Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 89 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 89: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running prose from a Victorian penny dreadful titled "The Taking of Helen" (page 77). The text depicts a dialogue between a character named Nireus and a general arriving by ship, who discusses searching a warehouse in Green Havens for wool. After the general departs, Nireus learns from a guard that soldiers plan to search an old ruined house by torchlight, then hurries across the fields toward where his friends are hiding, pausing to leave a rag as an offering at a holy tree.
📄 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 ve ment, such as my ship has, for you must be weary from your search.’’ ‘T do not like your tone of speech,’’ the general said. . “Nor will His Majesty, to whom I shall make my re- port. Even islanders may find it wiser to use another tone in the King’s cause.”’ “T use no tone but that of courtesy,’’ Nireus said. ‘“‘ As a wanderer I offer another wanderer refreshment. ”’ The general clambered from the ship on to the rocks, and from thence to the shore, followed by his officer. The guard from the Curlews spoke to Nireus. “Lord,” he said, “‘I am glad to have seen you again. We are likely to be moving off again in a few moments. There is said to be a warehouse in Green Havens, where wool is stored. We are going to search there by torch- light.”’ ‘Ts that the King’s storehouse?’’ Nireus asked. “T do not know, lord, whose it is, but it is an old house falling to ruin, where people could hide.”’ ‘“Guard, there, come on out of that,’’ the sergeant called from the beach. “What do you mean by talk- ing on duty? Get on up back to your horse and be ready to march.” When he had gone, Nireus scrambled up the cliff into the fields and set off running across the pasture towards the house where his friends were. When he came to a holy tree, stuck about with offerings, he paused to add a rag from his clothes, as a propitiation ; CORIICLOOO© 6S (C(O)