreign words and
locutions,--whose reading had been confined to the ordinary newspapers
and chap-books of his time (with perhaps an occasional dip into the
pages of "Ned Ward" and "Tom Brown"),--and who in his old age had
preserved the pseudo-didactic of his youth. The "Adventures of Captain
Dangerous" have been, in every sense, an experiment, and not a very
gratifying one. I have earned by them a great many kicks, but a very
few halfpence. Should the toe of any friendly critic be quivering in his
boot just now, at the bare announcement of "Captain Dangerous'"
re-appearance, I would respectfully submit that there could not possibly
occur a better opportunity than the present for kicking me _de novo_, as
I have been for months very ill, and am weary, and broken.

GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA.

BERNARD STREET, RUSSELL SQUARE,
_April, 1863._

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

PAGE
CHAPTER THE FIRST.

MINE OWN HOUSE 1

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

THE HISTORY OF AN UNKNOWN LADY, WHO CAME FROM
DOVER IN A COACH-AND-SIX 22

CHAPTER THE THIRD.

THE HISTORY OF MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS A LADY
OF CONSEQUENCE IN THE WEST COUNTRY 40

CHAPTER THE FOURTH.

MY GRANDMOTHER DIES, AND I AM LEFT ALONE, WITHOUT
SO MUCH AS A NAME 85

CHAPTER THE FIFTH.

I AM BARBAROUSLY ABUSED BY THOSE WHO HAVE CHARGE
OF ME, AND FLYING INTO CHARLWOOD CHASE, JOIN
THE "BLACKS" 124

CHAPTER THE SIXTH.

THE HISTORY OF MY GRANDFATHER, WHO WAS SO LONG
KEPT A PRISONER IN ONE OF THE KING'S CASTLES
IN THE EAST COUNTRY 148

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

I AM BRED UP IN VERY BAD COMPANY, AND (TO MY
SHAME) HELP TO KILL THE KING'S DEER 181

CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER DRUM 220

CHAPTER THE NINTH.

THE END OF MY ADVENTURES AMONG THE BLACKS 247

CHAPTER THE TENTH.

I AM VERY NEAR BEING HANGED 283

THE STRANGE ADVENTURES

OF

CAPTAIN DANGEROUS.