At the Foot of the Mountain Range. Towards the close of a bright and warm day, between fifty and sixty years ago, a solitary man might have been seen, mounted on a mule, wending his way slowly up the western slopes of the Andes. Although decidedly inelegant and unhandsome, this specimen of the human family was by no means uninteresting. He was so large, and his legs were so long, that the contrast between him and the little mule which he bestrode was ridiculous. He was what is sometimes styled “loosely put together;” nevertheless, the various parts of him were so massive and muscular that, however loosely he might have been built up, most men would have found it rather difficult to take him down. Although wanting in grace, he was by no means repulsive, for his face, which was ornamented with a soft flaxen beard and moustache of juvenile texture, expressed wonderful depths of the milk of human kindness. He wore boots with the trousers tucked into them, a grey tunic, or hunting coat, belted at the waist, and a broad-brimmed straw hat, or sombrero. Evidently the times in which he travelled were troublous, for, besides having a brace of large pistols in his belt, he wore a cavalry sabre at his side. As if to increase the eccentricity of his appearance, he carried a heavy cudgel, by way of riding-whip; but it might have been observed that, however much he flourished this whip about, he never actually applied it to his steed. On reaching a turn of the road at the brow of an eminence the mule stopped, and, letting its head droop till almost as pendent as its tail, silently expressed a desire for repose. The cavalier stepped off. It would convey a false impression to say that he dismounted. The mule heaved a sigh. “Poor little thing!” murmured the traveller in a soft, low voice, and in a language which even a mule might have recognised as English; “you may well sigh. I really feel ashamed of myself for asking you to carry such a mass of flesh and bone. But it’s your own fault—you know it is—for you won’t be led. I’m quite willing to walk if you will only follow. Come—let us try!” Gently, insinuatingly, persuasively, the traveller touched the reins, and sought to lead the way. He might as well have tried to lead one of the snow-clad peaks of the mighty Cordillera which towered into the sky before him. With ears inclining to the neck, a resolute expression in the eyes, his fore-legs thrown forward and a lean slightly backward, the mule refused to move. “Come now, do be amiable; there’s a good little thing! Come on,” said the strong youth, applying more force. Peruvian mules are not open to flattery. The advance of the fore-legs became more decided, the lean backward more pronounced, the ears went flat down, and incipient passion gleamed in the eyes. “Well, well, have it your own way,” exclaimed the youth, with a laugh, “but don’t blame me for riding you so much.” He once more re-m–; no, we forgot—he once more lifted his right leg over the saddle and sat down.... Views: 340
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.
When eighteen-year-old Avelina Belo meets a charismatic cowboy the summer before her senior year of high school, she doesn’t know that accepting his invitation to dinner will lead to a whirlwind marriage three months later and an exciting new life on a Montana ranch. She also doesn’t know that, in a few short years, fate will send everything crashing down around her.
A thousand miles away and fresh out of medical school, Nate Meyers is poised to become UCLA’s next superstar heart surgeon. His laser focus is the key to his success, but it’s also his greatest liability. When a routine surgery ends in disaster, derailing his career, he’s confronted with the hard truth: there’s no one waiting for him at home, no one to help him pick up the pieces.
Regrouping on his uncle’s Montana ranch, Nate meets Avelina, a beautiful but mysterious young woman who keeps to herself and barely speaks a word. As he discovers the details of her devastating past, Avelina teaches him more about matters of the heart than he ever knew before. But can they trust each other enough to put everything on the line? Views: 340
Hayslope Grange - A Tale of the Civil War is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Emma Leslie is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Emma Leslie then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. Views: 340
Illustrated with 10 unique illustrations.Away in the WildernessThe Battery and the BoilerThe Battle and the BreezeBattles with the SeaThe Big OtterBlack IvoryBlown to BitsBlue LightsThe Buffalo RunnersThe Cannibal IslandsCharlie to the RescueChasing the SunThe Coral IslandThe Coxswain\'s BrideThe Crew of the Water WagtailDeep Down, a Tale of the Cornish MinesDigging for GoldThe Dog Crusoe and his MasterDusty Diamonds Cut and PolishedThe Eagle CliffErling the BoldFast in the IceFighting the FlamesFighting the WhalesThe Floating Light of the Goodwin SandsFort DesolationFreaks on the FellsThe FugitivesThe Garret and the GardenGascoyne, the Sandal-Wood TraderThe Giant of the NorthThe Golden DreamThe Gorilla HuntersHandbook to the new Gold-fieldsThe Hot SwampHudson BayHunted and HarriedHunting the LionsThe Island QueenThe LifeboatLife in the Red BrigadeThe LighthouseThe Lonely IslandThe Madman and the PirateMartin RattlerThe Norsemen in the WestOver the Rocky MountainsPhilosopher JackThe PioneersThe Pirate CityThe Red Man\'s RevengeRivers of IceSunk at SeaThe Young Fur Traders Views: 340
When tragedy strikes an engagement party, Special Agent Parisa Maxwell becomes the sole survivor and the only witness to a kidnapping and the theft of a legendary diamond. With her friend now missing, Parisa makes a promise to save the other woman, no matter the cost. Jared MacIntyre's entire life is a carefully cultivated set of lies. He wasn't looking for the beautiful brunette when he ventured into the private rooms at the consulate, but he couldn't ignore the woman fighting for her life. Now their lives are inexplicably intertwined. The kidnapping and theft may be part of a bigger, deadlier plot—one that he's on a mission to stop before someone else he loves ends up dead. Two strangers, each with their own secrets. Two strangers who never expected to find love amidst the danger. Two strangers who will have to take the ultimate risk: trust each other—or lose everything. Don't miss this thrilling, chilling, new romantic suspense by #1 New... Views: 340
