Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 31 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: Running Prose from "The Taking of Helen" This is page 19 of a prose narrative titled "The Taking of Helen." The page contains running text describing a character named Nireus who slips away from King Menelaus's gathering, steals a brown mare from a field, and rides toward the Curlews. The passage includes a brief poetic section describing the moonlit landscape and the horse's movement, then depicts Nireus encountering a dismounted man at a crossroads, where they exchange directions regarding Port-of-Maidens, the King, and Lord Halys's location. The text appears to be classical or mythological in subject matter, given references to King Menelaus and the classical name Nireus.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TAKING OF HELEN 19 killing of the corn. While he was singing, Nireus edged away through the crowd to the door. After the song, King Menelaus said, ‘Let us now talk about marks, especially about the mark of Nireus of Symé, which is like a bird’s beak and eye, and of such importance that it is cut upon rarities.” Nireus did not wait to talk about marks, but slipped from the door into the darkness, and along the street to the field where the horses stood at manger. He took the first that came handy, a little brown Argos mare, all kicking mad from the cold. He bridled her and swung her round and set off upon her up the hill for the Curlews. Under the moon the downland lay in seas ; The brown mare kindled to it; at her tread The beetles of the grasses rose like bees To boom beside their bodies as they sped. Three miles from Port-of-Maidens, Nireus came to @ Six-ways, where a dismounted man, holding a resty horse, was trying to read the sign on the ground. “Here,” the man said, ‘which way to Port-of- Maidens?” “Straight on to the south, with the lump of the hill to your right.”’ ‘Ts the King there?”’ “Yes. Which way to Lord Halys’?” “Straight to the north. Keep up on the hill, don’t go down.” CONNELO® SS} (C(O)