Claws

"The debut publication in the series, 'Claws' is the story of Paul, an African-American boy who gets lost in the woods of Spencer's Swamp, where he ultimately squares off against the local wildcat. . . . It's just the kind of adventure story that filled magazines for young readers at the turn of the twentieth century. Chesley's charcoal etchings not only tell the story, but also add something of his own personality."—Columbia S.C. Free Times

"The rich storytelling style of 'Old Flintlock' will still spark young imaginations today. Reprinted in a new edition by the University of South Carolina Press, 'Claws' isn't so much a hunting story as one of harrowing adventure when a young boy lost in the swamp at night comes face-to-face with the wildcat. Nearly two-dozen charcoal etchings capture the action as it unfolds. Any fan of Rutledge should take interest, as the story has long been out of print and difficult to find."—American Hunter

"When I was a fifteen-year-old boy with burgeoning dreams of being a writer, my Beaufort High School English teacher Gene Norris introduced me to Archibald Rutledge at Hampton Plantation. Mr. Rutledge was the first professional writer I had ever met, and he was magnificent and generous and gracious. That day I learned what it should mean to be a writer and a teacher, and it shaped my life immeasurably. The University of South Carolina Press and the Humanities Council SC are reprinting five short stories from Archibald Rutledge, not seen in print for a century, and enhancing them with exquisite original illustrations from South Carolina artist Stephen Chesley, a masterful introduction from Rutledge scholar Jim Casada, and new afterwords from some of today's finest outdoors writers. These books remind us of Mr. Rutledge's command of the English language, his great skills of observation of the natural world, and his fondness for distilling universal truths from stories of local essence. They also introduce new generations to the storyteller who was South Carolina's first poet laureate and perhaps its most prolific writer. It is good to have Mr. Rutledge with us once more."—Pat Conroy

"The new version put out by the University of South Carolina Press might be an ideal tool to prompt just the type of useful discovery, both natural and vocabulary, that drives the story. And it's fun."—Columbia SC State