Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 87 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 87: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Running Prose Page from Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a page of running prose from *The Taking of Helen*, page 75. A general interrogates a weary officer named Nireus about his whereabouts that morning. Nireus claims he lost his way in the woods traveling to Green Havens, found shelter at a remote farm, and walked back over rocks rather than ride his lame horses. When questioned about troops searching the farm, he states they said he was "not the man they wanted"—a sergeant delivered this assessment. The page ends as another officer approaches the general and speaks privately, suggesting a narrative development ahead.
📄 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 75 before the general was on board. He was the officer whom Paris had called Lusty; he was now not Lusty but weary from his day. ‘Are you that Nireus?’’ he asked. “T am a Nireus.”’ “You were in the wood early this morning, going, as you said, to Green Havens, to your ship. You have not been to your ship there. Where have you been?”’ “T lost my way in the woods, wore out my horses, came to a farm and resolved to eat and rest there.” “What farm was this?”’ ‘““A farm up the glen, three or four miles from here.”’ ‘““And you passed the day there, and came here now. Why have you not gone to Green Havens ?”’ “Tt is seven miles away, and my horses are lame.”’ “How did you come here now?’’ “T walked over the rocks.”’ “Were you questioned by my pickets?” “T saw no pickets.”’ ‘Was this farm, where you slept, searched by troops during the day ?”’ “Yes, I heard troops rummaging there.” “Did they question you?”’ “They said that I was not the man they wanted.” “Who was it who said this; an officer?’ “A sergeant.” At this moment an officer came towards the general, saluted, and said something in a low voice. CORIICLO® cS) (C(O)