George Alfred Henty (8 December 1832 - 16 November 1902) was a prolific English novelist and war correspondent. He is best known for his historical adventure stories that were popular in the late 19th century. Among Malay Pirates: a Tale of Adventure and Peril is a classic tale of adventure. Also includes the short stories: Bears and Dacoits a Tale of the Ghauts, The Paternosters, A Pipe of Mystery, White Faced Dick: A Story of Pine Tree Gulch, A Brush with The Chinese. This collection of classic short stories takes place around Malay pirates, India, and a shipwreck around the Channel Islands and a dam within California, as well as escaping from Chinese captors.Harry Parkhurst, a midshipman of some sixteen years of age, said to his chum, Dick Balderson, as they leaned on the rail of her majesty's gunboat Serpent, "I wish most heartily that something would happen".