The Escape Agents. By C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne. (T. Werner
Laurie. 6s.)—This is a collection of short stories, and through about half of them one thread of interest runs. The arrangement of the volume is most bewildering, as the stories about the "escape agents " are sandwiched with other stories about subjects which are completely disconnected, and the reader has to study the names at the beginning of each new tale to be sure whether it is an "escape agent" story or not. The "escape agents " are agents for Napoleon, who try to free the French prisoners captured by the Spaniards and imprisoned at Cabrera, a small island in the Balearic group. As the stories are told by Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne it is a foregone conclusion that they are full of hairbreadth escapes and deeds of valour on the part of the hero, a long, thin, cool American, who rejoices in the name of Major Joseph Colt. The heroine is a French vivandiere, late an actress, and much sentimental by-play is afforded by Major Colt's verbal constancy to the Boston young lady to whom he is engaged, while all the time he is in love with his colleague. The stories on this theme are much the most interesting in the book, though the re- appearance of Captain Kettle in the first sketch will be a pleasure to some readers.
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