Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 60 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 60: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 44: Running Prose from "Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil" This page contains running prose text from what appears to be a serialized penny dreadful adventure story. The passage describes Tom Anderson and a companion (Unaka) venturing into snow-choked woods where they encounter a starved, half-tamed wolf called "the Governor," hear mysterious singing about Cornwallis, and glimpse what they believe to be a supernatural apparition—a ghastly-faced figure in a red coat carrying a sword. Frightened by what seems a spirit, both boys flee into the darkness as a mournful howl sounds from the woods.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
44 Tom ANDERSON, DarE-DEVIL “How much darker it is in here, among the tree-trunks,”’ observed Anderson, when they were on their legs and pushing into the snow-choked woods. Nothing was to be heard but the crunch of their feet. They went on for a bit, peering among the trees. [om stared at every white hillock. Unaka eyed the thickets. He pointed to a mov- ing something. | “Hello? It’s the Governor.’ He came clear of the un- derbrush — a long, lean gray wolf, with a starved hump of the fore-shoulders that told of a famishing belly. Some- where, in years gone by, the old fellow had come by a broken jaw, so it was hard work to hold what he seized. When times were hard, the boys had fed him; he was half tamed. “Governor, you look hungry. In these sorry times, Your Excellency, governors have to go empty, — and hide from the hangman as well!” vat _ Asound of muffled singing broke on their ears. ‘* Cornwallis is a-comin’ — you must hide or you must swing!” Whiteskin gave a start. Redskin, one stealthy look about him. Tom whispered, “It came from under the ground.” The wolf was glaring at something, his bristles rising like a boar’s. ‘Tom looked over his shoulder. Who was thatf— standing there under the trees? He was ghastly of face. There was a play of gold over his red coat. He carried a sword in his hand. ‘His spirit! — his spirit!” and both boys ran for their lives. Many a stout heart has felt its pulses dwindle under a sense of the supernatural. Unaka could have whipped his weight in wildcats and ‘Tom was no coward; yet, when they halted, the Indian had his hand on Going Snake’s knife; the white was sprouting goose-flesh. “It was he: he’s walking!” panted Tom. Out of the woods now, a long, mournful howl. ‘What does that mean!” Unaka answered by turning sharply about; and Tom followed. “Into the mouth of hell” he would go with Unaka ahead or aheel. The sky was still full of red ECONMMICOOOKSa(e© m