Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 52 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose from a Victorian penny dreadful titled *Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil* (page 36). The text describes Tom witnessing a woman flee on horseback through snow, then a soldier abandoning his horse on foot—apparently a British spy. Tom, excited at the prospect of capturing a "redcoat," pursues along a snowy road until a mysterious, extraordinarily tall man on horseback with bandaged jaws gallops up, silently beckons Tom forward with urgent gestures, and Tom follows him. The narrative emphasizes melodramatic action and Tom's youthful daring.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
36 Tom ANDERSON, Dare-DEvIL her muffled feet churned the snow until it whirled about her like spume. She was the force at the center of a white cyclone for a minute; then over another fence she went, and plunged into the tvory thicket. “Gone stark mad, I do believe. Butt her brains out against the first tree!’’ muttered the unhorsed soldier. His holsters over his arm, off he strode. In a few minutes he was out of sight along the highway. Carr let out a great oath. “If iver I see the loikes av thot!” Tom was shivering with excitement. Who could have believed the fellow would abandon his horse! Plod off afoot through the snow! It proved that time was the price- less thing for ham. And a British spy was trudging along the road yonder, — in old Albemarle! Crude eyes set in a copper face pierced the white. “Look to the mare, Unaka, — before she kills herself. I?ll follow him!” Warn the authorities? Never. How, then, could he hope to arrest an armed man? When he put this ques- tion to himself, Tom had no answer ready. But to bag a redcoat! What would n’t he dare? He had reached a point commanding a long stretch of road. The moon burst forth in abrupt splendor. Nobody in sight. “Had a lift,” muttered Anderson — and he did n’t miss it. Mr. Fitz- hugh had picked up a pedestrian and given him a seat in his gig. Tom rode on doggedly — but he felt like a fool. By and by, behind him, the thud of hoofs in the snow. A man came galloping down on him. He was of extraordi- nary stature. His raw-boned “clay-bank” lunged ahead as if two hundred and fifty were no weight. The man’s shagey brows overhung deep-set eyes. He wore a buck- skin coat, a hairy coon-skin cap. His jaws were bound to- gether with blood-stiffened bandages. He cast one look at the wide-eyed boy, but didn’t speak. He could n’t open his jaws. What he did do was to point to the road before them — and beckon Tom on! With what fiery, speechless importunity! And the summons was answered. CONNIE KOOKS (E() m