Martin Rattler Read online




  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online DistributedProofreading Team.

  MARTIN RATTLER

  BY R M BALLANTYNE

  1858

  EDITOR'S NOTE

  "MARTIN RATTLER" was one of, Robert Michael Ballantyne's early books.Born at Edinburgh in 1825,[1] he was sent to Rupert's Land as atrading-clerk in the Hudson Bay Fur Company's service when he leftschool, a boy of sixteen. There, to relieve his home-sickness, he firstpractised his pen in long letters home to his mother. Soon after hisreturn to Scotland in 1848 he published a first book on Hudson's Bay.Then he passed some years in a Scottish publisher's office; and in 1855 achance suggestion from another publisher led to his writing his firstbook for boys--"Snowflakes and Sunbeams, or The Young Fur Traders." Thatstory showed he had found his vocation, and he poured forth itssuccessors to the tune in all of some fourscore volumes. "Martin Rattler"appeared in 1858. In his "Personal Reminiscences" Ballantyne wrote: "Howmany thousands of lads have an intense liking for the idea of a sailor'slife!" and he pointed out there the other side of the romantic picture:the long watches "in dirty unromantic weather," and the hard work ofholystoning the decks, scraping down the masts and cleaning out thecoal-hole. But though his books show something of this reverse side too,there is no doubt they have helped to set many boys dreaming of

  "Wrecks, buccaneers, black flags, and desert landsOn which, alone, the second Crusoe stands."

  [Footnote 1: See Note to "The Coral Island" in this series.]

  Among these persuasions to the life of adventure "Martin Rattler" isstill one of the favourite among all his books. Ballantyne himself wasfated to die on foreign soil in 1894, at Rome, where he lies buried inthe English Protestant cemetery.

  The following is a list of Ballantyne's chief romances, tales ofadventure, and descriptive works:--

  "Hudson's Bay, or Every-day Life in the Wilds of North America," etc.,1848; "Snowflakes and Sunbeams, or the Young Fur Traders," 1856. In 1857and 1858 appeared, under the pseudonym of "Comus": "The Butterfly's Balland the Grasshopper's Feast" (in verse by Roscoe), ed. with music,coloured illustrations, and a prose version; "Mister Fox"; "My Mother";"The Robber Kitten" (by the author of "Three Little Kittens"). "The CoralIsland, a Tale of the Pacific Ocean" (with a preface subscribed "RalphRover"), 1858 (1857); "Ungava, a Tale of Esquimaux Land," 1858 (1857);"Martin Rattler, or a Boy's Adventures in the Forests of Brazil," 1858;"Ships, the _Great Eastern_ and lesser Craft" (with illustrations), 1859;"Mee-a-ow! or Good Advice to Cats and Kittens," 1859; "The World of Ice,or Adventures in the Polar Regions," 1860 (1859); "The Dog Crusoe, a Taleof the Western Prairies," 1861 (1860); "The Golden Dream, or Adventuresin the Far West," 1861 (1860); "The Gorilla Hunters, a Tale of the Wildsof Africa," 1861; "The Red Eric, or the Whaler's Last Cruise," 1861; "Manon the Ocean, a Book for Boys," 1863 (1862); "The Wild Man of the West, aTale of the Rocky Mountains," 1863 (1862); "Gascoyne, the Sandal-woodTrader, a Tale of the Pacific," 1864 (1863); "The Lifeboat, a Tale of ourCoast Heroes," 1864; "Freaks on the Fells, or Three Months' Rustication,"and "Why I did not become a Sailor," etc., 1865 (1861); "The Lighthouse,being the Story of a Great Fight between Man and the Sea," etc., 1865;"Shifting Winds, a Tough Yarn," etc., 1866; "Silver Lake, or Lost in theSnow," 1867; "A Rescue in the Rocky Mountains," 1867; "Fighting theFlames, a Tale of the London Fire Brigade," 1868; "Away in theWilderness, or Life among the Red Indians and Fur Traders of NorthAmerica," 1869; "Erling the Bold, a Tale of the Norse Sea-kings," withillustrations by the author, 1869; "Deep Down, a Tale of the CornishMines," 1869; "The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands," withillustrations by the author, 1870; "The Iron Horse, or Life on the Line,a Tale of the Grand National Trunk Railway," 1871; "The Norsemen in theWest, or America before Columbus," 1872; "The Pioneers, a Tale of theWestern Wilderness, illustrative of the Adventures and Discoveriesof Sir A. Mackenzie," 1872; "Black Ivory, a Tale of Adventure amongthe Slaves of East Africa," 1873; "Life in the Red Brigade, a Storyfor Boys," 1873; "The Ocean and its Wonders," 1874; "The PirateCity, an Algerine Tale," 1875; "Under the Waves, or Diving in DeepWaters," 1876; "Rivers of Ice, a Tale illustrative of AlpineAdventure and Glacier Action," 1876; "The Settler and the Savage, aTale of Peace and War in South Africa," 1877; "Jarwin and Cuffy"(Incident and Adventure Library), 1878; "In the Track of theTroops, a Tale of Modern War," 1878; "Six Months at the Cape, orLetters to Periwinkle from South Africa," 1879 (1878); "PostHaste, a Tale of Her Majesty's Mails," 1880 (1879); "The Red Man'sRevenge, a Tale of the Red River Flood," 1880; "Philosopher Jack, aTale of the Southern Seas," 1880; "The Lonely Island, or the Refugeof the Mutineers," 1880; "The Robber Kitten" (in volume of tales bytwo or three authors), 1880; "The Collected Works of Ensign Sopht,late of the Volunteers, illustrated by himself," 1881; "My Doggieand I," etc., 1881; "The Giant of the North, or Pokings round thePole," 1882 (1881); "The Kitten Pilgrims, or Great Battles andGrand Victories," 1882; "The Madman and the Pirate," 1883; "TheBattery and the Boiler, or Adventures in the Laying of SubmarineCables," etc., 1883; "Battles with the Sea, or Heroes of theLifeboat and Rocket," 1883; "Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished, aTale of City-arab Life and Adventure," 1884 (1862); "Twice Bought, a Taleof the Oregon Gold-fields," 1885 (1863); "The Island Queen, a Tale of theSouthern Hemisphere," etc., 1885; "The Rover of the Andes, a Tale ofAdventure in South America," 1885; "Red Rooney, or the Last of the Crew,"1886; "The Big Otter, a Tale of the Great Nor'-West," 1887 (1864); "TheMiddy of the Moors, an Algerine Story," 1888; "Blue Lights, or Hot Workin the Soudan, a Tale of Soldier Life," 1888; "The Crew of the _WaterWagtail_, a Story of Newfoundland," 1889; "A Gallant Rescue" (storiesjolly, stories new, etc.), 1889; "The Fight on the Green" (Miles'Fifty-two Stories for Boys), 1889; "Charlie to the Rescue, a Tale of theSea and the Rockies," with illustrations by the author, 1890; "The Garretand the Garden..., or the Young Coast-guardsman," 1890; "The Coxswain'sBride, or the Rising Tide, and other Tales," with illustrations by theauthor, 1891; "The Hot Swamp, a Romance of Old Albion," 1892; "Hunted andHarried, a Tale of the Scottish Covenanters," 1892; "The Walrus Hunters,a Romance of the Realms of Ice," 1893.

