The Great Shadow and Other Napoleonic Tales

is a novel published in 1892. Set on the Anglo-Scottish border during the Napoleonic Wars, it follows Jack Colder as he pursues his cousin Edie's affections by becoming a soldier. When Edie marries a mysterious veteran whoturnsouttobeNapoleon'sspy,bothJackandhisrivalJimvolunteerfor military service. Their journey culminates at the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon's shadow finally lifts over their lives ome years before, when I was still but a lad, there had come over to us upon a five weeks' visit the only daughter of my father's brother. Willie Calder had settled at Eyemouth as a maker of fishing nets, and he had made more out of twine than ever we were like to do out of the whin-bushes and sand-links of WestInch. Sohisdaughter,EdieCalder,cameoverwithabraw red frock and a five shilling bonnet, andakistfull of things that broughtmy dearmother'seyesoutlikeapartan's. Itwaswonderfultoseehersofreewith money, and she but a slip of a girl, paying the carrier man all that he asked and a whole twopence over, to which he had no claim. She made no more of drinking ginger-beer than we did of water, and she would have her sugar in her tea and butter with her bread just as if she had been English.I took no great stock of girls at that time, for it was hard for me to see what they had beenmadefor. TherewerenoneofusatBirtwhistle'sthatthought very much of them; but the smallest laddies seemed to have the most sense, for after they began to grow bigger they were not so sure about it. We little ones were all of one mind: that a creature that couldn't fight and was aye carrying tales, and couldn't so much as shy a stone without flapping its arm like a rag in the wind, was no use for anything. And then the airs that they would put on, as if they were mother and father rolled into one; for ever breaking into a game with "Jimmy, your toe's come through your boot," or "Go home, you dirty boy, and clean yourself," until the very sight of them was weariness.