Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 387 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 387: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running prose (page 367) from a Victorian penny dreadful titled "Who was It?" The text depicts an interrogation scene: Captain Leslie has been shot by an unknown assassin who escaped despite being surrounded by officers. A young woman named Miss Anderson is questioned about the shooter—she admits knowing him and that he owes his life to her brother and Dr. Pratt. As she denies suspicion of who the culprit is, she suddenly wonders about someone named Ole, recalling his boastful threat about shooting British soldiers when they arrived. The passage emphasizes mystery and mounting tension around the shooter's identity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Wuo was IT? 367 “What’s that?’ grandmother’s feverish voice rang out sharply. “Better let her go downstairs with me, madam. Dr. Polwhele — surgeon of Tarleton’s Legion — is with Cap- tain Leslie.”’ And albeit his hair bristled with excitement, and his round face was red as a ripe pomegranate, Dr. Pratt looked every inch a man, when he entered the dining- room; on his arm a childishly young girl in a white “ book- muslin.” The two men sitting over their wine — there were only two; the rest led searching-parties — rose instantly when Dare came in, Dr. Pratt announcing briefly, “Miss An- derson.”’ She did not blush or shrink. Her large eyes were turned full upon Colonel Tarleton as he proceeded to put questions. Captain Leslie had been shot down al- most in the presence of his brother officers, yet the assas- sin had escaped! It seemed incredible that he could have eluded instant pursuit!— the eyes of hundreds! There was a mystery here — as black as the Pit! “There must be some one under this roof who saw him! you know it was he? You called him by name.” “He was standing in the door when I went upstairs.” “Indeed! He is known to you, then?” “Very well. He owes his life to my brother and Dr. Peatt! “Ts it possible? Queerer still— There’s a drum-head court martial at the end of it all, if — Miss Anderson, as Leslie was a friend, you should be able to conjecture who tried to kill him?” “T have no suspicion who it was!’’ And even as she made the declaration, a wild thought startled her pulses: “Where is Ole?’’? She had not seen him since the raiders seized Oxheart! Ole’s old boast startled her memory: “Yust vait till de Pritish gum. Ole vill shood dem down CONRDICLMOO® SS (C©) mn