Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 67 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 67: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a running prose page (page 51) from the penny dreadful *Stalking a Ghost*. The text depicts enslaved servants—particularly a woman named Dilsey—discussing how to hide a man (apparently a British soldier or fugitive) from militia who intend to execute him. Dilsey protests the plan to conceal him in the loom-room, citing practical obstacles with her work, but ultimately complies and prepares a bed there with help from other servants. The passage includes dialect-heavy dialogue rendered in period conventions and narrative description of the servants' actions and motivations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
STALKING A GHOST _ oT Why, babe! De m’litia’ll hang him ’fo’ day—soon’s dee find him.” “We must see to it that they don’t find him.”’ ‘“Whut is dis worl’ comin’ ter? Is Marse Tom gone *stracted? Ainh we-all in ’nuff trouble, now, ’thout gittin’ in mo’ fer helpin’ en’ harborin’ de British? Master gone. Marse Troupe gone. Miss Sa’ah flat on her back, en’ here’s two chillun gwine tek de bit in de teef! Lord, whut gwine come of us? Everbody gone clean out’n dee natchul senses! Howde name de Lord I gwine hide er sick man in dishyer house?”’ ‘Tom says we must put him in the loom-room.” Dilsey groaned. “Listen, Lord! In de loom-room? Whar-bouts I gwine put all dem tubs er dye? Whut I gwine do wid dem weavers? Whut gwine come er dat gret pile er spun-truck? Whar-bouts Mr. Foutdegoat gwine wuk?’’ But even as she poured forth protests and forebod- ings,-Dilsey selected a key from the key basket. “Look in de big oak press, en’ git out some sheets, Miss Dare. Tek "em up ter de loom-room, en’ wait fer me.”’ Mrs. Anderson’s own maid enjoyed many privileges and an enviable authority over her fellow servants. She delighted to “make dem niggers move,” and the core of her existence was to act as the mouthpiece of the Mistress of Oxheart. The difficulties, perplexities, most of all the excitement of this wild undertaking — the conduct of a secret — stirred her. Here was her chance. She would justify the confidence of her “whi’ folks.’ With Dare’s and Mimi’s help, then, the loom-room was made ready for this strange guest. Ole’s bed was transformed. Around the big cherry bedstead a white valance was hung. Laven- dered linen, and lamb’s-wool blankets replaced Mr. Fauchetegoat’s bedclothing. Ole looked on with some anxiety. “Vell, den, Dilshey? Vere you sposhe I is go’ner shleep? Onh?”’ ‘“Ainh stud’n’ you now, Ole. You’ll hatter tek ter de hammock, yonder, till we gits thoo wid this tribberlation.”’ CONNICLMOO® SS (E©) mn