The Blockade Runner — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

EA THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. 19 steamer was drawing inside the line of blockaders fast ; but she was liable to be disabled before she succeeded in getting out of range. Captain Powell sciod with hands clinched and a face reddened by madness. Presently a broadside was fired from a point where no vessel had yet been seen, and the iron balls tore like hail across the Foxhound’s deck, killing two sailors and knocking the smokestack away. Gun after gun now opened on the devoted little blockade runner; but the man at the helm did his duty, and the ship pt on eS of the iron shower. It was now a race for life, and every minute was that much precious time. Bentham, the young passenger, had not left his post for a moment. He stood erect like a person without fear, watching the flash of the Federal guns with the utmost non- chalance imaginable. Foulweather Tom had reached a pathway leading straight to port; but the Union fleet seemed deter- siete! to sink him outside the bar. “Took yonder,’ exclaimed Powell. “ Do you see that gunboat? They are going to get between usand the shoals. There! there is a mountain of iron straight ahead! I guess the days of the Foxhound are numbered. Well, if it comes to the worst, I know what todo. If I cannot escape I will keep my oath. I will reach port or perish!” Powell had scarcely finished ere the flash of a heavy gun illuminated a point dead ahead, and a shot hummed across the deck fore-and-aft, so near the Gomilcbooksreo