THE BRAVE FRONTIER

Mrs. Orton's books have been uneven in craftsmanship, but sound in scholarship, and this ranks among her better books in the story telling. The setting is the Schoharie Valley during the Revolution, and her characters are drawn from the Palatines. Peter has been, presumably, left alone in the world after an Indian raid. His sympathies are with the rebels, his uncle is a Tory, who tries to prevent the boy serving as messenger for the patriots. Morgan Rangers, rumors of battle, Indian raids color the story, and eventually, after the fort has been burned out and the people prepare to start again, his mother and sister are released from Indian captivity and return. Good standard mixture of history and story.