A thrilling Victorian adventure story of smuggling, cursed treasure,
code-cracking, injustice, revenge, and friendship Beginning as a
mystery and an adventure story, this tale of smuggling is set among the
cliffs, caves, and downs of Dorset. What will be the outcome of the
conflict between smugglers and revenue men? How can the hero, John
Trenchard, discover the secret of Colonel John Mohune's treasure? As the
book progresses these two interwoven themes resolve themselves into a
third and richer one, with the friendship and suffering of both John
Trenchard and the craggy, taciturn Elzevir Block. Falkner's feeling for
history and for the landscape of his Dorset setting combine with his
gift for storytelling to turn this ripping yarn into a historical
romance of moving intensity.