Chapter 2: The Master of the Mississippi
Dates: 1880-1882
Scrooge's first American venture is with his Uncle Angus "Pothole" McDuck on his riverboat inLouisville, Kentucky. The two of them go on Scrooge's first treasure hunt for a sunken ship in the Mississippi, the Drennan Whyte, with some help from Gyro Gearloose's grandfather, Ratchet Gearloose. In the process, Scrooge meets (and names) his first generation of Beagle Boys. Their next meeting two years later ends with the destruction of the riverboat Scrooge bought from his uncle. Out of options in the riverboat business and still no profit to show for it, 15-year-old Scrooge moves West. (Meanwhile, his Uncle Pothole goes into the dime store novel business.)
This chapter provides examples of:
- Arson, Murder, and JaywalkingThose pirates are guilty of stealing gold, demolishing a riverboat without a permit and dressing up in women's clothing.
- The fisherman stating "I bin ta three state fairs, two rodeos, an'a picnic, but that was the dangdest thang I ever seed!" His companion also reacts to "picnic" being on his list.
- Call-Forward: Angus chastises Scrooge for keeping a coin just for sentimental value, joking that he would end up with a bin full of coins. It is a reference to, and inspires Scrooge's future money bin.
- Chekhov's Gun: The Sawyer, trees trapped at the bottom of the Mississipi and which can violently spring out of the water, are introduced early and of course have some use at the end of the story.
- Continuity Nod: In Angus' and Porker's first scene, Angus mentions him and Porker losing their ships in a river race. This same race would be completed by their nephews in the Carl Barks story, "The Great Steamboat Race".
- Contrived Coincidence: Scrooge encounters a member of the Gearloose family and the Beagle Boys in Louisville. Later he winds up living alongside them in Duckburg, all three parties having decided to settle there completely independently of each other. The in-story explanation is that Scrooge purchased land in Duckburg during his Klondike days (without having a particular goal in mind), the Beagle Boys migrated west at some point between the 1880s and 1900s, and Duckburg attracted a lot of new arrivals after Scrooge's arrival, to the many available jobs in his companies.
- Cool Uncle: Angus McDuck is this to Scrooge. An aging riverboat captain, gambler, and amateur treasure hunter, that gives Scrooge his first taste in adventuring. Subverted in that he pays his nephew a meager 30 cents a day (About 8 dollars adjusting for inflation).
- Creator Provincialism: Why does Scrooge go to Louisville? Because that's where Don Rosa's from, so why not? That, and it really was one of the major ports of the Ohio river at the time.
- Dramatic Unmask: Parodied, Scrooge exposes the Beagle Boys as wanted felons by taking off the masks that only covers the area around their eyes.
- End of an Age: By the time Scrooge takes over ownership of his uncle's riverboat, the burgeoning railroad industry has made river transport obsolete. When the Beagle Boys blow up the ship, Scrooge calls it quits and gets work on a train.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Ratchet manages to save himself and Scrooge from a boiler explosion by having the idea of hiding inside another boiler and using cotton to cushion themselves.
- Epic Fail: In their second encounter with Scrooge, the Beagle Boys trap Scrooge and Ratchet in the boiler room after breaking the safety valve, planning that the explosion will cover up the gold theft. Unmanned, the riverboat goes ashore and crashes into the Beagles' shack, and then explodes.Blackheart: You nitwits! You was follered by a whole riverboat!
- Even Evil Has Standards: Porker Hoggs is an antagonist but doesn't welsh on a deal. The Beagle Boys do. However, even the Beagle Boys disapprove of Angus when he seemingly is ready to let his nephew die for another treasure. Blackheart points out that he too would let his kin die if he could get rich, though.
- Eviler than Thou: The Beagle Boys to Porker Hogg. For added fun, the Beagles dispose of Porker immediately after Porker reveals his redeeming trait of never going back on a deal.
- Face Framed in Shadow: The Beagle Boys, before they get their masks.
- Five-Aces Cheater: The poker game between Pothole and Porker, in which Porker lays down a full house of three kings and two aces, and Pothole responds with another full house of three aces... and two more aces. It turns out the "ace dispenser" up Porker's sleeve broke. Pothole then tells Scrooge that they were playing by "riverboat captain rules", in which not trying to cheat is an insult to the other players.
- Foreshadowing: Pothole tells Scrooge he'll pay him 30 cents a day to work at his boat. Scrooge's reaction is to get an entertained look on his face and ponder "A man paying his own nephew only 30 cents a day to help him hunt treasure! Frugal... very frugal!" Donald apparently has Pothole to blame for his low salaries working with his uncle.
- Generation Xerox: Uncles hiring their nephews as sidekicks for dangerous, exciting adventures must be a McDuck family tradition.
- Gold Fever: Scrooge and Angus seek out a stash of government gold worth 100,000$.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: The future Beagle Boys are looking for a new gang name, but it is Scrooge who unwittingly baptizes them by calling them "Beagle Boys", a name which the thugs like.
- Inevitable Waterfall: A waterfall is situated near Louisville.
- I Should Write a Book About This: Angus decides to become a writer, relating his adventures on the Mississipi.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Scrooge meets Angus but takes some time to reveal that he is Angus' nephew. Since Angus migrated to the United States decades ago, he has never met his nephew.
- The Magic Poker Equation: Subverted, Angus deliberately cheats in a very important hand of poker, and better than his opponent Porker Hoggs by having five aces in his hand.
- Mucking in the Mud: The Mississipi and by extension the sunken ship hiding the treasure, are very muddy.
- Naïve Newcomer: The young Scrooge is this, being inexperienced enough that the first man he meets in Louisville manages steal Scrooge's luggage.
- No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: When Scrooge and Angus find the treasure, Scrooge is a little disappointed to have become rich so rapidly and through luck rather than work. He doesn't keep the treasure for long.
- Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: Averted, as Porker Hog and Uncle Pothole's game demonstrates, cheating is not only commonplace, but it is considered rude not to cheat. When Pothole beats him at cards (having 5 aces), Porker is more angry that his trick card device got jammed, and everyone just has a laugh at his expense.
- No Honor Among Thieves: The Beagles turn on Porker after reaching the (Apparent) site of the treasure, and Angus cackles at the "Honor among thieves" when Porker makes his way to shore.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: The Beagle Boys surprise Scrooge by disguising as old ladies. Scrooge remarks that the moustache should have tipped him off.
- Riches to Rags: Scrooge temporarily manages a lucrative business, before the Beagle Boys manage to ruin him. Scrooge now only has his family heirlooms and a few dollars to his name.
- Running Gag: Pothole describing how muddy the Mississippi river is.
- Tempting Fate: The Beagle Boys hoping that they will never have to experience Scrooge stopping them from stealing money again. Scrooge will more than once express a wish to never see them again either. Naturally in present-day stories, they are Scrooge's most persistent and ever-present foes.
- Treasure Hunt Episode: This entry focuses on Scrooge looking for a treasure, instead of building his fortune with business. Scrooge himself isn't too thrilled to become rich like this.
- Underground Boat: The Drennan Whyte was in fact hidden underground, and not at the bottom of the river.
- Underwater Ruins: The Beagle Boys witness the ruins of a ghost town lying at the bottom of the Mississipi.
- Villain Ball: The Beagle Boys try to kill Scrooge by locking him inside a boat and making the boiler blow up, giving him time to escape.
- Wretched Hive: Louisville is this. The city is depicted as full of thieves, gamblers, river pirates, and other unsavory types.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: The second Porker Hog no longer has anything to offer the Beagle Boys, they renege on their deal with him, and toss him overboard to take the Dilly Dollar Treasure for themselves.
