Project Gutenberg 2005-02-17 Public domain in the USA. 169 Davis, Richard Harding 1864 1916 The Deserter Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Stephanie Tarnacki and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team "The Deserter" by Richard Harding Davis is a short story written in the early 20th century. The narrative centers on the theme of duty and loyalty, particularly in the context of war. Set during World War I, it explores the moral dilemmas faced by soldiers, particularly through the character of a young American man named Hamlin, who grapples with the temptation to desert the British Army while stationed in Salonika. The story follows Hamlin, who, having been worn down by the harsh realities of trench warfare and physical suffering, considers escaping back home rather than fulfilling his commitment to the army. Interactions with fellow war correspondents emphasize the inner turmoil and conflict he faces as they try to dissuade him from abandoning his post. Despite the hardships he endures, including illness and the brutal conditions of war, Hamlin ultimately realizes that desertion would tarnish the experiences he has gained and the stories he wishes to tell. The narrative culminates in his decision to return to duty, illustrating the complexities of honor, responsibility, and the consequences of one’s choices in times of crisis. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Short stories World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction PS Text Category: Short Stories Category: American Literature 68865 2025-10-06T12:26:02.800409 text/html 68694 2025-01-14T20:50:27.902412 text/html 87582 2025-10-06T12:26:06.302408 application/epub+zip 86446 2025-10-06T12:26:04.256394 application/epub+zip 86445 2025-10-06T12:26:03.290423 application/epub+zip 157195 2025-10-06T12:26:07.861377 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 148981 2025-10-06T12:26:05.769414 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 118730 2022-09-07T19:52:20.937635 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 58263 2025-10-06T12:26:02.583413 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 58163 2020-12-14T03:02:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 58156 2020-12-14T03:02:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19099 2025-10-06T12:26:07.990373 application/rdf+xml 10726 2025-10-06T12:26:03.781396 image/jpeg 3054 2025-10-06T12:26:03.536405 image/jpeg 23607 2020-12-14T03:02:00 application/octet-stream application/zip 23586 2020-12-14T03:02:00 application/octet-stream application/zip 85329 2025-10-06T12:26:02.809415 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia