Three short stories from "The Captain" volume XXVII: How Dymock Came to Derry

In Short

This collection gathers three distinct adventure stories originally serialized in the early twentieth-century boys’ magazine The Captain. Whether swimming through a war-torn river to deliver urgent military intelligence, navigating the cutthroat world of international war correspondence in North Africa, or defending a munitions barge from mysterious raiders, the protagonists embody the quintessential virtues of the era: duty, self-reliance, and physical bravery. These stories offer a brisk, atmospheric window into a bygone style of storytelling, preserved for their sense of pacing and their focus on high-stakes, action-oriented heroism.

The Story

The collection begins with "How Dymock Came to Derry," a historical drama set during the siege of Londonderry. Dymock, a determined acting third mate, accepts a perilous mission from Captain Leake to swim five miles through enemy-patrolled waters to inform the starving city that a supply fleet is coming. He survives the freezing river, dodging boom-defenses and enemy fire to reach the desperate inhabitants. Though he stays to endure the siege alongside them, the fleet finally breaks through the boom, delivering the city and confirming the captain’s promise.

The second story, "Jack Devereux's Scoop," follows a novice war correspondent sent to Fez to report on a regional conflict. He encounters an experienced, cynical American rival, Craddock, and the two are captured by Berber tribesmen during a skirmish. After a narrow escape facilitated by a French aviator, the two are forced to race back to the telegraph office to file their dispatches. Devereux manages to beat his seasoned competitor through sheer persistence and a bit of luck, securing his professional reputation and a journalistic "scoop" that leaves his rival stunned.

The final entry, "The Powder Hulk," shifts to a suspenseful domestic mystery. Two young yachtsmen, Armitage and Standish, encounter a silent, ominous powder-hulk—a ship intended for munitions storage—while sailing at night. They discover that the vessel has been boarded by armed criminals who have incapacitated the guards. In a tense, night-long standoff, the boys assist the wounded police officers, holding the raiders at bay with an antiquated revolver until daylight arrives. The raiders are defeated in a final, chaotic rush, and the boys escape into the morning, leaving the authorities to mop up the scene. It is only later revealed that the hulk was actually empty of explosives, a detail that highlights the irony of the dangerous struggle they had just endured.

How It Unfolds

The mission is accepted In each story, an ordinary young man is presented with a daunting, often life-threatening, opportunity. Whether urged by his captain or driven by professional ambition, the protagonist chooses to step into the fray rather than retreat.

The hazard intensifies The calm is soon broken by a direct threat, such as enemy soldiers, armed raiders, or the unforgiving elements. The characters are stripped of their initial advantages, leaving them to rely on their wits and whatever meager weapons they have at hand.

The climax of effort The tension peaks in a moment of decisive action, whether it is swimming through a river, firing a desperate shot, or outrunning a rival to reach a telegraph wire. These moments require the characters to push past exhaustion and fear to achieve their singular, burning objectives.

The aftermath of survival The dust settles, and the protagonists return to a semblance of normal life, often marked by the exhaustion of their ordeal. They are changed by the experience, having proven their resilience under pressure, and they quietly move on, leaving their heroic deeds to be recorded by others.

The People

Jock Dymock is defined by his intense local knowledge and fierce loyalty to his captain. He is the archetypal stoic, willing to endure starvation and swim through icy, enemy-controlled water simply because he gave his word.

Jack Devereux is a young, green correspondent who initially lacks the professional polish of his older rival. His journey is one of maturation; he begins as an inexperienced observer but learns to balance his competitive instincts with a grudging respect for his mentor-rival, Craddock.

Arnold B. Craddock serves as the hardened, cynical veteran of the news trade. His "leather-like" features and "hustling methods" contrast sharply with Devereux’s youth, yet he shows surprising integrity when he forces his rival to take a chance at survival during their escape from the Berbers.

Armitage and Standish, the two yachtsmen, are "old boys" in the making, defined by their camaraderie and a shared sense of adventure. They are initially unprepared for the violence they encounter, but their willingness to help the wounded police officers turns them into accidental heroes who effectively manage an impossible situation through sheer grit.

In Its Own Voice

"With the tide 'twill be aisy, your honour," Dymock tells his commander, explaining how he plans to swim five miles through the enemy’s blockade.

"I'm sorry," says Armitage, after firing a shot during the standoff, to which the policeman replies, "Maybe someone ashore will hear the report; it was like a small cannon going off," noting the desperate need to draw attention to their plight.

"To quote your own words: personal feelings must stand aside when journalistic reputation is at stake," Devereux says to his stunned rival after securing his scoop at the telegraph office.

What It's Really About

These stories explore the threshold of adulthood and the testing of character. Beneath the adventure, the narratives argue that a person’s worth is not found in their status or experience, but in their ability to act decisively when duty calls. The characters are rarely driven by abstract glory; rather, they are motivated by the immediate need to fulfill a promise or protect those who are vulnerable. Whether the threat is war, famine, or armed criminals, the recurring theme is the necessity of "grit"—the refusal to surrender even when the odds are overwhelming. Ultimately, the collection examines how young men define themselves through the weight of their choices.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy crisp, fast-paced action and the straightforward moral clarity of early twentieth-century fiction will find much to admire here. The prose is economical, moving from scene to scene with a sense of urgency that makes these stories excellent for a quick, immersive read. There is a palpable, old-fashioned atmosphere to these settings—the cold, dark waters of the Foyle, the sun-drenched sands of North Africa, and the quiet, lonely harbors of the English coast.

However, readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes of 1912. The stories reflect the conventions of their time, including a rigid, hierarchical view of the world and occasional depictions of other cultures that are typical of colonial-era British literature. Dymock’s "soot-smeared face" and the casual descriptions of local populations serve as reminders of the era's limitations. If you can appreciate these tales as historical artifacts of a genre intended to inspire "grit" in young boys, you will find them remarkably well-crafted. They are not deep psychological portraits, but they are masterclasses in how to sustain tension and deliver a satisfying, heroic arc in under a dozen pages. For anyone who misses the straightforward thrill of a classic "boy’s own" adventure, these stories will linger as a reminder of a simpler, more kinetic style of storytelling.