Buck Johnson, along with his slow-moving and slow-thinking sidekick Skeeter Evans, currently plies his trade as a dragon wrangler on Terul and is busting out a bunch of dracs for the repulsive Terullian Karposh.But when an unruly Red Kraken throws Buck, events take an unexpected turn. “Buck Johnson: Dragon Wrangler” is short story (approximately 4,000 words).Buck Johnson, along with his slow-moving and slow-thinking sidekick Skeeter Evans, currently plies his trade as a dragon wrangler on Terul and is busting out a bunch of dracs for the repulsive Terullian Karposh. But when an unruly Red Kraken throws Buck, events take an unexpected turn. And Buck and Skeeter, with a little help from Snort Jones, right some wrongs and give Karposh his come-uppance, while still meeting their contractual obligations. A wild mix of Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Western, and Science Fiction, “Buck Johnson: Dragon Wrangler” is a new twist on the Space Western and a rollicking ride across the vagaries of a dragon wrangler’s and his sidekicks’ lives on the planet Terul. Think of The Good Old Boys, The Rounders, and a little bit of Lonesome Dove all rolled up together and cast into space.“Buck Johnson: Dragon Wrangler” is short story (approximately 4,000 words). Views: 340
From Newbery Honor Winner Cynthia Lord, a brilliant story about how to find home when everything around us is changing.Mia and her mom visit Grandma in Maine every summer, but this year Mia is going alone. Her mom will stay behind to get their house ready to sell. It'll be a new start, she says, after the divorce.Mia doesn't want a new start. She'd rather everything just stayed the same! At least things will be the same at Grandma's, though. Mia will walk to town for ice cream, and wait by the water, watching for birds, just like always.Then Mia meets Grandma's know-it-all new neighbor, who's just her age. Cayman acts like he belongs at Grandma's house. He acts like he's the expert on everything. And when he and Mia spot an unusual white bird of prey, he acts like it's his job to find out what it is.Unless, that is, Mia finds out first. And, in her effort to prove herself to him, she makes a decision that will change things... Views: 339
Kane and Harper know what they want: Beth and Adam. And they know how to get it: Break up the shiny happy couple once and for all. Miranda thinks she knows how to hit on Kane (Mr. Unattainable). But she could take a few pointers from the all-knowing Kaia, who's seducing Mr. Powell, teacher en franÇais. And Reed? Well, he just knows how to have a good time....
Know the feeling? Views: 339
An American naturalist travels south beyond the remote Kerguelen Islands. Views: 339
With Midwinter just around the corner, Mark's Nanna decides that it is time he learnt more about his family heritage. Learning witchcraft shouldn't be too difficult, right?Balancing school, magic, and the distractions of the gorgeous new guy, should make this a very interesting winter.“The Orion Ghost” is a fast paced adventure story. Twelve year old Jennifer and her twin siblings Jack and Claire fly to the Atlantic coast of France to spend their summer holiday in a rambling chateau with their artist Aunt Isabelle. When they meet two French children and their dog, who live in an ancient nearby lighthouse, their adventures begin. They discover an old map and a huge, ancient key hidden in the pocket of an 18th century greatcoat. The children set out to decode the map and search for treasure hidden by the original owners of the chateau who were forced to flee from Paris at the time of the French Revolution. While unravelling the 18th century mystery, the children are unwittingly caught up in another much more dangerous one. Will Jennifer find out the identity of the ghostly girl who has haunted her since her arrival in France? Will the children escape from the clutches of a gang of criminals? And why does the star constellation of Orion seem to be guiding all their actions?About the authorOlivia Rogers grew up in Australia. She now lives in London and the Atlantic coast of France where “The Orion Ghost” is set. She has previously published text books for college students and is currently writing the next Jennifer Jeffries adventure which is set in Paris France. Views: 339
The Scottish juvenile fiction writer R. M. Ballantyne was born into a famous family of publishers. Leaving home at age 16 he went to work for the Hudson\'s Bay Company; after returning home to Scotland R. M. Ballantyne published his first book "Hudson\'s Bay" detailing his experiences in Canada. Later Ballantyne would write about more of his experiences with Native Americans and the Fur trappers he met in the most remote regions of Canada. With his success as a writer he withdrew from the business world to become a full time writer for the rest of his life. With over a hundred different books he has become one of the most cherished juvenile fiction writers today. Along with his other exploits throughout his life he also was tremendously successful with his artwork as his water color paintings were displayed at the Royal Scottish Academy. Views: 339
Founded on the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous, a bachelor can turn to other members of the circle whenever the urge to take a woman out to dinner surfaces. Views: 339
Return to Cedar Cove for the holidays! Get cozy with two heartwarming Christmas stories featuring your favorite characters from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber's beloved series.A Cedar Cove ChristmasVery pregnant Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, but her baby's father isn't in town. Which leaves Mary Jo stranded and alone. So Grace Harding brings Mary Jo home to her nearby ranch. The Hardings have a houseful of guests, but they offer Mary Jo a room over their stable. When Mary Jo goes into labor that night, a paramedic named Mack McAfee comes to her rescue. The people of Cedar Cove join them in celebrating the birth of baby Noel. But no one has more to celebrate than Mack. Because this Christmas brings him faith, hope and love1225 Christmas Tree LaneBeth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best.... Views: 339
