Penny Blood Serial Cover — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALFRED DE ROSANN. 129 *O no!’ answered Belle-Rose ; the Chinese have commenced hostilities against us, and the island of Madagascar has revolted.” “Then Algiers is in China, I suppose,” cried the grandmother, “ and it was the Chinese army which the great Marshal Bourmont defeated.’’ “Precisely, my good woman. I and my com- panion were engaged in all the*campaigns, and have brought away ever-blooming laurels with us.” “Ah! I should like to seek those laurels,’’ said the old woman, while De Rosann had the greatest diffi- culty to suppress a laugh. | “ What kind of men are the Chinese ?”’ inquired Jeannette. “Giants, my love —seven feet high — mounted upon crocodiles,and clothed in armour,” replied Belle- Rose. “Their king, whose name is Chinchangen- topemandandarallah, is as tall as the church steeple of Brest, and as fierce as the lions in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. He devours ten oxen at one meal, drinks up a river, and tramples upon his subjects as he walksabroad. Ah! as for his ferocity, God knows some of our poor countrymen can answer for it !”’ “ Bah! and you have seen all that??? exclaimed the old woman. “ Hivery atom of it—the king—the crocodiles—and the ten oxen,’”’ returned Belle-Rose after a pause, during which he assured himself by a single glance that he was not regarded with looks of incredulity on the part of the grandmother and Jeannette. ‘I once saw him take up a cow by the tail, just as you, my pretty maiden, would lift a pear by its stalk, and hurl the poor beast a thousand yards.”’ | ‘Of course it was killed ?”? remarked the girl. ‘No such thing: the cows in that country wear steel jackets and wadded pelisses; and in this instance the happy animal escaped unhurt.” : “Papa has not seen so many wonderful sights,’’ cried Jeannette, shaking her head to express the extent of her astonishment at thése marvels. ! C@nniclo@olK< (C@