Red Earth. By Morley Roberts. (Lawrence and Bullen.)— Here are
some stories of the West (of the United States, it must be understood). Character develops there in a curious way, and a literature grows up to describe it. This specimen is not without vigour. " His friendly countenance was as rough-hewn as his log; it looked like three kicks in a mud-wall." This gentleman with the mud-wall face was a fine fellow, though alittle peremptory in his methods. Briefly told, his story is that he found a corpse in the river—" went fishing," it is put—suspected that the man had been murdered, tackled the murderer, and made a "fish" of him. This is, perhaps, an unusually rich specimen of Mr. Roberts's wares, but they are all full-flavoured.—In the Sphinx of Eaglehawk, by 11011 Boldrewood (Macmillan), we are taken to " Old Bendigo." The "sphinx " is a mysterious barmaid ; the dramatis persona are not of a commonplace kind ; there is not much art in the story, but it is a vigorous sketch of manners.
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