Darry the Life Saver; Or, The Heroes of the Coast

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

22277

Title

Darry the Life Saver; Or, The Heroes of the Coast

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A thrilling tale of survival and identity, this classic adventure follows Darry, a cabin boy aboard a brigantine caught in a Caribbean hurricane. Stranded and presumed lost, he is rescued by coast patrol life savers. Through a series of daring rescues and a confrontation with a criminal gang, Darry uncovers his mysterious past, reuniting with his long-lost mother and finding a new family among the brave heroes of the coast.

Summary up to 500 words

In Frank V. Webster's *Darry the Life Saver; Or, The Heroes of the Coast*, a nameless cabin boy named Darry survives a catastrophic hurricane that destroys the brigantine Falcon. Lashed to a broken spar as the ship wrecks on a treacherous reef, Darry drifts toward the shore, guided only by the sight of a beacon fire and the memory of his guardian, Captain Harley, who perishes in the storm. Darry is rescued by the heroic crew of the local life-saving station, who form a human chain to pull him from the surf. Washed ashore in the swamp of Ashley Village, Darry faces a new threat: a gang of bullies led by the ruthless Jim Dilks. Dilks and his cronies, including Sim Clark and Bowser, have established a hideout to rob shipwreck victims and steal the traps of local trappers. Darry, now living with the kind Mrs. Peake, discovers his traps and muskrats stolen. Using his wits and a borrowed shotgun belonging to Joe Peake, Darry tracks the gang to their shack. He confronts them, disarming the cowardly Sim and Bowser while intimidating Dilks, successfully recovering his property and exposing the gang's criminal operations. Darry's bravery draws the attention of Constable Hank Squires, who begins to investigate the local criminals. Meanwhile, Darry's identity remains a mystery; he bears a mysterious crescent-shaped scar on his arm and knows no family name. His life changes dramatically when Paul Singleton, a fellow life saver and Darry's cousin, reveals that Darry is actually the long-lost son of Captain Harley's sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who had searched for her kidnapped child for years, recognizes the scar and Darry's resemblance to her late husband, confirming his identity. The narrative concludes with the arrest of Jim Dilks and his gang. They are convicted of using false beacons to lure ships onto reefs and robbing the dead, crimes for which Darry provides crucial testimony. With his identity restored as Adrian Singleton, Darry finds peace and purpose. He attends school, supports the life savers with gifts, and looks toward a promising future as a lawyer, forever grateful for the family and friends Providence placed in his path.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22277.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg22277.epub

Removed after upload

Downloaded at

2026-07-04 17:09 UTC

Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction