Kidnapped · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Chapter 1
Dedication
Robert Louis Stevenson dedicates the tale to his friend Charles Baxter, acknowledging historical liberties taken in the story and reflecting on shared memories of youth, friendship, and the passage of time.
Chapter 2
Kidnapped
David Balfour, a young man from Essendean, sets out to seek his fortune after the death of his father. He travels to the House of Shaws to meet his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, who treats him coldly and suspiciously. David discovers evidence of a hidden inheritance and is subsequently kidnapped by Captain Hoseason and taken aboard the Covenant, beginning a series of adventures that will lead him across the Scottish Highlands.
Chapter 3
I Set Off Upon My Journey to the House of Shaws
David Balfour leaves his father's house in Essendean on a June morning in 1751. Mr. Campbell, the minister, gives him a letter from his father directing him to the House of Shaws, the estate of his uncle Ebenezer Balfour. Mr. Campbell offers advice and gifts, including a Bible, a shilling, and a recipe for lily of the valley water, before parting with David, who sets off with mixed feelings of excitement and guilt.
Chapter 4
II: I Come to My Journey’s End
David Balfour arrives in the parish of Cramond and seeks directions to the House of Shaws. He encounters suspicious and ominous reactions from locals, including a curse from Jennet Clouston. Undeterred, he reaches the dilapidated house and, after a tense confrontation, is reluctantly admitted by his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour.
Chapter 5
I Make Acquaintance of My Uncle
David Balfour arrives at the House of Shaws and meets his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, a miserly and suspicious man. Ebenezer reluctantly acknowledges David as his nephew, reads the letter from David's father, and offers him lodging under strict conditions of secrecy. David observes his uncle's strange behavior, including his fear of fire, refusal to provide a light, and locking David in a damp, decaying room. The chapter establishes the tense and mistrustful relationship between the two.
Chapter 6
IV: I Run a Great Danger in the House of Shaws
David spends a tense day at Shaws, observing his uncle's strange behavior and discovering a puzzling inscription in a book that suggests his father may have been the elder brother. Ebenezer's nervousness and evasiveness lead David to suspect he is being deceived. That evening, Ebenezer claims to have saved money for David and gives him forty pounds Scots (later corrected to pounds sterling), then sends him into the dark, unfinished stair-tower to retrieve a chest. David narrowly avoids a deadly fall when a lightning flash reveals the stairs are incomplete and dangerous, and he realizes his uncle intended him harm.
Chapter 7
I Go to the Queen’s Ferry
David, after a night of reflection, confronts his uncle Ebenezer about his treachery. A cabin boy named Ransome arrives with a letter from Captain Hoseason, inviting Ebenezer to the Hawes Inn at Queen's Ferry to finalize a venture. David agrees to accompany his uncle, hoping to visit the lawyer Mr. Rankeillor. On the walk, David learns more about Ransome's rough life at sea and hears of the brutal Captain Hoseason and the brig Covenant.
Chapter 8
What Befell at the Queen’s Ferry
David Balfour arrives at the Queen's Ferry with his uncle Ebenezer and meets Captain Hoseason. While Ebenezer and Hoseason negotiate, David learns from the innkeeper that his uncle is suspected of murdering his father Alexander for the estate. Hoseason tricks David into boarding the brig Covenant, where he is knocked unconscious and kidnapped.
Chapter 9
VII: I Go to Sea in the Brig Covenant of Dysart
David Balfour awakens bound and injured in the dark hold of the Covenant, having been kidnapped by his uncle's arrangement. He endures physical pain, seasickness, and despair before being visited by the second mate, Mr. Riach, who tends his wound. After a tense confrontation with Captain Hoseason, Riach secures David's transfer to the forecastle, where he slowly recovers among the crew. David learns of his intended fate—sale into servitude in the Carolinas—and befriends the abused cabin boy Ransome, while observing the rough but not entirely heartless character of the sailors.
Chapter 10
The Roundhouse
David is ordered to serve in the roundhouse after the murder of Ransome by Mr. Shuan. He witnesses the aftermath of the killing, the cover-up by the captain and Mr. Riach, and begins his new duties. David reflects on his hard life at sea, his fear of the future, and the guilt that haunts the crew.
Chapter 11
The Man with the Belt of Gold
David Balfour meets a Jacobite gentleman, Alan Breck Stewart, who has a belt full of gold guineas. The captain and crew plot to murder Alan for his money, but David warns him and they prepare to defend themselves in the roundhouse.
