Recent Reads: The Star Woman, by H. Bedford-Jones

Pirates in Canada!

I requested this book by interlibrary loan after it was mentioned on a fiction-magazine listserv. It turns out to be a very strange but entertaining pulpish tale of an Englishman who has renounced all allegiance to king, country, and church, and sets forth into the frigid seas and untracked wilderness of northern America during the period when French, British, independent freebooters, and various warring native tribes all contended for control over its lucrative fur trade.

The first part of the book takes place along the seashore and aboard ship as our raffish hero, one Hal Crawford, proclaims his disinterest in worldly allegiances and his independence from political states:

"I have perceived the fallacy of giving allegiance to another man and fighting for him. I shall now fight for myself alone.... "

Why should I fight for money? Why should I rob and murder in order to take other men's money and goods?"...

"You are certainly mad!"

"No," said Crawford. "I am free."

Our rakish hero, having thus renounced all worldly allegiances and ambitions, comes into possession of a strange, star-shaped medallion. Hearing rumors of a mysterious "Star Woman" who lives among the Indian tribes of the western forests and is revered by them, he takes it upon himself to seek her out. His destiny, he decides in fine fey romantic style, lies "beyond the horizon," and the devil take all who stand in his way.

Affiliating himself with a piratical crew in quest of a lost Spanish treasure-galleon, he becomes embroiled in all manner of derring-do. Despite displaying great talent as a pirate, he eventually comes ashore, always striving westward toward his self-appointed destiny. Both hostile and friendly native tribes and fellow Europeans stand between him and his goal, as well as vast forests and one or two surprising strangers. Deceit, betrayal, courage, death, desperate fights and startling revelations, all for desire of the mysterious Star Woman he's never seen. It's a bit like "Captain Blood Meets Black Robe."

Great pulpy fun, although late in the narrative it becomes somewhat difficult to tell who's on which ship, who's on which side, and who's betraying whom.

Editorial note, 4/10: Thanks to fabulous Fiend for this informative brief article about H. Bedford-Jones, the "King of the Pulps". He seems to have been quite a prolific fellow.

"'Henry can't come to the phone,' his wife is said to have reported. 'He's working on a novel.'

"'I'll hold on until he's finished,' said the caller.