A tale of intrigue, deceit an villainy set on the rugged coast of Cornwall. It is also a story of a father's love for his daughter who is swept off her feet by an audacious and handsome ship's captain. The story is set against the days of smugglers, Revenue men, pirates and sailing ships. With a red-herring or two thrown in for good measure, this is one of W. Clark Russell's best short stories. (Amazon)
William Clark Russell (24 February 1844 – 8 November 1911) was an English writer best known for his nautical novels. At the age of 13 Russell joined the United Kingdom's Merchant Navy, serving for eight years. The hardships of life at sea damaged his health permanently, but provided him with material for a career as a writer. He wrote short stories, press articles, historical essays, biographies and a book of verse, but was known best for his novels, most of which were about life at sea. He maintained a simultaneous career as a journalist, principally as a columnist on nautical subjects for The Daily Telegraph. Russell campaigned for better conditions for merchant seamen, and his work influenced reforms approved by Parliament to prevent unscrupulous ship-owners from exploiting their crews. His influence in this respect was acknowledged by the future King George V. Among Russell's contemporary admirers were Herman Melville, Algernon Swinburne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.