Robbery Under Arms · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Robbery Under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood.

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Chapter 1
Preface to New Edition
Rolf Boldrewood dedicates the novel to his old comrade R. Murray Smith, thanks the proprietors of the Sydney Mail for their support, and asserts the truthfulness of the narrative, based on official records and his lifelong residence in Australia.
Chapter 2
Robbery Under Arms
The opening of the novel introduces the Marston family and their life on Rocky Creek, setting the stage for the themes of bush life, crime, and family loyalty that will define the story.
Chapter 3
I
Dick Marston, awaiting execution, begins his memoir by describing his childhood on a remote Australian farm. He recalls his father's bush skills, the family's humble hut, and early memories of riding the pony Possum. He reflects on his parents' convict and emigrant past, and the slow drift from hard work into cattle duffing. The chapter establishes his regret and fatalistic acceptance of his impending death.
Chapter 4
II
Dick Marston reflects on his childhood education under the eccentric schoolmaster Mr. Howard, who taught him and his brother Jim alongside other local children. After Mr. Howard's death, Dick begins to understand his father's cattle duffing operations, recalling the first time he helped brand stolen calves. His mother protests against this criminal life, but his father overpowers her, forcing Dick and Jim to participate in the branding and butchering of stolen cattle.
Chapter 5
III
Dick Marston recounts his sister Aileen's desperate pleas for him and Jim to abandon their father's criminal path and take up honest work. He also recalls saving young Gracey Storefield from drowning, which earned him the lifelong gratitude of her family, and his internal conflict between the allure of an outlaw's freedom and the security of a steady life.

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Preface to New Edition

Robbery Under Arms

I

II

III