  Ballantyne's Miscellany was started in 1863.

 
    The Coral Island Read onlineThe Coral IslandThe Gorilla Hunters Read onlineThe Gorilla HuntersAway in the Wilderness Read onlineAway in the WildernessThe Madman and the Pirate Read onlineThe Madman and the PirateThe Buffalo Runners: A Tale of the Red River Plains Read onlineThe Buffalo Runners: A Tale of the Red River PlainsThe Pirate City: An Algerine Tale Read onlineThe Pirate City: An Algerine TaleSaved by the Lifeboat Read onlineSaved by the LifeboatChasing the Sun Read onlineChasing the SunHunted and Harried Read onlineHunted and HarriedIn the Track of the Troops Read onlineIn the Track of the TroopsDusty Diamonds Cut and Polished: A Tale of City Arab Life and Adventure Read onlineDusty Diamonds Cut and Polished: A Tale of City Arab Life and AdventureDeep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines Read onlineDeep Down, a Tale of the Cornish MinesThe Dog Crusoe and his Master Read onlineThe Dog Crusoe and his MasterThe Island Queen Read onlineThe Island QueenThe Lonely Island: The Refuge of the Mutineers Read onlineThe Lonely Island: The Refuge of the MutineersThe Battle and the Breeze Read onlineThe Battle and the BreezeDigging for Gold: Adventures in California Read onlineDigging for Gold: Adventures in CaliforniaThe Story of the Rock Read onlineThe Story of the RockMy Doggie and I Read onlineMy Doggie and IThe Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean Read onlineThe Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific OceanThe Wild Man of the West: A Tale of the Rocky Mountains Read onlineThe Wild Man of the West: A Tale of the Rocky MountainsThe Lighthouse Read onlineThe LighthouseThe Giant of the North: Pokings Round the Pole Read onlineThe Giant of the North: Pokings Round the PoleThe Settler and the Savage Read onlineThe Settler and the SavageRed Rooney: The Last of the Crew Read onlineRed Rooney: The Last of the CrewThe Young Fur Traders Read onlineThe Young Fur TradersThe Golden Dream: Adventures in the Far West Read onlineThe Golden Dream: Adventures in the Far WestThe Life of a Ship Read onlineThe Life of a ShipFighting the Whales Read onlineFighting the WhalesThe World of Ice Read onlineThe World of IceUnder the Waves: Diving in Deep Waters Read onlineUnder the Waves: Diving in Deep WatersErling the Bold Read onlineErling the BoldThe Hot Swamp Read onlineThe Hot SwampFast in the Ice: Adventures in the Polar Regions Read onlineFast in the Ice: Adventures in the Polar RegionsThe Battery and the Boiler: Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables Read onlineThe Battery and the Boiler: Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric CablesGascoyne, the Sandal-Wood Trader Read onlineGascoyne, the Sandal-Wood TraderThe Prairie Chief Read onlineThe Prairie ChiefThe Norsemen in the West Read onlineThe Norsemen in the WestThe Garret and the Garden; Or, Low Life High Up Read onlineThe Garret and the Garden; Or, Low Life High UpUngava Read onlineUngavaJarwin and Cuffy Read onlineJarwin and CuffyThe Middy and the Moors: An Algerine Story Read onlineThe Middy and the Moors: An Algerine StoryThe Lifeboat Read onlineThe LifeboatThe Fugitives: The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar Read onlineThe Fugitives: The Tyrant Queen of MadagascarMartin Rattler Read onlineMartin RattlerSilver Lake Read onlineSilver LakeThe Red Man's Revenge: A Tale of The Red River Flood Read onlineThe Red Man's Revenge: A Tale of The Red River FloodThe Dog Crusoe and His Master: A Story of Adventure in the Western Prairies Read onlineThe Dog Crusoe and His Master: A Story of Adventure in the Western PrairiesFighting the Flames Read onlineFighting the FlamesBlown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay Archipelago Read onlineBlown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay ArchipelagoBlue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan Read onlineBlue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan