Chapter 10: The Invader of Fort Duckburg
Dates: 1902
Waiting for Scrooge in Duckburg, Calisota is an unwelcome reunion with the Beagle Boys and a little scuffle with Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders before convincing them he's not a foreign invader. Eventually, he secures his land on Killmotor Hill (formerly Killmule Hill) and begins construction of his money bin. Meanwhile, Hortense hits it off with the only person in the world who can match her temper, Quackmore Duck.
Don Rosa thought this chapter turned out the best because it only had to cover a timespan of a few days and thus had the best pacing in the series.
This chapter provides examples of:
- Accidental Hero: The Junior Woodchucks report Scrooge taking Fort Duckberg for himself, which results in it being attacked by Roosevelt and his Rough Riders...right when Scrooge was being robbed by the Beagle Boys. As Scrooge admits at the end, the Woodchucks' actions saved him.
- Accidental Misnaming: Scrooge repeatedly gets the Junior Woodchucks' name wrong (until he finally and surprisingly gets it right)."It's the Midget Gophers!"
"And you Runt Chipmunks can stay away!"
"Not Microbe Moles or Beagle Boys or even the president can push me around!" - The Alleged Car: Scrooge is introduced having bought a car, but he refused to buy trivial options such as brakes. He comes to regret this decision when said car begins to slide down from a hill.
- Birds of a Feather: Quackmore and Hortense quickly fall in love because they realize that they are equally foul-tempered. In fact, their very first interaction is a heated argument that almost immediately turns into a Love at First Sight experience for them both.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Hortense and Quackmore.
- Broomstick Quarterstaff: Hortense frightens away all the Rough Riders with her broom.
- Bucket Booby-Trap: When Scrooge, Matilda, and Hortense first approach Fort Duckburg, Scrooge warns the girls that there may be deadly traps ahead. He dramatically searches for danger... and then falls into a Bucket Booby-Trap, courtesy of the Junior Woodchucks. Hortense teases him about the seriousness of this trap.
- Call-Forward:
- Hortense and Quackmore are not married yet, and their children were born 18 years later (in 1920). But the story ends with them discussing baby names, and Hortense protesting against the silly name "Donald". Their future son is Donald Duck.
- The Junior Woodchucks appear as a small trio of boy-scouts, and they mention having to find a way to reduce their Guidebook's size.
- Chance Meeting Between Antagonists: Scrooge just happens to stumble upon the Beagle Boys.
- Compliment Backfire: Scrooge, delighted to learn that the young rancher he met in Montana has become the President of the United States, remarks, "why you've done almost as well as I have!" Roosevelt is not flattered.
- Cool vs. Awesome:
Theodore Roosevelt and his army vs. Scrooge McDuck and his moldy wooden fort. - Exact Words: As Scrooge and Teddy Roosevelt are enjoying a weenie roast over a campfire in Fort Duckburg, Matilda gloomily remarks that it does technically qualify as "dinner with the President", but not at all what she envisioned when their brother became a billionaire.
- Extremely Short Time Span: This story takes place over the course of a day.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: The Junior Woodchucks, evicted from their fort by who they think is an enemy agent from Scotland, send a telegraph to the authorities for help. At the other end of their message is Theodore Roosevelt, who immediately goes to Duckburg with an army to repel the foreign invader.
- I Want Grandkids: A subplot of the episode. The Beagle Boys at this point have only four members (a father and his three sons), and feel that they lack the strength in numbers to pose much of a threat to Scrooge and his allies. So Blackheart Beagle announces to his sons that he wants them to get married and have kids, because it is the only way for the gang to get larger. (About time too. Scooge is 35-years-old here, all 3 of Blackheart's sons are older than Scrooge, and they still live with their parents.)
- Impact Silhouette: When Scrooge's car crashes into a corn field, it cuts a distinct silhouette amongst the plants.
- Improbable Weapon User: Scrooge uses parts of his own fort as projectile to repel the Rough Riders. Overlaps with Abnormal Ammo.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: When Scrooge unwittingly finds the Beagle Boys, they deny having stolen one given animal from neighbouring farmers, only for said animal to cry.
- Lamarck Was Right: We see Gladstone's mother and it looks like he inherited his good luck from his mother. Likewise, Hortense meets the equally irascible Quackmore, and their future romance will result in Donald Duck.
- Oddly Small Organization: Played for laughs here. In Barks' stories, the Junior Woodchucks are an international scouting organization, with numerous members across the globe. The 1902 version of the organization depicted here, acts as if they are an international organization ... but it only has 3 members.
- Poor Communication Kills: The reason Scrooge ends up in conflict with Teddy is because he evicted the Junior Woodchucks from the Fort Duckburg without explaining that he legally bought it from Casey Coot.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: Not only is Roosevelt the President of the United States, he acts like a Frontline General and shrugs off a fortification falling on him.
- Read the Fine Print: Due to his deteriorating eyesight, Scrooge couldn't read the fine print when he bought his early motor-car. As such, he didn't know it ran on a mix of whale oil and kerosene, or that one of the "costly" options he rejected were breaks.
- Running Gag: Scrooge is repeatedly unable to get the name of the Junior Woodchucks right, calling them "Pygmy Groundhogs," "Midget Gophers," etc. Even the Beagle Boys correct him.
- The Siege: Scrooge's fort at the top of Killmotor Hill is assieged by the United States army.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Initially Hortense and Quackmore spit fire at each other for two minutes straight. Then spent another five looking longingly at each other's eyes. In the last panel, Hortense is throwing a fit over baby names, while Quackmore watches her serenely.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: The Beagle Boys absolutely didn't steal that animal!
- There's No Kill like Overkill: Theodore calls in for a naval bombardment to bring down a moldy wooden fort.
- Would Not Hit a Girl: The Rough Riders are forced to retreat when Hortense charges them with a broom.Sgt.: Back, men! We can't hit a woman!
Rider: Aw, come on, Sarge! Please?
