The Blockade Runner — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

4) 18 THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. “Go ahead full speed, cap’n,” said Foulweather ~ Tom. Powell returned to the center of the bridge and sionalled the enyvineer. "The Foxhouud, which for some time had been run- ning at half-speed, now bounded forward, like her namesake, after a quarry. “Steady a-starboard!” whispered the pilot, and the word was instantly passed to the man at the wheel. The words had scarcely left his mouth ere the fiash of a cannon lit up a part of the sea for a moment, and a shot tore across the Foxhound’s deck, carrying a piece of the taffrail into the sea. “That Yankee gunner must have the eyes of an owl!” said Powell, amazed at the shot. “The next one will pierce our counter, and the next tear through our boiler-room.” Lights seemed to be flashing on every side, but dark- ness still enveloped the blockade runner. Her crew knew the danger and swarmed her deck, but not a loud word was spoken. Hard upon the first shot from the Union fleet came another and another, only one of which took effect, with a crash of splintering wood, in the hull of the steamer. “Hard a-starboard !” said Foulweather Tom. “ Hard down she is,” came back the word. Another bright flash and another shot tore a jagged piece out of the mizzen-mast. Evidently the Union gunners, in spite of the rough ‘gea, which rendered an accurate aim almost impossible, were well up in their line of work. Things were getting decidedly warm, but the CoOmichooks (©