# H. O. Bastable — The Story of the Treasure Seekers character guide > H. O. Bastable in The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit. **Role:** major **Also known as:** the G.B., H. O. The G.B., Only H. O. **First appearance:** 0001-the-story-of-the-treasure-seekers ## Snapshot Horace Octavius, the youngest Bastable, known as the Great Brain, whose eager schemes and tumbles keep the family in stitches and scars. ## Who they are H. O. is the youngest of the six Bastables, nicknamed the Great Brain, and he has the scar on his chin to prove it — he cut it falling off the chicken-house during a game of shipwrecked mariners. He is eager, clumsy, and utterly convinced of his own cleverness, which makes him both a liability and a delight in every scheme. His small mishaps and grand ideas give the treasure-seeking some of its warmest comedy and its most genuine childhood texture. ## Relationships ### [Dicky Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/dicky_bastable) _family_ Dicky and H. O. are brothers, with Dicky often teasing or looking after the younger H. O. ### [Alice Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/alice_bastable) _family_ Alice and H. O. are siblings, with Alice often looking after the youngest brother H. O. ### [Oswald Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/oswald_bastable) _family_ H. O. and Oswald are brothers, with Oswald often taking a protective or teasing role toward the youngest sibling. ### [Dicky Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/dicky_bastable) _family_ Dicky and H. O. are brothers, with Dicky often teasing or looking after the younger H. O. ### [Oswald Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/oswald_bastable) _family_ H. O. and Oswald are brothers, with Oswald often taking a protective or teasing role toward the youngest sibling. ### [Dicky Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/dicky_bastable) _family_ Dicky and H. O. are brothers, with Dicky often teasing or looking after the younger H. O. ### [Alice Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/alice_bastable) _family_ Alice and H. O. are siblings, with Alice often looking after the youngest brother H. O. ### [Oswald Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/oswald_bastable) _family_ H. O. and Oswald are brothers, with Oswald often taking a protective or teasing role toward the youngest sibling. ### [Alice Bastable](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/alice_bastable) _family_ Alice and H. O. are siblings, with Alice often looking after the youngest brother H. O. ## In the story ### [The Council of Ways and Means](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/i-the-council-of-ways-and-means) Youngest brother, cannot tell the clock, and is afraid of the 'Eat H. O.' advertisement. ### [Being Detectives](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/iii-being-detectives) Skeptical about being a detective; leaves with Dora to spend his twopence. ### [Good Hunting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/iv-good-hunting) Cuts off his suit buttons; waves and shouts 'Good hunting!' at the station. ### [VI: Noël’s Princess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/vi-no-l-s-princess) Plays the Little Master; makes a face at the governess; asks about the princess's dinner and crown. ### [VII: Being Bandits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/vii-being-bandits) Captain of the bandits (his idea); pricks his thumb for blood to write the ransom note; delivers the note to Mrs. Morrison. ### [Being Editors](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/viii-being-editors) Contributes Chapter VI of the serial story, deferring to Dora for the rest. ### [The G.B.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/ix-the-g-b) H. O. mentions the failed bandit attempt and asks about the meaning of 'sixty percent'; he also kisses the G.B. despite his dirty face. ### [X: Lord Tottenham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/x-lord-tottenham) Hides with Alice and Pincher, complains of cold, and later gives his knife as a peace offering. ### [Castilian Amoroso](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xi-castilian-amoroso) Posts the letter ordering the sample and later mispronounces 'Amoroso' as 'Amorolio'. ### [XII: The Nobleness of Oswald](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xii-the-nobleness-of-oswald) Suggests a coconut-shy idea; loses the paper with father's address; opens the door for Albert's uncle. ### [The Robber and the Burglar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xiii-the-robber-and-the-burglar) Says he would kill a robber with boiling oil; insists on joining the group downstairs. ### [XIV: The Divining-Rod](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xiv-the-divining-rod) Gets a bump on his head from a broom; plays the wounded hero; is given hardbake to help keep his vow not to touch the feast. ### [XV: “Lo, the Poor Indian!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xv-lo-the-poor-indian) Mentions that they don't get good dinners every day, highlighting the family's own modest circumstances. ### [The End of the Treasure-Seeking](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/chapters/xvi-the-end-of-the-treasure-seeking) Feels unwell from powder; tries to read two books at once; upset that the uncle is not poor. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters/h_o_bastable - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_the_treasure_seekers_se/characters