The Keepers of the King's Peace

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25803

Title

The Keepers of the King's Peace

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Edgar Wallace's colonial adventure follows the eccentric Lieutenant Tibbetts, known as 'Bones,' and his diverse group of friends in the Belgian Congo. Blending humor with dark satire, the novel explores themes of imperialism, medical quackery, and the absurdity of colonial administration. Readers will enjoy the witty dialogue, the clash between European ideals and African realities, and the unpredictable antics of a cast that includes a 'witch' healer, a corrupt governor, and a terrifying cannibal chief. A fast-paced, character-driven tale that...

Summary up to 500 words

Set in the Belgian Congo, Edgar Wallace's *The Keepers of the King's Peace* follows the eccentric Lieutenant Tibbetts, known as 'Bones,' a British officer stationed at the Residency who combines amateur science with a penchant for trench-digging and absurd experiments. Bones befriends the skeptical Commissioner Sanders, the loyal Captain Hamilton, and the intelligent servant Ali Abid, forming a tight-knit group that navigates the grim realities of colonial life. Their routine is disrupted by local legends, including the miraculous widow M'lama, whose healing powers are initially dismissed as witchcraft until verified by government spies. The narrative oscillates between Bones's comedic misadventures in his seaside laboratory and serious threats to the colony. Bones attempts to treat sleeping sickness but often fails due to contaminated equipment, leading to panic when he falsely diagnoses Miss Hamilton with the disease. The tension escalates when Bones investigates an outbreak in the village of Ranabini. Upon discovering it is a virulent smallpox epidemic, he signals a warning to his friends just as a steamer arrives, successfully saving them from the infected village. The plot deepens with the arrival of the Duc de Sagosta, a naive Portuguese governor who inherits a corrupt office filled with empty bottles and a deadly mamba in his chair. His tenure is threatened by Chief Karata of the M'fusi, a cannibalistic people ruled by a drunkard king who wears masks and plans massacres. Bones intervenes in a critical moment, smashing bottles of 'square-face' (rum) to sober the chief and preventing a massacre. In a dramatic transformation of the kingdom, Bones and his allies manipulate the chief into banning alcohol, freeing laborers, and appointing a new leader. The story concludes with a revelation that the Hooded King has sent his treasures to Bosambo, a chief related to the British Commissioner, leaving the fate of the colony uncertain amidst treacherous political shifts.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25803.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg25803.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-06 07:19 UTC

Categories

• Fiction
• British Literature
• Indigenous Peoples
• African Literature