Project Gutenberg 1999-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 54 Davis, Richard Harding 1864 1916 Billy and the Big Stick Reading ease score: 74.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. Produced by Aaron Cannon, and David Widger "Billy and the Big Stick" by Richard Harding Davis is a satirical novella set in the early 20th century that delves into themes of colonialism, diplomacy, and personal ambition. The story follows Billy Barlow, an American electrical engineer who finds himself in the tumultuous political climate of Hayti (Haiti), where he must navigate the complexities of power, corruption, and personal relationships. The tale captures Billy’s efforts to secure his wages while also trying to win the heart of Claire, the daughter of a local café owner. The narrative unfolds as Billy, having been left behind when his employer, the Wilmot Company, is forced out of Hayti, becomes an employee of the government under President Hamilear Poussevain. Despite his talents, he is constantly underpaid and must resort to increasingly outrageous tactics to negotiate for his overdue salary. As tensions rise, Billy cleverly maneuvers his way into a position where he can threaten the president with American military intervention, using the arrival of a U.S. warship as leverage. His quick thinking and boldness not only help him secure his payment but also allow him to pursue his romantic aspirations with Claire, culminating in a dramatic flight from the constraints of their oppressively bureaucratic environment. Ultimately, the story mixes humor with sharp social commentary, reflecting on both the absurdities of international politics and the determination of an individual to take control of their destiny. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Short stories Threats -- Fiction Haiti -- Officials and employees -- Salaries, etc. -- Fiction PS Text Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 78162 78163 2024-10-01T11:53:02.550056 2023-10-01T09:57:19.237510 text/html text/html 77434 2021-01-27T17:40:38 text/html; charset=utf-8 27036 2021-01-27T17:40:38 text/html; charset=utf-8 application/zip 102625 2024-10-01T11:53:08.055021 application/epub+zip 101483 2024-10-01T11:53:05.532057 application/epub+zip 89721 2024-10-01T11:53:04.306046 application/epub+zip 194825 2024-10-01T11:53:09.881006 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 187395 2024-10-01T11:53:07.336036 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 151387 2022-09-01T12:25:55.774346 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 63954 63929 2024-10-01T11:53:02.258056 2023-10-01T09:57:19.034502 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 65046 2016-09-26T11:57:32 text/plain; charset=utf-8 25314 2016-09-26T11:59:14 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 63740 2008-09-21T16:27:30 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 25123 2008-09-21T16:28:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 21837 2024-10-01T11:53:10.006001 application/rdf+xml 12089 2024-10-01T11:53:04.881085 image/jpeg 3189 2024-10-01T11:53:04.575045 image/jpeg 101081 2024-10-01T11:53:02.558067 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia