The strange people

In Short

When young prospective adventurer Cunningham follows a obscure clue to the remote town of Coulters, New Hampshire, he expects a harmless pursuit of romance inspired by a magazine photograph of a woman named Maria. Instead, he lands directly inside a tense conflict involving a hidden enclave known as the "Strange People." Mistrusted by hostile local villagers and systematically exploited by a sinister foreign aristocrat named Vladimir, these isolated people defend their secrets with deadly knife-throwing skills. Cunningham must protect Maria and her father, Stephan, while unraveling a decades-old mystery of captivity, hidden wealth, and exiled identities before local vigilantes destroy the settlement.

The Story

Determined to break out of mundane life, Cunningham follows a precise set of directions to Hatton Junction and on to Bendale, New Hampshire, searching for the mysterious realm of the "Strange People" and the girl, Maria, whose photograph captured his imagination. On the train, he encounters two fellow travelers who disrupt his quiet journey: Gray, a professedly mild-mannered scholar curious about regional dialects, and an intensely furious foreigner. When a local man spots this well-dressed foreigner and flees in terror, the initial spark of conflict ignites.

Arriving at the isolated post office at Coulters, Cunningham and Gray encounter Vladimir, the equally cruel brother of the foreign passenger. Vladimir attempts to bribe both men with thousands of dollars to abandon their search and leave immediately. Unmoved by the money, Cunningham and Gray press into the surrounding wilderness, where they are ambushed by stealthy forest dwellers using long, deadly throwing knives. Cunningham manages to halt the violence, only to find himself face-to-face with Maria, the very woman he sought.

As Cunningham works to prove his good intentions to Maria's father, Stephan, he learns that the community lives in total isolation and deep terror. Vladimir’s network of spies, corrupt authorities, and intercepted communications prevents anyone from learning the community's true origins. When Vladimir attempts to frame the hill-dwellers for murder and incites a local sheriff against them, he also captures Maria to force Cunningham into silence. Cunningham bravely rescues Maria from captivity, fleeing with her into the mountains while Gray scrambles to establish radio contact with outside authorities.

Amid the chaos, the surrounding valley villagers fall victim to escalating paranoia, falsely believing the hill dwellers are practicing witchcraft and sacrificing stolen children. Fueled by hysteria, an armed mob of local farmers and townsfolk marches into the hills to wipe out the enclave. Surrounded by both the mob and Vladimir's ruthless demands, Stephan orders his people to fake absolute submission. When Vladimir rides into their midst to gloat and kill with impunity, the hill dwellers turn the tables, overpowering their tormentor.

With airplanes carrying uncorrupted federal officers arriving via Gray's radio pleas, the truth is finally brought to light. Stephan reveals that twenty years prior, Vladimir had tricked and trafficked them from Daghestan to work as enslaved laborers in a secret, immensely rich gold mine hidden in the New Hampshire valley. Deprived of freedom, they were kept in check through isolated terror and hidden listening devices. With Vladimir's tyranny ended and their legal claim to the valley established by Gray, the community transitions into a prosperous, modern township. Cunningham marries Maria, settling in the valley to raise a family where wild legend once reigned.

How It Unfolds

The route to romance Cunningham boards a minor New England train toward Bendale, following a obscure set of directions to locate a mysterious girl named Maria. A violent confrontation on the carriage between a well-dressed foreign passenger and an intimidated local reveals that dark secrets await in the hills.

An offer refused Upon arriving in Coulters, Cunningham and his companion Gray meet Vladimir, a cruel aristocrat who offers them large cash bribes to turn back. When both men refuse the money, they head into the dense woods and are targeted by a hail of flying knives thrown by hidden guardians.

A dangerous misunderstanding Cunningham nearly shoots Maria by accident during a firearm demonstration meant to intimidate the hill-dwellers. After realizing his mistake, he protects Maria and her father Stephan from being arrested by a local sheriff, earning their tentative trust.

