In the Shadow of Great Peril

# In the Shadow of Great Peril

In the Shadow of Great Peril, authored by eleven-year-old Horace Atkisson Wade with a preface by George Ade, is an adventure narrative set at Blackwell Hall Academy. The story follows fifteen-year-old orphan Dick Coleman and his friend Bob Morris, robust schoolboys devoted to action and sports. Conflict arises when classmate Sam Harding, a bully whom Dick has opposed, provokes a fistfight during a holiday when the academy captain is absent. After Dick defeats Harding in combat, the captain demands both boys confess who initiated the fight by the next morning, threatening expulsion. The narrative emphasizes physical courage and direct action, with the boys characterized as straightforward and athletic rather than introspective. Subsequent chapters promise escalating complications involving mysterious knocks, unwelcome visitors, blizzards, kidnapping, ransom schemes, and eventual rescue and resolution.