THE SECOND STRING

BY NAT GOULD

AUTHOR OF "THE DOUBLE EVENT," "A RACECOURSE TRAGEDY," "THE GOLD WHIP," ETC., ETC.

LONDON
R. A. EVERETT & CO., LTD.
42 ESSEX STREET, STRAND, W.C.

[All Rights Reserved.]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.—THE FAILURE
CHAPTER II.—JACK'S RESOLVE
CHAPTER III.—A SCHOOL CHUM
CHAPTER IV.—AN OLD TIME SKIPPER
CHAPTER V.—TOPSY TURVY
CHAPTER VI.—TAPPING
CHAPTER VII.—WEATHERING THE STORM
CHAPTER VIII.—BARRY TUXFORD
CHAPTER IX.—IN SHARK'S BAY
CHAPTER X.—THE TWO BLACK DIVERS
CHAPTER XI.—TURNING TURTLE AND AFTER
CHAPTER XII.—JACOB'S YARN
CHAPTER XIII.—THE DIVERS AT WORK
CHAPTER XIV.—THE BLACK PEARL
CHAPTER XV.—A CLEVER THIEF
CHAPTER XVI.—JACK DISCOVERS HIS LOSS
CHAPTER XVII.—THE PEARL DEALER
CHAPTER XVIII.—ON HORSEBACK AGAIN
CHAPTER XIX.—A STAB IN THE DARK
CHAPTER XX.—THE TRAINER'S SUGGESTION
CHAPTER XXI.—BRICKY FINDS A JOB
CHAPTER XXII.—BLACK BOY'S OWNER
CHAPTER XXIII.—BARRY WAXES ELOQUENT
CHAPTER XXIV.—BADLY RIDDEN
CHAPTER XXV.—SOMETHING ABOUT WINIFRED
CHAPTER XXVI.—A PUZZLE
CHAPTER XXVII.—THE SECOND STRING
CHAPTER XXVIII.—THE NEW CLAIMS
CHAPTER XXIX.—BOUND FOR HOME
CHAPTER XXX.—REALISATION

SPORTING NOVELS. By NAT GOULD.

THE SECOND STRING

CHAPTER FIRST

THE FAILURE

"There goes the failure of the family, yet I like him, there's real grit in him if it was brought out."

The speaker was Sir Lester Dyke, and the remark was made to his daughter, Winifred.

"The failure" did not seem unhappy, he walked across the field with a free and easy stride, whistling softly to himself, enjoying the beauties of nature, taking in everything at a glance, drinking deep of the many good things that mother earth provided for the entertainment of mankind. To look at him seemed to give a great denial to Sir Lester's remark. Failure was not written on his face, he was apparently an active, well bred, strong, able bodied young man, and yet Jack Redland was a failure, for he had done nothing to advance himself in life, and had tried his hand at many things without success. His brothers had done well in life, his two sisters had married rich men, and were more or less happy, according to the lot of such people. His father left him exactly two thousand pounds and he spent it in a year. How he had lived since that time no one knew, but he was always well dressed and never seemed in want of money.

As all the Redlands had done well in life, "the failure" stood out more conspicuously. Had his many friends been questioned they would have endorsed Sir Lester's remarks concerning him.

His family concern this story in no wise, it is with him we have to deal. It suffices to say that his father was an old friend of Sir Lester Dyke's,