Mayne Reid Part 7

About the middle of June, 1849, Captain Mayne Reid, in company with the revolutionary leader Hecker, and others bent upon the same errand, sailed in the Cunard steams.h.i.+p "Caledonia" for Liverpool, to aid the revolutionary movements then disturbing Europe.

The men composing the legion raised in New York, were to follow in another steamer.

On arrival at Liverpool, Captain Reid and Hecker received the intelligence, which had just arrived, that the Bavarian revolution was at an end. They were therefore to proceed direct for Hungary, so soon as their men should arrive. Their plans had been to make for Baden first, and then on to Hungary.

Taking leave of his friend Hecker, Captain Mayne Reid appointed to join him in London in about a week or ten days. Mayne Reid then took the first boat leaving for Warren Point, to visit his native home before embarking on his perilous expedition. He landed in Ireland on the morning of July 12th, and at once took a car to Rathfriland, some twenty miles distant, reaching it about mid-day. Here he dispatched a messenger to Ballyroney to break the news of his return to his family, who were in ignorance of his having left America, fearing the shock that his sudden appearance might have upon his mother, for _la joie fait peur_.

The Captain quickly followed on the heels of his messenger. We leave the reader to imagine this reunion after so long an absence. He had left home a mere youth. He returned a man who had pa.s.sed through many fires, and bore their scars upon him.

There was a glad welcome for him in his native place, but the rejoicings were saddened with the reflection that he must so soon depart on the errand of war. All the neighbours vied each with the others in doing honour to the hero.

Captain Reid, amongst his luggage, had brought over from America a quant.i.ty of Colt's revolvers; the sight of these weapons caused no little consternation at Ballyroney.

The time agreed upon with Hecker expired, and Mayne Reid bade adieu to his home, and arrived in London at the beginning of August. He at once threw all his energies into the Hungarian cause.

Shortly after his arrival in London a public meeting was held at the Hanover Square Rooms to advocate the recognition of Hungary as a nation.

Mayne Reid was present, and the following is a report of his part in the proceedings:

"Colonel Reid, United States, moved the next resolution, and announced himself to be at the head of a band of bold Americans, who had arrived in this metropolis on their way to Hungary, to place their swords and lives at the disposal of her people. The resolution he moved was as follows: 'That the immediate recognition of the government _de facto_ of the kingdom of Hungary by this country is no less demanded by considerations of justice and policy and the commercial interests of the two States, than with a view to putting a stop to the effusion of human blood, and of terminating the prospect of the fearful and b.l.o.o.d.y sepulchre of a soldier.' 'Gentlemen,' he said, 'let us hope that this result may never be--let us pray that it may never be; and before I resume my seat I will offer a prayer to the G.o.d of Omnipotence, couched in a paraphrase upon the language of the eloquent Curran: May the Austrian and the Russian sink together in the dust; may the brave Magyar walk abroad in his own majesty; may his body swell beyond the measure of his chains, now bursting from around him; and may he stand redeemed, regenerated, and disenthralled by the irresistible genius of universal emanc.i.p.ation.'"

But Captain Mayne Reid was not destined to fight in the cause of Hungary, any more than in the Baden insurrection. Fate held different purposes for him to fulfil.

Before the expedition had started came the news of the defeat at Temsevar, on August 9th, 1849. Kossuth had been compelled to abandon his position and flee into Turkey, and the subjugation of Hungary was soon after completed.

There was now no use for the legion, and Captain Reid helped them in returning to America.

To raise sufficient funds for this purpose he sold most of the Colt's revolvers he had brought over.

Captain Mayne Reid now finally sheathed his sword, once more took up the pen, and began those marvellous tales of adventure which have made his name famous.

CHAPTER NINE.

HIS FIRST ROMANCES.

Captain Mayne Reid now sought to find a publisher for his first romance, "The Rifle Rangers," which he had written at Donn Piatt's house in Ohio, and to which he had now put the finis.h.i.+ng touches in London.

To find a publisher for a book by an unknown author was no easy task.

Eventually the work was published by William Shoberl, Great Marlborough Street, in two volumes, at one guinea, on an agreement to pay the author half the profits. The preface to "The Rifle Rangers" is as follows:

"The incidents are not fict.i.tious, but allowance must be made for a poetic colouring which fancy has doubtless imparted. The characters are taken from living originals, though most of them figure under fict.i.tious names; they are portraits nevertheless."

The book was dedicated to his friend, Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart.

"The Rifle Rangers" became at once a success, and the reviews in the press were of the most flattering description. The _Observer_, April 7th, 1850, says:

"Two extraordinary volumes, teeming with varied Mexican adventures, and written by no everyday man. Of Captain Mayne Reid may be said, according to his own a.n.a.lysis of himself, what Byron wrote of Bonaparte:

"'And quiet to quick bosoms is a bell!'

