Kidnapped

“Kidnapped” Rober Louis Stevenson

Section 1: Chapters 1–6

Plot summary ¬– Novel is set in 1752
The young orphaned David leaves his home village to branch out into the world. He is given parting kind words and some small gifts by Mr Campbell, the minister. He is directed by the minister to seek out the House of Shaws at Cramond, just west of Edinburgh. On his way he hears ominous hints about the inhabitant of the House of Shaws, a man who shares his surname, Balfour. On arrival he finds out that he is in fact related to Ebenezer Balfour – he is his dead father’s brother. His miserly uncle lives in squalor, in a semi-ruin; not what David had envisaged. Ebenezer plays him false and very nearly causes him to fall to his death, seemingly afraid of having to part with what family inheritance David may be due. He tricks him again, this time successfully, into setting foot on board a ship where, with the captain’s connivance, he is kidnapped.

Section 2: Chapters 7–13

Plot summary
On board the Covenant, a sailing brig, the kidnapped David is being transported to America where the plan is to sell him into slavery. He meets kindness from the second mate, Riach, and befriends the cabin boy, Ransome, who dies at the hands of the first mate, Shuan, in an incident of drunken violence. The ship runs down a small boat in fog and picks up a survivor, Alan Breck, who will feature prominently in the story. Alan is a Jacobite, en route to France with money for his cause, and offers money if the captain will drop him back to shore to regroup with friends. An agreement is made but treachery follows: the captain wishes to seize Alan and have all his money. David, hearing of this plan, warns Alan and ends up siding with him against great odds when they are attacked in the Round House. Alan’s fighting ability shows when they beat off two attacks, and eventually the captain, now with a greatly weakened crew, is forced to come to terms again with Alan and agrees to drop him off in friendly territory. Alan tells David something of the effects of the failed Jacobite rising of 1745 on the part of the Highlands he comes from; David hears for the first time about Colin Campbell, known as the Red Fox, and about the injustices he has dealt out to Alan’s people. As a token of his friendship Alan gives David a silver button from his fine coat. Before Alan can be landed, however, the ship strikes a reef close in to the island of Mull and in the ensuing chaos David is thrown overboard and makes his way ashore to a small islet. 

Section 3: Chapters 14–19

Plot summary
David manages to swim ashore after he falls from the foundering ship and lands on a small islet. He explores it and finds it uninhabited; he believes himself to be thus trapped and falls into despair at times at his miserable lot, unsheltered from the rain, often cold, forced to eat shellfish that sometimes make him sick. A passing boat raises his hopes, which are then dashed when the fishermen fail to land. They come by a second time, this time with another person whose broken English is sufficient to let Alan know that this is a tidal island – all the time he could have walked off at low tide.

It turns out that Alan and the others had made it to the shore, and Alan had left a trail of instructions with people for David – the ‘lad with the silver button’ – to follow him to Appin.

David embarks on this journey and on the way meets a company of soldiers along with a man who turns out to be the Red Fox. David boldly asks for directions, but while speaking with the man a shot rings out and Colin Campbell falls dead. David flees the scene, as he is immediately suspected of being complicit in this assassination.

David suspects Alan of the shooting as he comes across him very near the scene and it is plain Alan would have liked to see the Red Fox dead; Alan swears he was not the assassin, however, and David accepts this. Alan dissuades David of his idea of throwing themselves on the mercy of the law to establish their innocence, telling him they would stand no chance of a fair trial run by the Campbells. Instead they resolve to flee to the Lowlands, first calling at the house of Alan’s kinsman, James (of the Glen) Stewart. He gives them some money to help them on their way, but tells them he must also put wanted notices on their heads to ensure he is not accused of siding with them and perhaps aiding them.

Section 4: Chapters 20–25
Plot summary
The flight of the two fugitives through the wild hills, glens and moorland entails much hardship that tests David’s strength to the limit. They constantly have to watch for pursuing redcoats (king’s soldiers) and only Alan’s skill in his native environment keeps them from capture. They meet helpers on the way: a bouman (low-ranking tenant farmer) called John Breck first helps them gather money from James Stewart, then they stumble into the hands of Cluny MacPherson, a rebel Jacobite chieftain who has set up his quarters in the wilds around Ben Alder. David is in a state of semi-fever at this point, and during this low point Alan engages in a gambling spree with the proud and imperious Cluny MacPherson. When he loses his money, he approaches the still feverish David, who reluctantly gives him his remaining money to continue gambling. This turns out soon afterwards to be a sore trial of their friendship, when David castigates his friend for placing him in an awkward position when he is offered the return of the money by Cluny. The quarrel continues on their journey to the point where a weakened and very sick David challenges Alan to the sword. Alan, knowing it would be akin to murder, refuses the challenge and David immediately repents his behaviour and begs Alan’s forgiveness. There is mutual forgiveness and they continue on their way to Balquidder, where David rests up for a month to recover. During this time David is again struck by the code of Highland honour: despite the price on his head, and despite the wide knowledge of his identity in the area, no one betrays him.

Section 5: Chapter 26–30

Plot summary
On the final stage of their journey, they reach the Lowlands but find their way across the bridge at Stirling blocked by redcoat soldiers. They travel eastwards on the north bank of the Forth estuary until they form a plan. At Limekilns, they are served at an inn by a pretty girl who is friendly towards them and arranges to row them over the Forth at nightfall. Then, while Alan hides near Queensferry, David goes in search of Mr Rankeillor, the lawyer who manages the family affairs on his uncle’s side and who is, David rightly believes, a fair and just man.

Rankeillor hears David’s story and tells him some of his family history. His father and uncle had fallen in love with the same girl (David’s mother) and reached an agreement that his father would have the girl and his uncle the Shaws estate. Rankeillor agrees to help David trap his uncle into an admission of guilt. With his clerk and David together they meet up with Alan at the House of Shaws. Alan, alone, calls out old Ebenezer and pretends that he is in league with the kidnappers and is demanding a ransom for the lad’s life. Ebenezer then reveals his part in the crime, and at this the others show face as witnesses. The uncle is then forced into signing an agreement giving David two-thirds of the estate income.

David and Alan make their way towards Edinburgh. David has pledged to support the cause for Alan’s innocence with the Lord Advocate and is confident they can clear his name. In the meantime, however, the safe course is for him to flee to France; this David will also assist in. They part in a moment of understated emotion in Corstorphine, to the west of Edinburgh.