Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 336 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 336: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Content Description This is a page of running prose from Chapter XXXIII ("De la Jonquière") of a Victorian penny dreadful. The text concerns Dick Knatchbull's growing resentment toward an American rival on the island of Barbados. Knatchbull, a descendant of the prominent Codrington family, finds himself humiliated as an "Aztec ring romance" involving the American captures the island's attention and fashion. Rumors swirl that the American and the Marquis de la Jonquière plan to raise an army in France to retake Guadeloupe, sparking speculation about whether the American should be held as a prisoner-of-war. Knatchbull experiences his first real taste of humiliation as the Marquis becomes a lesser rival to this newcomer.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHAPTER XXXII DE LA JONQUIERE Barsapvos had become, suddenly, intolerable to Dick Knatchbull. He had always “ruled the roast” in half the Windward Islands, but more especially perhaps in Bar- bados, as a descendant of the beneficent and munificent Codringtons, whose long heads and long purses had been at work since 1710 in wise provisions for the education of white youth and the “religious instruction” of the black population of the island. Deduction: black souls might be worth saving, if black brains were not! However, when this scion of “Old Colonel Codrington” — peace to his ashes!— came to Barbados now, it was to find people “stark mad” about an American! “And a fellow abso- lutely without credentials.’”’ He was forever to the fore. Here, now, this new furor about him! This Aztec ring romance had thrown the whole island intoaferment. The value of the jewel could hardly be overstated. Wherefore all sorts of rumors flew about. Speculation was endless. What would the American do, and be, now? Already was he the very fugleman of fashion. What next? “They say he and the Marquis are going to France, to raise an army; retake Guadeloupe!” “Tf that’s true, Lord Mulgrave should hold the Ameri- can as prisoner-of-war. He’s borne arms against Great Britain.” All this sort of vaporing but added to Dick Knatch- bull’s discomfiture. He no longer looked on De la Jon- quiere with a jaundiced eye. [he Marquis had become a lesser rival than the American. Hateful thought! It was the first taste of humiliation Knatchbull had ever known in his whole life. He had experienced few unsatisfied whims or ambitions. His admiration for beautiful Rose Joséphine COMMICOOOKSa(e© m