The Blockade Runner — page 164: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. 165 answered the young commander. ‘Do you. sur- render ?” A moment of breathless suspense followed. “We are not armed. Your. shot has pierced us through and through,” was the response. “ We can- not resist and are forced to surrender.” The next moment a loud voice on the Confederate’s deck cried out: “into the sea for your lives, men! ‘T’he captain has fired the fuse attached to the torpedo!” Instantly dark figures leaped over the sides of the blockade runner and threw themselves into the sea. “| feared that !” exclaimed Bentham, making for the quarter-deck. “For heaven’s sake back off, Captain Graham. There’s no telling when the torpedo will explode !” The Avenger was instantly reversed, and the next moment she was leaving the spot as rapidly as possible. All at once a noise like the explosion of a score of ammunition chests rent the air, the very sea itself _ seemed to reel, and the Avenger was almost thrown upon her side. Captain Ralph Powell of the Foxhound had kept his word! His famous ship was worse than a wreck. With his own hands he had destroyed her rather than let her fall into the hands of the Unionists. If the Avenger had not been warned by the voice from the Foxhound’s deck she might have been sunk _by the explosion, for Powell had evidently waited until she came up for the mad purpose of sinking both ships together. The force of the explosion prostrated every soul on - board the Union cruiser. Comicaoo S (©