An orphan on the edge of adulthood. A wilderness at the edge of empire. And a choice that will test everything he believes about himself. When seventeen-year-old Walter Gurney, son of a British missionary in India, receives disappointing news from an uncaring uncle, his future hangs in the balance. Then he meets Dermot Denis, an Irish explorer with a reckless thirst for adventure who dreams of venturing into the dangerous wilds of Afghanistan. The two form an unlikely friendship, one that will test their courage to its limits as they journey into a land few Europeans dare to enter. Captured by Afghan tribesmen and facing the looming threat of violence, Walter must draw on an inner calm he barely knows he possesses. The contrast between his quiet steadiness and Denis's hot-headed daring becomes their greatest asset. A product of its era, this 1883 adventure novel captures the Victorian fascination with empire and exploration, while offering a stirring tale of friendship forged in peril.
