The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lost Valley, by J. M. Walsh

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Title: The Lost Valley

Author: J. M. Walsh

Release Date: September 2, 2006 [EBook #19162]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LOST VALLEY ***

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THE LOST VALLEY

By J. M. WALSH

1921

The C. J. DeGARIS PUBLISHING HOUSE
MELBOURNE

CONTENTS

PART I.

THE POSTHUMOUS PUZZLE OF MR. BRYCE

I.--The Adventure on the Sands

II.--An Old Friend

III.--The Strange Behaviour of Mr. Bryce

IV.--The Thief in the Night

V.--Circumstantial Evidence

VI.--I Tell a Lie

VII.--Introducing Mr. Albert Cumshaw

PART II.

THE ADVENTURES OF MR. ABEL CUMSHAW

I.--Nightfall

II.--The Pursuit

III.--The Hidden Valley

IV.--When Thieves Fall Out

V.--Expiation

VI.--The Hegira of Mr. Abel Cumshaw

VII.--The Gathering of the Eagles

PART III.

THE FINDING OF THE LOST VALLEY

I.--The Cypher

II.--Over the Hills and Far Away

III.--The Promised Land

IV.--We Enter the Valley

V.--Dies Irae

VI.--The Solution

VII.--The Adventure Closes

PART I.

_THE POSTHUMOUS PUZZLE OF MR. BRYCE._

CHAPTER I.

THE ADVENTURE ON THE SANDS.

I came upon the place quite unexpectedly. Centuries of wind and wave had
carved a little nook out of the foot of the cliff and fashioned it so
cunningly that I did not see it until I was right on top of it. After
the warmth of the open beach and the glare of the white road I had
recently travelled its shade looked so inviting that I limped in under
the overhang of the cliff and dropped joyfully on to the cool patch of
sand. It was the first moment of contentment I had known for many weary
months, and, needless to say, I set myself out to make the most of it. I
was absolutely sick of tramping about. My left boot had burst and, by
the feel of it, there wasn't too much left of my right sole. I had been
crawling along the road since daylight--and for man