A Rock in the Baltic

Robert Barr was an British novelist, born at Glasgow, Scotland. He was headmaster of the Central School, Windsor, Ontario, and in 1876 became a member of the staff of the Detroit "Free Press," in which he appeared as "Luke Sharp." In 1881 he moved to London, to establish the weekly English edition of the "Free Press," In 1892 founded "The Idler" magazine, choosing Jerome K. Jerome as his collaborator, retiring from the coeditorship in 1895.

"A Rock in the Baltic" concerns the adventures of Lieutenant Alan Drummond, an officer in the Royal Navy. The Lieutenant has incurred the disfavor of his superiors. In temporary command of a cruiser in the Baltic, he used the rock of the title for target practice. Much to his surprise, the rock shot back, and the Russians subsequently demanded the British hand him over. They refused, but were not happy. Shortly after, Lieutenent Drummond meets Miss Amhurst in a bank, and an attempt to assist her in cashing a check leads to a suspiscion by the Cashier that he is a robber. The Lieutenant has a knack for getting into trouble with the best of intentions. Between angry Russians, unhappy superiors, and an attractive young woman, Lieutenant Drummonds problem's are just beginning.