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Exact textual stateDraft

People of the Serpent

Part of People of the Serpent

StateDraft 3Surviving witnesses1
Textual identity is not textual authority. “Catalogue primary/default” selects the default catalogue representation; it does not mean that this wording is automatically Howard’s most authoritative text.

Characters in this exact text

Celia PompoloiCelia Pompoloi — priestess and guardian of the Heart of the Great Serpent in People of the SerpentOn Pagefirst: Initially discussed as owner of the cabin; later found alive as Bartholomew's prisoner.Joe CorleyJoe Corley — fugitive found dying on the swamp trail after being attacked by the Swamp CatOn Pagefirst: Harrison and Rogers find him on the trail.John BartholomewJohn Bartholomew — impostor priest who controls the swamp settlement and plots to seize the Heart of the Great SerpentOn Pagefirst: Joe Corley names him; Harrison later meets him in Celia's cabin.Li-keh-tsungLi-keh-tsung — murdered Chinese man whose stolen savings Harrison seeks to recover for his granddaughterMentionedfirst: Backstory initially leaves him unnamed; Harrison names him when arresting Woon Shang.Li-keh-tsung's granddaughterLi-keh-tsung's granddaughter — unnamed granddaughter for whom Steve Harrison seeks to recover Li-keh-tsung's stolen savingsMentionedfirst: Harrison explains the stolen-money motive; relationship is explicit by the ending.RogersRogers — local guide who leads Steve Harrison to the swamp trail in People of the SerpentOn Pagefirst: Opening conversation at the swamp trail.Steve HarrisonSteve Harrison — private detective and central protagonist of Lord of the DeadOn Pagefirst: Opening swamp-trail scene.the Swamp CatSwamp Cat — dangerous swamp-dwelling maniac used by the antagonist in People of the SerpentOn Pagefirst: Named by dying Joe Corley; later attacks Harrison.Great Serpentthe Great Serpent — Voodoo deity worshipped by the swamp community in People of the SerpentMentioned4 source-counted occurrence(s) · first: Steve Harrison's Casebook UE p. 57Woon ShangWoon Shang — Chinese fugitive pursued by Steve Harrison into the swamp in People of the SerpentOn Pagefirst: Opening conversation; later appears as captive.

Surviving manuscript evidence

The records below describe surviving physical typescripts, carbons, manuscript material and documentary catalogue evidence for this exact textual state. TSS numbers identify physical catalogue units; they are not story or draft IDs.

Draft 3 — surviving complete Howard carbonHoward carbon copy
Extent33 pagesCompletenessComplete

Physical extent: Complete 33-page untitled carbon with three misnumbered pages

TSS: Needs verification — working PDF v0.75 prints 21335–21361, but that range duplicates The Teeth of Doom Draft 3 and is intentionally withheld pending a verified correction

Complete untitled carbon draft. The compiler/transcriber verified 33 physical manuscript pages and specific pagination anomalies after checking the working edition.

Additional documentary notes

  • Untitled Witness: Draft 3 is untitled. (witness level)
  • Carbon Copy: The surviving Draft 3 witness is a carbon. (witness level)
  • Pagination Anomaly: The fourth physical page is numbered 6 and the fifth physical page is numbered 7. (manuscript pages 4 and 5)
  • Pagination Anomaly: The twenty-first physical page is numbered 20. (manuscript page 21)
  • Chapter Number Omission: Draft 3 has no chapter number for Chapter 2, although Chapter 3 is numbered. (beginning of Chapter 2)
  • Unverified Tss Reference: The working PDF prints TSS 21335–21361, but the same range is assigned there to The Teeth of Doom Draft 3. The range is withheld from permanent mapping until verified. (witness level)

Source: Hardboiled Manuscripts, Volume 1 v0.75, People of the Serpent Draft 3 pp. 331–359; physical-witness correction supplied by compiler/transcriber 2026-08-13