Huntingtower · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Huntingtower by John Buchan.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the story to W. P. Ker, Professor of Poetry at Oxford, and traces the ancestry of the hero Dickson McCunn back to the Nicol Jarvies, linking him to Rob Roy and the Gorbals Die-Hards.
Chapter 2
Huntingtower
Dickson McCunn, a retired grocer, feels a restless longing for adventure and decides to go on a walking trip in the Scottish countryside. He meets the poet John Heritage, and together they discover an old house called Huntingtower. There, they encounter a group of boys led by Dougal, and become embroiled in a plot involving a Russian princess, Saskia, who is being held captive by foreign agents. Dickson and his new allies work to protect her, leading to a series of skirmishes and a final battle.
Chapter 3
Prologue
In January 1916, during World War I, a young woman named Saskia visits her friend Quentin, who is recovering from a leg wound, in a room of the Nirski Palace in Russia. They reminisce about their childhood in Paris and discuss her debut into society and her plans to nurse at the Alexander Hospital. Quentin, troubled by a sense of impending calamity, warns her of the fragility of security, using a jade casket balanced on small ivory figures as a metaphor. Saskia dismisses his fears, confident in Russia's strength. Quentin extracts a promise that she will call on him if she ever needs help, and after she leaves, two of the supports slip, leaving only the 'beast of burden'—an omen he finds foreboding.
Chapter 4
I: How a Retired Provision Merchant Felt the Impulse of Spring
Mr. Dickson McCunn, a recently retired provision merchant, awakens to a spring morning feeling rejuvenated after using a new safety razor. He decides to embrace his newfound freedom by embarking on a walking holiday alone in Carrick, packing a knapsack and selecting Izaak Walton's 'The Complete Angler' as his companion. Before leaving, he sends a donation to support the 'Gorbals Die-Hards' boys' troop.
Chapter 5
II: Of Mr. John Heritage and the Difference in Points of View
Dickson McCunn and John Heritage engage in a heated debate about romanticism versus realism, class perspectives, and the nature of truth. Dickson then begins his walking journey, encountering various characters that challenge his romantic notions, but ultimately finding joy in the adventure.
Chapter 6
III: How Childe Roland and Another Came to the Dark Tower
Dickson McCunn wakes irritated by John Heritage's iconoclastic views, resolves to avoid him, and sets off alone on his walking holiday. He chooses a westward route toward the sea, eventually arriving at the village of Dalquharter. There, he and Heritage (who has followed) explore the area and discover a strange, new, sinister house called Huntingtower. They witness a patrol of men and hear a beautiful voice singing from within, which Heritage recognizes as the voice of a girl he saw in Rome. They seek lodging in the village, are turned away from the inn by a suspicious landlord, and finally secure a room from a reluctant old woman named Mrs. Morran.
Chapter 7
IV: Dougal
Dickson and Heritage consult Mrs. Morran about Dougal's story of imprisoned women at Huntingtower. Mrs. Morran advises Dickson to go home but encourages Heritage to investigate. Heritage studies a map to plan a reconnaissance. Dougal, the Gorbals Die-Hards chieftain, arrives and reveals he saw them near the Big House.
Chapter 8
V: Of the Princess in the Tower
Dickson and Heritage attempt to mislead the innkeeper Dobson about their presence, claiming Heritage's aunt is Mrs. Morran. Dickson is conflicted about his role in the adventure. The princess Saskia recounts her flight from enemies who seek her jewels, her arrival at Dalquharter, and her entrapment by Léon and Spidel. Dickson and Dougal later encounter Dobson and Léon on the road, but Dickson covers their return by claiming he is visiting his 'Auntie Phemie' before heading to Glasgow.
Chapter 9
VI: How Mr. McCunn Departed with Relief and Returned with Resolution
Dickson McCunn departs Dalquharter by post-cart, pretending to leave with a locked box of provisions from Mrs. Morran. At the station, he evades Dobson's suspicions and takes the train to Glasgow, where he performs an elaborate ruse to shake off spies. On the tram home, he suffers a crisis of conscience, feeling cowardly for abandoning the princess and the boys. He decides to return, driven by the memory of Saskia's face, and resolves to handle the situation as a business proposition.
Chapter 10
VII: Sundry Doings in the Mirk
Dickson McCunn travels to Auchenlochan to meet factor Mr. James Loudon, whom he initially expects to be an elderly incompetent but finds a vigorous, jovial man. He discusses renting Huntingtower House and subtly probes about the lodgekeepers and innkeeper. Later, Dougal reports a battle with tinklers from the Garple Dean, in which the Gorbals Die-Hards successfully defended their camp. Dougal also informs Dickson that John Heritage has entered the House and that Saskia remains fearful of an imminent threat.
