Brewalda, Part 8

 

cover art by Marshall Frantz

Read/Watch 'em In Order #141

The August 19, 1939 issue of Argosy brought us Philip Ketchum's eighth Brewalda tale. 

This one--"The Valiant Arm"--brings us to 1298 A.D., with Edward I locked in war with Scottish hero William Wallace. But Roger Wilton, the current member of the family bearing the famous axe, has troubles of his own.

 Roger has fought at Stirling Bridge a year ago, where Wallace's men defeated Edward's army. Afterwards, he was falsely accused of cowardice by Sir Thomas Seagrave, whom Roger had thought a friend. So, as the story begins, Roger and his friend John Tuck find themselves exiled from England.

Even before he leaves for his exile, some of Sir Thomas' men ambush and try to kill him. He and Tuck head for a forest near the Scottish border--land ruled by Sir Thomas. Roger is determined to eventually have it out with the man and... well, there was this young girl he met six years earlier when lost in the those woods. That girl would be a young woman by now.

Around this premise, Ketchum efficiently weaves a tale involving unknown identities, political manipulations, treason, surprise twists and several typically good action scenes. It's not a story I want to discuss in more detail, because I don't want to spoil those surprise twists. Suffice to say that not everyone Roger meets is whom they claim to be and the story overall is yet another excellent one.

Click HERE to read it online.