Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 142 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 142: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a page of running prose (page 126) from the penny dreadful serial "Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil." The text depicts a dialogue between two characters—Tom Calvert and someone named Troupe—who meet at a boulder on the Blue Ridge Mountains. Tom has survived the entire winter alone on the peak living as "a savage," while Troupe, recovering from malaria, has been sent home on leave by General McIntosh and traveled from Charlottesville. The conversation reveals that Tom had built a signal fire hoping to contact a Cherokee boy, but it attracted Troupe instead. Troupe mentions passing through a line of Tory pickets to reach the location.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
126 Tom ANDERSON, Dare-DEVIL For a minute they stood regarding each other earnestly, tenderly; in the very sanctity of sympathy. Then Tom led the way to the crest of the boulder. “My larder boasts spring-water, and partridge eggs —” ‘Good. I’m horribly thirsty.” “We'll eat before our campfire; soon as these eggs are roasted.”’ “Here’s a boulder big as a meeting-house. Why do you build your fire up here, Tom Calvert? A beacon?”’ “Yes. Hoped to signal a Cherokee boy who’s up here somewhere.” “You signaled me! That light up there in the treetops caught my eye when I was at a loss.” ‘Thank God you saw it! Now tell me about yourself.”’ “Not while you sit there naked as a Tookabatchee.” ‘eh pulling off his surtout, Troupe folded it about [om’s ody. ‘ Bet I’m as tough as a Tookabatchee! A winter on the Blue Ridge — without any coddling —will make a fellow hardy as a goat.” “Do you mean to say you’ve been here all winter? — like that!” “T came here the middle of December, The leaves are sprouting now; but I don’t know the month. What is it?” ‘The twentieth of Apnl. Tom Calvert, how did this thing come about!?’’ — the blood driving up to his hair. “If 1t seems queer to you that I’m alive and well, after living like a savage on a peak of the Blue Ridge all winter, to me it seems miraculous that you got here alive! Why, there’s a line of ‘Tory pickets thrown across this mountain — to protect their den —”’ ‘I passed their line!” ‘“ How did you do 1t?”’ Troupe laughed. “In brief, General McIntosh thought sixty days’ leave would not come amiss to a fellow full of malaria. He sent me home. Of course, I made the journey in the saddle. Reached Charlottesville after sundown yesterday. Too m EORMMICOOLS EO)