6 NOVEMBER 1897, Page 9

With Moore at Comma. By G. A. Henty. (Blackie and

Son.) .—This is a very spirited story, well worthy to be ranked with the best of Mr. Henty's work. Terence O'Connor is the son of an officer in the "Mayo Fusiliers," who up to the time of the opening of the tale has done little but get into mischief, but as soon as he feels the responsibility of being one of Mr. Henty's heroes, com- bines discretion with courage, not forgetting, however, to spice the mixture with a little fun. He gets an ensign's commission, and smells powder for the first time at Rolica, his second ex- perience of fighting being at Vimiera. Before this he has distinguished himself in an engagement between the trans- port which is taking him from Ireland to Portugal and a French privateer. Thanks to this he is put on the staff. Then follows the campaign which ended at Corunna. But Terence cannot, of course, be contented with the ordinary incidents of service in the field. He has highly exciting adventures of his own, obtains an in- dependent command in the Portuguese Army, gets the better of an unscrupulous Bishop, releases the unwilling inmate of a con- vent, and generally has the good time which the lucky lads who get into Mr. Henty's hands may expect. The story ends with the liberation of Portugal, except as far as regards the hero's private affairs, which are carried on into another chapter. Mr. Henty, we are glad to see, proposes to carry on the narrative, so as to include what remains of the Peninsular War. He is at his best when he is dealing with a subject of this kind.