I pondered upon it as much as
I did upon what the teacher said to me. In introducing Swartboy to his
readers he made use of this expression: "No visible change was
observable in Swartboy's countenance." Now, it occurred to me that if
a man of his education could make such a blunder as that and still
write a book, I ought to be able to do it, too. I went home that very
day and began a story, "The Old Guide's Narrative," which was sent to
the _New York Weekly_, and came back, respectfully declined. It was
written on both sides of the sheets but I didn't know that this was
against the rules. Nothing abashed, I began another, and receiving
some instruction, from a friend of mine who was a clerk in a book
store, I wrote it on only one side of the paper. But mind you, he
didn't know what I was doing. Nobody knew it; but one day, after a
hard Saturday's work--the other boys had been out skating on the
brick-pond--I shyly broached the subject to my mother. I felt the need
of some sympathy. She listened in amazement, and then said: "Why, do
you think you could write a book like that?" That settled the matter,
and from that day no one knew what I was up to until I sent the first
four volumes of Gunboat Series to my father. Was it work? Well, yes;
it was hard work, but each week I had the satisfaction of seeing the
manuscript grow until the "Young Naturalist" was all complete.

_--Harry Castlemon in the Writer._

GUNBOAT SERIES.
6 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $6.00

Frank the Young Naturalist.
Frank on a Gunboat.
Frank in the Woods.
Frank before Vicksburg.
Frank on the Lower Mississippi.
Frank on the Prairie.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00

Frank Among the Rancheros.
Frank in the Mountains.
Frank at Don Carlos Rancho.

SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.75

The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle.
The Sportsman's Club Among the Trappers.
The Sportsman's Club Afloat.

FRANK NELSON SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.75

Snowed up.
Frank in the Forecastle.
The Boy Traders.

ROUGHING IT SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00

George in Camp.
George at the Fort.
George at the Wheel.

ROD AND GUN SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00

Don Gordon's Shooting Box.
The Young Wild Fowlers.
Rod and Gun Club.

GO-AHEAD SERIES.
3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00

Tom Newcombe.
Go-Ahead.
No Moss.

WAR SERIE