Robert Barr (1) (1849–1912)

The setting is late medieval but not precisely historical, as the hero is "Roland, only son of the emperor" and as far as I know there was no such person. During a period when robber barons are making trade along the Rhine impossible, Roland, who has been incognito as a young sword maker, offers to lead 20 young craftsmen he has trained in swordsmanship in fighting their way down the Rhine from Frankfort to Cologne escorting a barge full of merchandise.

More than one woman intervenes in this story.
Two men who are friends and business associates are on a ship from America/Canada to Britain. They have just come from a top-secret business investigation. An American newspaper is anxious to get the details, so they send their most charming and wily female reporter. She is the first woman who intervenes.
Meanwhile, the two men have in mind not only their original job, but a new business opportunity that has popped up that they are eager to take show more advantage of, but in which they get foiled over and over, until another woman intervenes.
Not bad, and even exciting in bits, but also not terribly memorable. show less

Included here are short stories of Gambling joints,of Anarchists and of Duels. There are also a couple of quite touching love stories. However perhaps best of all is a Sherlaw Kombs tale called 'The Great Pegram Mystery',which is well worth the price of the book alone. The Kombs stories are said to be the earliest Sherlock Holmes parodies ever written.

Crane surprised me with his knowledge of Irish Idioms and character.