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Remember who slew the Vampyr! (Bram Stoker’s Birthday)

To-day is the one hundred and sixty-fifth birthday of Bram Stoker.

Forgive me my pridefulness for my homeland, it is worth noting, armed with a bowie knife, the man who Stoker had kill the Monster, was a Texan — Quincy Morris!

 

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6 Comments

  1. Jimmy Branagh Jimmy Branagh November 8, 2012

    – In the midst of this I could see that Jonathan on one side of the
    ring of men, and Quincey on the other, were forcing a way to the cart.
    It was evident that they were bent on finishing their task before the
    sun should set. Nothing seemed to stop or even to hinder them.Neither
    the levelled weapons nor the flashing knives of the gypsies in front,
    nor the howling of the wolves behind, appeared to even attract their
    attention. Jonathan’s impetuosity, and the manifest singleness of his
    purpose, seemed to overawe those in front of him. Instinctively they
    cowered aside and let him pass. In an instant he had jumped upon the
    cart, and with a strength which seemed incredible, raised the great box,
    and flung it over the wheel to the ground. In the meantime, Mr. Morris
    had had to use force to pass through his side of the ring of Szgany. All
    the time I had been breathlessly watching Jonathan I had, with the tail
    of my eye, seen him pressing desperately forward, and had seen the
    knives of the gypsies flash as he won a way through them, and they cut
    at him. He had parried with his great bowie knife, and at first I
    thought that he too had come through in safety. But as he sprang beside
    Jonathan, who had by now jumped from the cart, I could see that with his
    left hand he was clutching at his side, and that the blood was spurting
    through his fingers. He did not delay notwithstanding this, for as
    Jonathan, with desperate energy, attacked one end of the chest,
    attempting to prize off the lid with his great Kukri knife, he attacked
    the other frantically with his bowie. Under the efforts of both men the
    lid began to yield. The nails drew with a screeching sound, and the top
    of the box was thrown back.

    By this time the gypsies, seeing themselves covered by the
    Winchesters, and at the mercy of Lord Godalming and Dr. Seward, had
    given in and made no further resistance. The sun was almost down on the
    mountain tops, and the shadows of the whole group fell upon the snow. I
    saw the Count lying within the box upon the earth, some of which the
    rude falling from the cart had scattered over him. He was deathly pale,
    just like a waxen image, and the red eyes glared with the horrible
    vindictive look which I knew so well.

    As I looked, the eyes saw the sinking sun, and the look of hate in them turned to triumph.

    But, on the instant, came the sweep and flash of Jonathan’s great
    knife. I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat. Whilst at the
    same moment Mr. Morris’s bowie knife plunged into the heart.

    It was like a miracle, but before our very eyes, and almost in the
    drawing of a breath, the whole body crumbled into dust and passed from
    our sight.

    I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment of final
    dissolution, there was in the face a look of peace, such as I never
    could have imagined might have rested there.

  2. Jedburgh30 Dagger Jedburgh30 Dagger November 8, 2012

    Just like ol’ Jimbo at the Sandbar!

    • Glaubrius Valeska Glaubrius Valeska November 9, 2012

      Indeed Commodore! And the passage provided by young Jimmy reminds me of the 2nd Texas at Corinth, assaulting Battery Robinette; the Union defenders would later remark upon their amazement that the Texans, their ranks rent mercilessly by Federal grapeshot, did not even pause in their charge, and washed over the redoubt like an ocean wave!

  3. Edward Pearse Edward Pearse November 9, 2012

    Just like an American: combined effort of Johnathan Harker and Quincey Morris,  and the Englishman’s efforts are conveniently put aside to claim full kill for the Texan. :-)

    • Pilipo Underwood Pilipo Underwood November 9, 2012

      My apologies, Sir! You make a pretty strong point I gotta say. I was wonderin’ if part of Jimmy’s excerpt was to make that apparent. So I fall back on the martyr appeal? Like the Alamo, or Professor Valeska’s historical lesson? Texans do that Victory in Death thang fairly well …

      Still, I stand corrected!

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