Penny Dreadfuls, 1916 · page 87 of 400
Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 87: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 71: Running Prose from "The Committee of Public Safety" This is a page of running prose narrative (page 71) from a serialized penny dreadful. The text depicts a tense scene in which a man and his companion flee through a house as armed men arrive searching for a British officer. The men hide in a four-poster bed's corniced frame while armed pursuers, identifying themselves as the "Committee of Public Safety," conduct a search below. The passage emphasizes suspense through descriptions of darkness, urgent movement, and the approaching danger of discovery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY 71 “TI think it means — a hanging. Surrounded the house, you see. [hey’ve come for me.” “You don’t believe — you can’t suspect —!”’ “Am Ia knave, Tom?” He had thrust one pistol in his breast. [he other in hand, he faced the door. “Oh, my God!— Come on! Come, I tell you!” drag- ging his friend by the arm. Into the schoolroom — into the hall. He leaned over the banister. A dwindling, shaky light in the lower hall. Dilsey had gone to answer the bell. On tiptoe they ran on, through darkness and vacancy. Tom stopped at the door of that corner room, which had been Mrs. Anderson’s. Locked fast! He could have cursed with despair. He flew at the door leading upon the balcony — felt for the bolt — there was a rush of cold air. “Right on!’’ he panted. Over the iron railing, through the open window, into the pest room. Walls, ceiling, and floor had been lime-washed; and the four huge trees of solid rose- wood supporting the mighty rosewood tester here showed like the shadow of a bed 1n a white marble room. And look you! The rosewoed cornice surmounting the four-poster was deep enough for a breastwork, at a pinch. “In the tray of the tester!’ hissed Tom. “Up with you! — Here, stand on my shoulder. There! Down on your belly, man. Close. Oh, I hear ’em! Colonel! — I’Il shoot the fellow that harms you —”’ He fled — bolting the balcony door after him. Peering down into the lower hall, he saw there a dozen armed men pushing past a big black wench with a wobbling candle. In her terror, she stumbled, let fall the candle, and all was darkness. Foxy Dilsey! She stammered, “Dar! Done drapped de light.”” An angry mutter; the staggering tramp of balked feet— and the negro was audible again. “ Hatter go up ter Miss Sa’ah’s room en’ light de light ergin. Miss Sa’ah been mighty low —” “Your mistress will not be disturbed,” spoke up one. “Tell her the Committee of Public Safety is here, to search oe a British officer concealing himself about Oxheart ouse.”’ "~~: GoOmiGcsoo SS (©) mn