December 19th, 2011
19 Dec 2011 · page 28 of 1306
It's always nice to be appreciated!
Cast: Harriet Barber, Sidney Malik
Comments (18)
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What a Punny Escape.
Why do those pistols have five barrels?
They're magic guns, and five is one of the magical numbers? Different culture with different guncrafting principles? shrug
They're pepperboxes, if I'm not mistaken. A type of hand-held shotgun popular in London for it's ease of use and lethality in close quarters. favored by muggers and those in fear of being mugged due to the reliability and multi-shot capability of the multiple barrels. For this time period, percussion cap weapons will be the bleeding edge of weaponry advancements having been invented only three years prior to the events currently transpiring in the strip, as are revolvers as we know them. In fact I think Mr. Colt invents his first revolver in 1836 (not for another three years in the comic!), so the only revolver in existence that I can think of would be the Collier Revolver, a flintlock manufactured for British troops in India starting in 1819 by John Evans & Son of London. As a side note, many flintlock weapons, including Collier Revolvers were later converted or manufactured to use a percussion cap rather then a flintlock mechanism after the invention of the percussion cap in 1830. And that's the history lession for the day.
They are pepperboxes indeed! They looked interesting to draw and period-appropriate, so why not.
Though I'd heard that the multi-barrel shot thing was a malfunction and not the intended way to fire 'em. Dunno how right that is.
Since I just read League of Extraordinary Gentleman again, here is MARK TWAIN ON THE PEPPERBOX:
George Bemis . . . wore in his belt an old original "Allen" revolver, such as irreverent people called a "pepper-box." Simply drawing the trigger back, cocked and fired the pistol. As the trigger came back, the hammer would begin to rise and the barrel to turn over, and presently down would drop the hammer, and away would speed the ball. To aim along the turning barrel and hit the thing aimed at was a feat which was probably never done with an "Allen" in the world. But George's was a reliable weapon, nevertheless, because, as one of the stage-drivers afterward said, "If she didn't get what she went after, she would fetch something else." And so she did. She went after a deuce of spades nailed against a tree, once, and fetched a mule standing about thirty yards to the left of it. Bemis did not want the mule; but the owner came out with a double-barreled shotgun and persuaded him to buy it, anyhow. It was a cheerful weapon--the "Allen." Sometimes all its six barrels would go off at once, and then there was no safe place in all the region round about, but behind it.
"When they're laughing at you, they're not killing you. When they're not killing you, you've got a chance to make it to tomorrow."
And on a sidenote - Harry should really know better than to put her weapons out of arm's reach, unless she has good reason to suspect that she'd be frisked soon.
He just needs to distract them till he accidentally steals their guns. :-)
Monocle thug O__o
They come from Eve Online.
Hummmm. He certainly seems to have the distraction part of fake magic down.
I'm a little bit disappointed by Harry lack of anticipation here. I thougth a seasonned hunter like her would be more able to prepare for such events.
I guess it is because she is more used to travel alone and in rough conditions.
Panel 2 - Harry's disappointment as the tripwire fails to go off. ;)
PEPPERBOXES! The coolest pistil ever to come out of the human mind.
*pistol.
"We's gettin' paid as bee-fits our status, miss!" This page xD
Sid is so adorable in this one<3