Kidnapped · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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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.

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Dedication

Kidnapped

I Set Off Upon My Journey to the House of Shaws

II: I Come to My Journey’s End

I Make Acquaintance of My Uncle