Chapter 12
X: The Siege of the Roundhouse
David and Alan prepare for an attack by the crew of the Covenant. After a brief truce, Captain Hoseason confronts Alan, who defiantly challenges him. The crew assaults the roundhouse; David shoots at them from a berth while Alan fights Mr. Shuan, killing him. A second attack follows, with David shooting two men who enter through the skylight. After the battle, David breaks down in tears, and Alan comforts him. They take turns keeping watch through the night, and by morning the ship has drifted near the islands of Skye and Rum.
Chapter 13
The Captain Knuckles Under
After the battle in the roundhouse, Alan and David enjoy a tense but triumphant breakfast, cleaning up and negotiating with Captain Hoseason and Mr. Riach. Alan gives David a silver button as a keepsake. A parley leads to a treaty: Alan agrees to guide the ship to the coast of Appin in exchange for sixty guineas, and a bottle of brandy is traded for water to clean the roundhouse.
Chapter 14
I Hear of the “Red Fox”
Alan Breck tells David the story of the Red Fox, Colin Roy Campbell, the King's factor on the lands of Appin, who is trying to drive out the loyal tenants of Ardshiel by raising rents and using legal force. Alan explains how the Highlanders pay two rents—one to King George and one to their exiled chief—and vows vengeance against Campbell. David questions the wisdom of revenge, but Alan remains bitter. The chapter also reveals Alan's skills and character, and introduces James Stewart, who manages the collection of rents for Ardshiel.
Chapter 15
XIII: The Loss of the Brig
The Covenant navigates dangerous waters near the Torran Rocks off the coast of Mull. Despite efforts to avoid the reefs, the brig strikes one and begins to break apart. During the chaos, David is thrown overboard and struggles in the sea, eventually managing to swim ashore on the desolate island of Earraid.
Chapter 16
The Islet
David Balfour finds himself stranded on the small, barren isle of Earraid after the wreck of the Covenant. He struggles to survive with little knowledge or resources, subsisting on raw shellfish that often make him ill. He endures cold, rain, and loneliness, and his hopes are dashed when passing fishermen ignore his desperate pleas for rescue. After days of suffering, a boat finally approaches the island.
Chapter 17
The Lad with the Silver Button: Through the Isle of Mull
David Balfour crosses the Ross of Mull, seeking news of Alan Breck. He meets a hospitable old Highlander who tells him Alan is safe and directs him to follow to Torosay. David observes the poverty and cultural suppression of the Highlanders, endures a treacherous guide, and finally meets a blind catechist who offers to guide him.
Chapter 18
The Lad with the Silver Button: Across Morven
David Balfour crosses from Torosay to Kinlochaline, encountering an emigrant ship and the sorrowful song 'Lochaber no more.' He meets Neil Roy Macrob, who rebukes him for offering money and instead recognizes the silver button as Alan's token. Neil gives David a route through Morven to Aucharn. David then travels with Mr. Henderland, a catechist, who shares snuff, discusses the Disarming Act and Jacobites, and offers David sixpence before they part.
Chapter 19
XVII: The Death of the Red Fox
David Balfour travels across the Linnhe Loch into Appin, where he encounters Colin Roy Campbell (the Red Fox) and his party. After a brief conversation, Campbell is shot dead by an unknown assassin. David is accused of being an accomplice and flees with Alan Breck, who appears and leads him in a desperate escape through the mountains.
Chapter 20
XVIII: I Talk with Alan in the Wood of Lettermore
David and Alan hide in the wood after the Appin murder. David initially suspects Alan of the killing and wants to part ways, but Alan swears on his dirk that he had no part in it. Alan explains the political reality of the situation—that David, as a Lowlander, will not receive a fair trial in Campbell country. They agree to flee together to the Lowlands, with Alan warning of the hardships ahead. They plan to go to Aucharn to get supplies from James Stewart.
Chapter 21
The House of Fear
David and Alan arrive at the house of James Stewart in Appin, where they find a scene of panic and hurried concealment of weapons following the Appin Murder. James Stewart, fearing the consequences of the assassination of Colin Roy Campbell, pressures Alan to flee and agrees to issue a warrant against both Alan and David to protect himself. David consents to being named in the warrant, and after an emotional farewell with Mrs. Stewart, the two depart into the night.
Chapter 22
XX: The Flight in the Heather: The Rocks
David and Alan flee through the heather after the Appin murder, navigating treacherous terrain and a dangerous river crossing. They hide among rocks to avoid capture, and Alan scolds himself for taking a wrong road and lacking water. They rest, drink from a burn, eat drammach, and continue their night march under the moon, with Alan whistling tunes to keep up spirits.
