Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 66 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 66: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose from the penny dreadful "Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil" (page 50). The text describes a mysterious strong man named Peter Francisco arriving through the snow to help carry a wounded man into a house, and subsequently a character named Dilsey learning of the plan and expressing fear about hiding this injured man—apparently a redcoat (British soldier)—in the house without the knowledge of Miss Sarah or others in the community. The passage emphasizes Francisco's extraordinary strength and his refusal of payment for his assistance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
50 Tom ANDERSON, DaRE-DEVIL nodded. “Very well! How are we to get this man into the house without help?” “Help is here.” A man had come through the driving snow. He did not speak — he merely was. Had there been light enough to make him out, they would have seen a long- armed, broad-backed fellow with South-of-Europe eyes. Dr. Pratt demanded sharply, “Who are you?” “Peter,” heavily. “Peter! Have you no other name, man?” “Aye. My other nameis ‘The Strong Man of Virginia.’” “Yes— yes! It’s Peter Francisco, Doctor! Take him, Peter — So!” And he of the magnificent sinews— the Virginia Olym- pian — wound his arms about the man in the blanket, and carried him up the steep, crooked stairs, and laid him gently down on the bed which had been made ready in the loom-room — for the most execrated man in America. Francisco cracked his fingers thoughtfully. “No more’n a rag-baby to lift. Could ’a’ fetched a couple of hogsheads o’ tobacco up them stairs en’ never sweated.” Into Peter’s palm went a certain old doubloon Tom had kept the bet- ter part of his life, but Peter would none of it. “ Your daddy’s done me more’n one good turn; want no money of yourn.”’ Tom wrung the Titan’s hand. “And you’ll keep dark, Peter?”’ With a nod, the giant so abruptly introduced into this game of life and death, went softly out into the snowstorm, and trudged back to Carr’s fireside — whence Unaka had fetched him. Dare had been busy before the doctor’s old gig crept up in the darkness out there. Ole and Dilsey had to be taken into the secret. Nothing could be done without their help. Dilsey’s amazement knew no bounds when she heard all that had happened. But when told what Tom meant to do, she was fairly frightened. “My Lord above! Gwine fetch er wounded gen’man — en’ dat er redcoat! — inter dis house? Bedout Miss Sa’ah’s sesso? En’ we-all hatter hide him fum black en’ white? ECOMICOOOKSs(e© m