Chapter 11
VIII: How a Middle-Aged Crusader Accepted a Challenge
Dickson returns to Mrs. Morran's cottage early in the morning, feeling a new assurance of manhood, but wakes later to doubt and fear. He is spotted by Dobson, who questions him about his return and his interest in Huntingtower. Dickson meets with Dougal, who reports on the successful transport of the box and the dispersal of the camp. Dickson decides to join the group at the house and follows a circuitous route to the shore, crossing the swollen Laver with the help of Old Bill. He climbs the cliffs via a hidden route discovered by Heritage and reunites with the Die-Hards, just as Heritage warns that dangerous events may occur before morning.
Chapter 12
IX: The First Battle of the Cruives
The garrison, including Dickson McCunn, John Heritage, Dougal, and the Gorbals Die-Hards, moves into the old keep of Huntingtower to prepare for a siege. They barricade the house, set up pickets, and plan to protect Princess Saskia from the approaching villain, Paul Abreskov. Dickson accidentally shoots the factor, mistaking him for the enemy, and the chapter ends with the group settling into the tower for the coming battle.
Chapter 13
X: Deals with an Escape and a Journey
Dickson and his group have moved to the old Tower after the attack. Heritage is wounded but recovering, tended by Saskia. A council of war is held, and Dickson proposes to seek help from a nearby gentleman's house, taking Saskia with him for credibility. They leave Heritage and the Gorbals Die-Hards to hold the Tower, while Dickson and Saskia set off across the Long Muir to find reinforcements.
Chapter 14
XI: Gravity Out of Bed
Dickson McCunn, after delivering Saskia to Sir Archibald Roylance, returns to Dalquharter on a bicycle, reflecting on Heritage's hopeless love for Saskia. He is ambushed and captured by two men, Ecky and an accomplice, who tie him up in the woods. Meanwhile, Sir Archie meets Saskia and, convinced of her story, agrees to help Dickson organize a defense against the Bolsheviks. Dickson, having escaped or been rescued, coordinates with Sir Archie to gather a small force of wounded veterans to hold Huntingtower until police arrive.
Chapter 15
How Mr. McCunn Committed an Assault Upon an Ally
After escaping captivity, Dickson McCunn encounters a motorcyclist on the road whom he mistakes for his arch-enemy Paul. He attacks the man with a spanner but is easily overpowered. The motorcyclist turns out to be Alexis Nicolaevitch, the Princess's kinsman and affianced husband, who has been searching for her. Dickson explains the situation, and they plan to join the fight at Dalquharter. Later, Dickson is captured and tied to a tree, facing his own mortality, but is rescued by Wee Jaikie.
Chapter 16
XIII: The Coming of the Danish Brig
Heritage, alone in the Tower, recovers from his wound and prepares for a siege. He stages a ruse to convince the enemy that the Princess is still inside, while Dougal covertly observes and steals Léon's weapon. The enemy eventually breaches the Tower with a bomb, but Heritage escapes to the parapet. Suddenly, Saskia appears on the ridge, drawing the attackers away from the Tower.
Chapter 17
XIV: The Second Battle of the Cruives
Dougal takes command of the defense, planning to fortify the house and force a decisive battle against the foreign enemies. Saskia insists on staying and fighting. The group enters the house with difficulty. Alexis attempts to throw a bomb at Saskia, but a mysterious newcomer disarms him and the bomb explodes harmlessly. The police arrive, and Thomas Yownie, a Gorbals Die-Hard, limps in triumphantly, having helped secure the victory.
Chapter 18
XV: The Gorbals Die-Hards Go Into Action
Mr. McCunn, battered but resolute, hobbles to Mrs. Morran's henhouse, now Thomas Yownie's command post. The Gorbals Die-Hards report the Tower has been blown up and Heritage may be dead, while the enemy surrounds Huntingtower House where Saskia and Sir Archibald are trapped. Despairing, Dickson and Mrs. Morran prepare to join the boys in a hopeless diversion. Wee Jaikie arrives with news that the enemy has nearly broken into the House. Thomas Yownie devises a plan: the Die-Hards will infiltrate the enemy ranks, using whistles and imitation to make the enemy believe the police have arrived, exploiting Dobson's fear of the law.
Chapter 19
XVI: In Which a Princess Leaves a Dark Tower and a Provision Merchant Returns to His Family
The storm ends and spring returns. Saskia and Alexis walk together on the cliff-top, discussing the past week and their future. Dickson and Heritage talk; Heritage expresses joyful acceptance of losing Saskia to Alexis. Dickson reflects on his adventure, feels transformed, and decides to adopt the Gorbals Die-Hards as his own children. The loose ends are tied up: the factor Loudon is found dead, Dobson disappears, and Alexis arranges for the surviving Russians to start anew.
Chapter 20
Endnotes
A brief endnote directing the reader to the frontispiece, which reproduces an improved version of Mr. Heritage's sketch.
Chapter 21
List of Illustrations
This chapter contains a list of illustrations, including a map of Huntingtower and surrounding territory.
