Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 191 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 191: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is running prose text from page 173 of a work titled *Border Warfare*. The passage describes military action during what appears to be the American Revolutionary War, focusing on a character named Tom and his superior officer Sumter. The text recounts a surprise attack by Tarleton's "Black Dragoons" cavalry on Sumter's encamped forces near Camden, the wounding or near-death of Tarleton, the rescue and retreat of Sumter under fire, and Tom's decision to return to the battlefield to search for a missing companion named Unaka rather than accompany the retreating body-guard toward Charlotte.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
\ BoRDER WARFARE 173 “with the wild beasts,” enduring sore privation. But oh, the “dirl” of victory! Unaka was Sumter’s surest scout. Tom, the idol of Sumter’s band, was immensely popular in every settlement along the frontier. Women at work in the fields waved their hands to “Dare-Devil,” as_ they called him; and no crossroads, blacksmith’s, mill, or mus- ter-ground group failed to cheer him as he galloped by. Now came lurid events: the attack on the royal post, Rocky Mount, and the battle of Hanging Rock. “Bullets poured like hail,” and [om and Unaka fought like seasoned men. Colonel McClure, wounded, had been left behind at Waxhaw, and lom was acting as aide to Sumter when Fort Carey was taken and a convoy on the road to Camden seized. Now came the news of Gates in the ditch of his undoing. Sumter, heavy with spoils, marched for forty- eight hours before halting. Not forty miles from Camden he went into camp. The men were sleeping, cooking, bath- ing in the river, and slaughtering beeves at the moment of disastrous surprise. [Tarleton had made another saltigrade movement. The Black Dragoons were upon them! Once more was l’om face to face with his enemy. He fired full at Tarleton. But for the great cavalry leader Fate held in reserve forty years in Great Britain’s parlia- ment. The bullet glanced from the blade of his broad- sword. Tom rushed to Sumter’s rescue. But Captain Steele was ahead of him. Sumter was asleep. Steele seized him in his arms, carried him bodily out of the tent, and set him in the saddle. His Rangers, surrounding him, con- ducted Sumter through a storm of bullets, fighting stub- bornly as they retreated. The Black Dragoons were in hot pursuit. At each approach of the enemy the flying Rangers would wheel and fire with deadly effect, capturing the horses of the fallen after each volley. At length Tarleton’s cavalry turned back to the field of slaughter, Sumter’s body-guard pressing on toward Charlotte. Save one: Tom had obtained permission to go back to the scene of attack . and endeavor to find Unaka. He was not among those who covered Sumter’s retreat. CORNICLIOO® SS (C(O) m