The Fiddling Man
The story revolves around a young trapper who becomes embroiled in the lives of two women: one a beautiful and wealthy socialite, the other a poor but kind-hearted woman. The trapper's relationships with these women lead to a series of events that ultimately result in his downfall.
By James Oliver Curwood · First published 1923 · Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Drama · 8,469 words
First lines
Breault's cough was not pleasant to hear. A cough possesses manifold and almost unclassifiable diversities. But there is only one cough when a man has a bullet through his lungs and is measuring his life by minutes, perhaps seconds. Yet Breault, even as he coughed the red stain from his lips, was not afraid. Many times he had found himself in the presence of death, and long ago it had ceased to frighten him. Some day he had expected to come under the black shadow of it himself -- not in a quiet and peaceful way, but all at once, with a shock. And the time had come. He knew that he was dying; and he was calm. More than that -- in dying he was achieving a triumph. The red-hot death-sting in his lung had given birth to a frightful thought in his sickening brain. The day of his great opportunity was at hand. The hour -- the minute.
What this Textopian page supports
The Fiddling Man is listed on Textopian as a short story by James Oliver Curwood, dated 1923 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: James Oliver Curwood
- Date: 1923 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Drama, Crime, Romance
- Length: 8,469 words
- Structure: 1 section, 131 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Fiddling Man by James Oliver Curwood
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Adventure — The narrative follows a thrilling pursuit in the harsh northern wilderness, involving survival and the relentless chase of a fugitive.
- Mystery — The plot revolves around the murder of Francois Breault and the subsequent investigation to uncover the truth behind his death.
- Drama — The story delves into intense personal conflicts, emotional struggles, and the complex relationships between characters.
- Crime — Central to the plot is the crime of murder and the ensuing manhunt, with law enforcement playing a significant role.
Tags
Adventure · Fiction · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction · Novel · Romance · Western · Frontier Life · Pioneers · Settlers · Native Americans · Indigenous Peoples