"The volumes contain some wild love pa.s.sages, and many descriptions of manners and scenery."

Of this book a writer in an American journal says: "In London he found a publisher, and awoke to a world-wide fame. The book that could not be published here, was translated and republished in every language in Europe, and returning to this country, found thousands of delighted readers. Your correspondent, calling once to pay his respects to Lamartine, found that gentleman with Mayne Reid's book in his hand, and the eminent Frenchman loud in its praise. Dumas, senior, said he could not close the book till he had read the last word."

This was followed by his second romance, the world-famed "Scalp Hunters," which was written by Mayne Reid in Ireland, at Ballyroney, in the old house in which he was born. On its completion he returned to London, and the book was published in 1851, by Charles Street, in three volumes.

It at once became one of the most popular books of the season, and has maintained its popularity ever since. Over a million copies have been sold in Great Britain alone, and it has been translated into as many languages as "The Pilgrim's Progress." The preface to "The Scalp Hunters" is dated June, 1851:

"My book is a _trapper_ book. It is well known that trappers swear like troopers; some of them, in fact, worse. I have endeavoured to christianise my trappers as much as lay in my power. I, however, see a wide distinction between the impiety of a trapper's oath and the immorality of an unchaste episode."

There was not an adverse criticism in any of the press notices.

David Bogue, publisher, of Fleet Street, proposed to Mayne Reid to write a series of boys' books of adventure, the books which earned for him the t.i.tle of the "Boy's Novelist." The first of these was "The Desert Home," or "English Family Robinson." It was published by Bogue at Christmas, 1851, in an ill.u.s.trated cloth edition at 7 s.h.i.+llings 6 pence.

The _Globe_, February 2nd, 1852, says: "Captain Mayne Reid offers to the juvenile community a little book calculated to excite their surprise and to gratify their tastes for the transatlantic, and the wonderful.

The dangers and incidents of life in the wilderness are depicted in vivid colours."

In addition to his literary work Captain Mayne Reid now established a Rifle Club. His military ardour was not quite quenched. The Belvidere Rifle Club was the t.i.tle.

The preliminary conditions for obtaining recognition by the Crown were stated by the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord Lieutenant of Middles.e.x, to be that the numbers of a Volunteer Rifle Corps should exceed sixty, and that particulars of the names of the members, and of the mode of training in arms practised, should be supplied.

The Christmas of 1852 saw the production of "The Boy Hunters." "For the boy readers of England and America this book has been written, and to them it is dedicated; that it may interest them, so as to rival in their affections the top, the ball, and the kite--that it may impress them, so as to create a taste for that most refining study, the study of Nature-- that it may benefit them, by begetting a fondness for books, the antidotes of ignorance, of idleness, and vice, has been the design, as it is the sincere wish, of their friend the author."

CHAPTER TEN.

KOSSUTH. "THE TIMES."

During the year 1852 a strong friends.h.i.+p had sprung up between Captain Mayne Reid and Louis Kossuth, the ex-governor of Hungary, who was at that time living in London. Captain Reid entered enthusiastically into the Hungarian cause and attended many public meetings on behalf of the refugees.

In February, 1853, when the ill-fated insurrection at Milan took place, Kossuth was anxious to join the insurgents as soon as possible.

Captain Reid proposed that Kossuth should travel across the Continent disguised as his servant. A pa.s.sport was actually got from the Foreign Office for this purpose, and bears date 24th February, 1853, "for the free pa.s.sage of Captain Mayne Reid, British subject, travelling on the Continent with a man-servant, James Hawkins, British subject." All was in readiness for their departure, when a telegram in cipher was received by Kossuth that the rising had proved only an _emeute_.

Fortunately for Captain Reid, who was thus spared risking his life on the altar of friends.h.i.+p, as he was quite prepared to do. Capture in Austria would have been certain death for one, if not both of them.

He remained a staunch friend to Louis Kossuth during the latter's residence in England, ever ready to defend him with the pen, as he had been with the sword.

_The Times_ of February 10th, 1853, contained these lines at the head of its Notices to Correspondents: "At 2 o'clock this morning we received a letter, signed 'Mayne Reid,' denying, in absurdly bombastic language, the genuineness of the proclamation which we published on the 10th inst., and which we introduced as 'professing to be addressed by M.

Kossuth to the Hungarian soldiers in Italy.' Such doc.u.ments are seldom very formal, but we had good reason for believing it to be genuine, and shall certainly not discredit it without better authority than that of 'Mayne Reid.'"

The letter to which _The Times_ refers--or rather a copy of it--was sent by its author to the _Sun_.

"Louis Kossuth and the Italians.

"The following note has been addressed to ourselves by Captain Mayne Reid, inclosing, as will be seen, a somewhat remarkable communication addressed to one of our morning contemporaries. In our leading columns of this evening we have referred more directly to the very curious doc.u.ments here subjoined: