[Gutenberg 34425] • Johnstone of the Border

Note: the English edition of this book is titled "The Borderer."

Andrew Johnstone, a young Scottish man, has had an injury and had to leave the army, which had been his dream career. Without any other preferred career, he takes to adventuring in the Canadian wilderness. At the time of the opening of this story, he has as adventuring-partner his American pal, Jim Whitney.

Johnstone and Whitney are contentedly battling the Canadian wilderness when their mail comes, bringing two important bits of news: first, that England and Germany are going to war (WWI); second, a letter to Andrew from Miss Elsie Woodhouse, his cousin Dick's foster-sister. Elsie worries that 20-year-old Dick has been living too wild a life and is damaging his health, and requests that Andrew come to visit and see if he cannot encourage Dick to take up more temperate habits.

Andrew announces that he will go; Whitney refuses to be left behind. The two go together to Appleyard, the Johnstone family holding, which lies on the Scottish border. They soon realize that Dick's health and habits are only part of their worries when they tumble onto mysterious goings-on on the shoreline. Spies, Germans, and submarines figure heavily in the plot.