Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 258 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 258: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil (Page 240) This is a page of running prose from the penny dreadful serial. The text depicts a tense midnight scene in what appears to be a church or similar building. An older man with a Scottish accent tries to persuade the protagonist "Daur-Deevil" (Tom Anderson) not to leave on a dangerous journey at midnight, urging him to rest and have supper instead. The scene then shifts as three cloaked figures enter the darkened space where Tom, hidden with a dog named Luath, observes them. A character named Pinckney St. John excitedly directs Ben Taliaferro to light candles in preparation for some imminent arrival, suggesting an illicit or dramatic gathering is about to occur.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
240 Tom ANDERSON, DARE-DEVIL interest. His big gray eye was full of fire. Loyal as he was to His Majesty, he enjoyed this story. ““Sae His Lordship did na want ony sic crow-bait as a stairvin’ missionary? Lord be gude to us a’! The wolf 1’ sheep’s claething seems to bear a chairmed life. But, laddie, ye canna mean to slip awa at daybreak? “IT is amaist midnight now. Ye canna set oot on a perilsome journey wi oot sleep an’ rest. This talk aboot yoursel’ — Suld ye gang awa, Daur-Deevil, I wad be sair forfairn. As if my ain kith an’ kin had ganged frae my hoose. Come! Dinna fash yoursel’ aboot onything mair this nicht. I hae been to the saultfat’s for a roast. We maun gang home to supper — forbye the cocks will be crowin’ for breakfast. Whist!”’ He set the lantern down abruptly, and threw his cloak over it. There was the sound of an opening door. Footsteps. And then a ray of lantern light danced down the endless aisle. . “Here’s a pretty kittle o’ fish. Doun wi ye, Tammie,” muttered Rory. They crouched down in the darkness. ‘Tom felt Luath’s bristles rise under his hand, and cautioned her with a touch. Three cloaked figures were in the aisle. “Six minutes to twelve. We’re in good time, gentle- men,” said a blithe voice. ‘The sma’ cock pheasant! Hear til him. *T is the varra lad I tauld ye aboot —” “What’s in the wind?”’ “Wha kens? We maun keep oot o’ sight, at ony rate.” “Right. I am in scrapes enough now,” whispered Tom. “Look til him. Is na he a braw chiel?” Pinckney St. John had set down the lantern, shed his heavy army cloak, and lighted a taper. He was breathless with excitement. “Hurry, Ben Taliaferro; light these candles. Must have a hundred blazing by the time they get here.”’ Ben Taliaferro! Tom had not heard that name Eomicbooks (E(0) m