Chapter 23
XXI: The Flight in the Heather: The Heugh of Corrynakiegh
David and Alan hide in the Heugh of Corrynakiegh, a remote cleft in the mountains, where they survive by fishing and practicing swordplay. Alan devises a coded signal using a cross, a button, and sprigs of birch and fir to secretly contact John Breck Maccoll for aid. John Breck eventually arrives, carrying news that the countryside is swarming with redcoats, James Stewart has been imprisoned, and a reward of one hundred pounds is offered for both Alan and David. Mrs. Stewart sends money and a copy of the wanted bills, prompting David to consider separating from Alan to avoid capture.
Chapter 24
The Flight in the Heather: The Moor
David and Alan continue their desperate flight across the moor, enduring extreme fatigue and the constant threat of capture by redcoats. They decide to risk crossing the open heath by daylight, crawling and stooping to avoid detection. After a brief rest, they are ambushed by Cluny Macpherson's sentries, who take them to the chief's hideout. David, exhausted and delirious, is carried by the Highlanders as they journey deeper into Ben Alder.
Chapter 25
Cluny’s Cage
David and Alan visit the hidden mountain refuge of Cluny Macpherson, a Highland chief living as a fugitive. David falls ill and observes Cluny's patriarchal rule over his clan. When Cluny proposes gambling, David refuses on moral grounds, causing tension. Alan defends David, and Cluny ultimately respects his principles. David's fever worsens, and he slips into a trance-like state while Alan and Cluny play cards.
Chapter 26
The Flight in the Heather: The Quarrel
David and Alan, after being ferried across Loch Errocht and guided by a gillie, travel through the desolate Scottish highlands under a cloud of mutual resentment. Their simmering quarrel over Alan's loss of David's money erupts into bitter words and a near duel, but David's sudden physical collapse forces them to reconcile and continue together, seeking shelter.
Chapter 27
In Balquhidder
David recovers from his injuries in the house of the Maclarens in Balquhidder, where Alan Breck hides by day and visits at night. During his convalescence, David receives a visit from Robin Oig Macgregor, who mistakes him for a kinsman of a Jacobite surgeon. When David cannot claim the connection, Robin insults him. The encounter nearly leads to a duel with Alan, but Duncan Dhu defuses the tension by challenging both to a piping contest, which ends in a tense but peaceful display of skill.
Chapter 28
End of the Flight: We Pass the Forth
David and Alan, nearing safety, cross into the Lowlands and approach the Forth. They hide on a small islet near Stirling, then cross the Bridge of Stirling under cover of darkness. A young woman at an inn helps them after Alan's persuasive and deceptive pleas, and they secure a boat to cross the Forth, ultimately reaching Mr. Rankeillor.
Chapter 29
I Come to Mr. Rankeillor
David Balfour arrives in Queensferry to seek out Mr. Rankeillor, the lawyer who managed his father's affairs. After initial hesitation due to his ragged appearance, David gains an audience with Rankeillor, who cautiously hears his story. David recounts his adventures, including his association with Alan Breck, whom he refers to as 'Mr. Thomson' at Rankeillor's cautious suggestion. The lawyer, impressed by David's tale, offers him hospitality and clothes, and begins to piece together the truth about David's inheritance and his uncle's treachery.
Chapter 30
I Go in Quest of My Inheritance
David Balfour, now dressed in proper clothes, meets with Mr. Rankeillor to learn the truth about his father and uncle. The lawyer reveals that the feud between the brothers stemmed from a love affair and a bargain where David's father gave up the estate. Mr. Rankeillor advises David to make a peaceful settlement with his uncle rather than pursue a scandalous lawsuit. David proposes a scheme to confront his uncle about the kidnapping, involving his friend 'Mr. Thomson' (Alan Breck). The plan is set in motion, and they approach the House of Shaws under cover of night.
Chapter 31
I Come Into My Kingdom
Alan Breck confronts Ebenezer Balfour at the House of Shaws, negotiating for David's release. After a tense exchange, Ebenezer agrees to pay for David to be kept rather than killed. Later, Mr. Rankeillor and Torrance join them, and a formal agreement is reached where Ebenezer pays David two-thirds of the yearly income of Shaws, securing David's inheritance.
Chapter 32
Goodbye
David Balfour, now master of the House of Shaws, consults with Mr. Rankeillor about his obligations to Alan Breck and James Stewart. Rankeillor advises caution regarding James but ultimately supports David's decision to help Alan. He provides letters of credit and introduction. David and Alan part ways at Rest-and-be-Thankful, with Alan going into hiding and David entering Edinburgh, feeling lost and lonely.
Chapter 33
Endnotes
This chapter consists of endnotes providing brief definitions, clarifications, and contextual explanations for various terms and references used throughout the book, including historical and cultural notes.
