Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 247 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 247: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running prose (page 229) from a Victorian penny dreadful titled *Pink*. The text depicts a scene where a man named Troupe enters a room containing several captured American Revolutionary officers (including Lachlan McIntosh, David Meriwether, and Ben Taliaferro) who have refused British protection. The officers, sheltering in makeshift quarters with improvised furniture, are engaged in lighthearted banter about spilled pepper and a serenader, while Troupe observes them with admiration as "inexorable patriots." The scene concludes with Anderson sharing chestnuts from his pockets as the men prepare a meal together.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PINK 229 ing way. Besides, the wind wasted the candle — when they had one. Suddenly, voices; jarring through the house as through a cavern. “No pepper? What’s become of it, Campbell?”’ “Ben ‘Taliaferro knows I could n’t help it. Shied my boot at a rat, and knocked the confounded pepper off the chimney-piece.” “Campbell’s always spilling things — Troupe stepped into the door. “He at something at King’s Mountain, they say: more Tory blood than a little! Hurrah for Campbell. ” Good humor, instanter. _ “Come in, you philandering serenader. Tell us all about rte “Starving Rebel,” said Major Deveaux, “how dare you prowl about singing songs under my lady’ s window! ie “Never could sing,’ put in a plaintive voice, — “not even ‘hime’ tunes; but I'll be gol-durned if | would n’t have more heart to try before a cupboard door than under a lady’s window!” But even while Troupe joined in the laugh, his pulses leaped at the thought, “These be men!” Except Troupe himself — a new prisoner — every officer present had been captured at the fall of Charleston and admitted to the de- liberations of the Council, and had refused British protec- tion. Here were men in whom Washington believed: Lachlan McIntosh, David Meriwether, Ben Taliaferro, and a dozen more. Inexorable patriots, these! Two or three fellows were sprawled before the fire; others sat on an old camp-chest. A plank, supported by an old oyster- barrel and a wrecked spinet, did duty for a table. One man held a torch for General Meriwether, who was patching his boot. A man stretched before the fire raised himself on one elbow. “Anderson, have you got anything to eat?” “Both my pockets are stuffed with chestnuts!’? — and Troupe poured the nuts on the plank, amid felicitations. “There must be a gallon,” exclaimed Campbell. The mess was busy as crows in a cornfield. The volatile CORNICMOOO® SS (C©) im