Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 333 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 333: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page 315 This is a page of running prose from the penny dreadful *A Princess and a Cannibal*. The text describes Tom, an American character, discovering a valuable treasure—a silver ring set with an emerald—buried in sand near a campfire where he and a companion named Unaka are staying. The passage also includes dialogue establishing that Tom has become unwittingly involved in mysterious schemes orchestrated by a mysterious "Princess," and that he plans to return to a place called Sumter. The narrative mingles frontier adventure with hints of intrigue and danger.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A PRINCESS AND A CANNIBAL 315 wid cammerbuls! — follerin’ me roun’ wid dee mouf open — “Be patient, Ish. I’m working hard! We are going home! You and I.” Tom’s tempestuous Fate was at work, with a ven- geance. Unwarned, he had become the central figure in far-reaching schemes. In the eyes of certain people he was a person of immeasurable importance. No suspicion of this had he. He did know that amazing, mysterious experiences — aye, and tremendous ones! — were camp- ing on his trail, always. When the Princess presented her protégé to her asso- ciates, she was as individual as usual. ‘““He’s a charming boy; high-bred, carefully educated. Such a relief here where we’ve known every one else so long. Even the follies of our friends cease to be ludicrous after a while, you know. This American, brim full of wit and courage, is a godsend. And what a voice!” Nothing made the Virginian forget the camp on the sandbar. He loved to happen in at Unaka’s campfire, drop into Cherokee, hang apples on a fish-line to roast be- fore the flame, and sleep on a goatskin on the sand. It was then that they laid their plans to get back to Sumter. One night they talked long about “Is-te-puc-cau-chau- thlocco.”” The first ray of sunrise waked the American. Though the air was full of the savory smell of ash-cake and fish, which Unaka was taking from the coals, Tom did n’t follow his nose to the fire. He was prodding at some tusky thing in the sand. ‘Told you this was a shark’s jaw-bone, Redskin. But what the deuce is this?” Out of the loosened sand leaped a blinding ray. Calling Unaka to bring his knife, he carefully cut away the earth from the treasure. Ah, but it was a treasure! The shark’s jawbone had crumbled like bread. But he dug out a single tooth, _ around which was wedged a ring. It was a bulky hoop of silver, set with a surpassing emerald. Unaka seized it, sucked it clean of sand, dropped it from his mouth into his palm. It made lightnings in the morning sun. The gem, an GOMGIOO CS (C(O)