Hysteria in the valley Vladimir manipulates local officials and kidnaps Maria, threatening to hand her over to a vengeful mob. Cunningham rescues her, fleeing into the wilderness just as false rumors of child sacrifice and witchcraft drive the local valley farmers into an armed frenzy.

The tyrant's fall Surrounded by an angry mob and Vladimir's threats, Stephan orders his people to feign absolute cowardice. When Vladimir rides recklessly into their midst to assert his dominance, the hill dwellers drop their pretense and overpower him.

A secret revealed Airplanes carrying federal assistance arrive to disperse the mob, allowing Stephan to reveal that his people were foreign captives trafficked to work Vladimir's illicit gold mine. Their freedom secured, Cunningham marries Maria, and the valley transforms into a thriving modern community.

The People

• Cunningham: A spirited romantic who ventures into rural New Hampshire seeking adventure and the woman from a photograph. Though impulsive, his deep love for Maria and his firm moral courage lead him to defy bribes, mobs, and armed attackers to protect her people.
• Maria: A gentle yet resilient woman raised in the isolated hill enclave. Fiercely protective of her father, she gradually trusts Cunningham's intentions, ultimately fleeing with him and helping bridge the gap between her secluded community and the outside world.
• Stephan: Maria's weary father and the dignified leader of the enclave. Burdened by decades of forced labor and secrecy, he seeks only to protect his people from destruction, eventually guiding them through their final stand against their oppressor.
• Vladimir: A cold, sadistic aristocrat who discovered a hidden gold mine in the New Hampshire mountains. He enforces his tyranny through bribery, hidden listening devices, and lethal force, viewing the enclave's residents strictly as disposable chattel.
• Gray: An enigmatic traveler initially claiming to study regional dialects. Sharp-witted and resourceful, he uses his knowledge and connections to counter Vladimir's plots, eventually contacting outside authorities to prevent a massacre.

In Its Own Voice

“The air was full of little flickering flames, which were knife-blades glittering in the sunlight.”

Cunningham and Gray navigate the dense forest, suddenly finding themselves under attack by the invisible guardians of the hill enclave.

“Scared green, that's all,” said Gray curtly. He shook Vladimir as a terrier might shake a rat.

After a chaotic nighttime gunshot outside the hotel, Gray violently confronts Vladimir while discovering the terrified local sheriff tied up on the ground.

“Wait until you grow up a bit, and see a picture of a pretty girl in a magazine, and you find out where she is.”

Years after the liberation of the valley, Gray playfully advises Cunningham and Maria's young grandson on how true adventure begins.

What It's Really About

Beneath its swift pulp-adventure pacing, the book examines the destructive nature of prejudice and the dehumanizing effects of forced isolation. The valley inhabitants quickly transform their fear of the unknown into superstitious hatred, readily believing outrageous rumors of witchcraft and ritual sacrifice rather than questioning their own assumptions. Concurrently, Vladimir uses his victims' cultural foreignness to keep them trapped, exploiting their lack of legal standing in a world that views them as nameless anomalies. The story demonstrates how easily fear converts innocent outsiders into monsters in the popular imagination, showing that true liberation requires tearing down false narratives, establishing legal justice, and recognizing shared humanity across cultural divides.

Why Read It Today

This work offers a fast-paced slice of early twentieth-century American pulp fiction, combining mystery, melodrama, and frontier-style action within a scenic New England setting. Readers who enjoy classic adventure yarns will appreciate Murray Leinster’s crisp scene construction, constant narrative momentum, and straightforward heroics.

The narrative moves briskly from one cliffhanger to the next, maintaining high suspense through knife fights, midnight escapes, and tense standoff scenes. While modern readers may find the romantic setup somewhat sudden and the villain’s melodrama highly stylized, the core conflict remains engaging. The portrayal of rural paranoia and mob dynamics feels surprisingly sharp, balancing out the romance with genuine tension. It is a light, enjoyable read that captures the vivid imaginative spirit of early serial fiction.

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