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''Sard Harker'' (1924) by John Masefield (1878–1967) is an adventure novel first published in October 1924. It is the first of three novels by Masefield set in the fictional nation of Santa Barbara in South America. The others are ''ODTAA'' and ''The Taking of the Gry''. ==Plot summary== The novel begins with establishing narrative describing the fictional Santa Barbara as being geographically situated "far to leeward, with a coast facing to the north and east". Masefield moves on to describe the background of the protagonist, Chisholm Harker, called "Sard" Harker because he is "sardonic". He is the son of Chisholm Harker, Rector of Windlesham in Berkshire (which suggests that this village is fictional, since Windlesham is in Surrey). The Rector died when Sard was 13 years old. Sard's mother remarried after having been widowed for two years, causing an estrangement that encourages Sard to go to sea. The story opens in February 1897. Sard Harker is mate on a merchant vessel, the ''Pathfinder'', under the command of Captain Carey, and is probably aged around 30. The ship is in the fictional port of Las Palomas. Ten years previously, on 18 March 1887, Sard was serving on another ship, the ''Venturer'', in exactly the same harbour when he had a strange dream that he would meet a girl on the second of three visits to a white house called Los Xicales. On the ''Pathfinder'' ’s final day in Las Palomas Captain Carey and Sard Harker watch a boxing match. During the match Sard overhears talk between two other spectators that suggests that a Mr Hilary Kingsborough and his sister will come to some harm. After the boxing match Sard goes off to warn the Kingsboroughs. By coincidence they are renting Los Xicales. The Kingsboroughs do not heed the warning and Sard leaves wondering if he has seen the girl his dream warned him about. Unfortunately Sard has little more than minutes to keep his passage on the ''Pathfinder''. The adventure commences proper when Sard takes a wrong turning into a swamp and then sustains a stingray injury. He has by this time missed his passage and resolves to make his way to Santa Barbara. His endeavours result in his being assaulted and mugged, and put onto a freight train that takes him far inland. The majority of the novel is concerned with his ever more arduous journey across Santa Barbara, with minor characters and natural hazards endangering his life. Supernatural or starvation-induced hallucinations also feature on three occasions. Sard is ultimately successful in reaching Santa Barbara, where he learns the fate of the ''Pathfinder''. The novel concludes with a confrontation with Sagrado B, a practitioner of black magic who wants Miss Kingsborough to complete one of his satanic rituals. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sard Harker」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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