Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 31 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is running prose from page 15 of a Victorian penny dreadful titled *Unaka*. The narrative depicts a Southern American household during wartime, where a boy dismisses his father's overseer, and an eavesdropping figure (Egger) overhears mocking verse about the Devil. Grandmother Anderson gathers the household to hear a historical account read aloud, then sends servants to summon Ishmael and prepare supplies. Mrs. Anderson conveys a letter from "the Heir" regarding military movements and General Lincoln's retreat to Charleston, discussing whether a mare has been stolen. The scene involves dialogue in dialect and spans domestic and military concerns during what appears to be the American Civil War era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
UNAKA 15 Nodding, the boy sprang up the steps without a word. He detested his father’s overseer. Mimi filled the breach with a curtsy. Egger disappeared round an angle of the piazza. With a listener’s luck, he heard the boyish gibe: ‘‘Whenever I see him coming, I feel like saying, — ‘Bless us and bind us, En’ put us in de cornder Whar de Devil cyarn’ find us!’” The big eavesdropper, standing just out of sight there, cracked the joints of his huge fingers. “it'll put the Devil ter some trouble ter find ye, ’fo’ long!” He stuck out his tongue as if making signs to some Zone Infernal, and moved off on those great, noiseless eet: “Come in, my dears; it’s turning cold.” And Grand- mother Anderson, giving loom her hand to kiss, hurried them all into the hall, to the cedar-log fire. Tom read aloud from the “American Remembrancer”’ Colonel Pre- vost’s account of “The Defeat of the Rebel Army before Savannah.” It was hard reading. The “impulsive nos- trils’’ quivered. Mrs. Anderson heard it out in stern si- lence. Supper over, she sent one servant to tell another servant to go to the quarters for Ishmael. Diulsey was sent to the storeroom for blackberry cordial and peach brandy, items of the articles going into the saddle-bags the man was to carry to his master. To Ishmael. Mrs. Anderson imparted the pith of ‘“‘the Heir’s” letter. (The law of primogeniture being still in force in Virginia, Troupe was the Heir of Oxheart.) At last accounts Gen- eral Lincoln had fallen back on Charleston, the army might be in motion, Ishmael must be guided by events, said Mrs. Anderson. “Gwineter, Miss Sa’ah; gwineter, ma’am. Wunner ef dee zs done tuk en’ stole dat Betty Martin mare er de ’"Ar’s?” (the Heir’s). ‘“She’s gone for good, probably. So much time’s passed CORNICE IOO® SS (C(©) m