Ethel Dell worked on a novel for several years, but it was rejected by eight publishers. Finally the publisher T. Fisher Unwin bought the book for their First Novel Library, a series which introduced a writer's first book. This book, entitled The Way of an Eagle, was published in 1911 and by 1915 it had gone through thirty printings. Muriel Roscoe is the daughter of the fort commander in India. Nick Ratcliffe is one of her father's subordinates who he has charged with taking care of Muriel. When they first meet, they dislike each other vehemently. But when the fort is in danger of being taken over, Nick and Muriel must put aside their differences in order to survive the harsh desert and reach the safety of a garrison town.