The Blockade Runner — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

256 - THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. chinery stopped, and the privateer rolled slowly from side to side on the heaving sea. Crash! A shot from the Avenger’s heavy Parrott gun smashed in the weather bulwark and struck the carriage of the Armstrong rifle, jamming the gearing so that the gun could not be worked on its traversing-platform. The greatest excitement prevailed. The Avenger continued to approach rapidly, firing her bow gun and forward battery. The assistant-engineer reported to the pseudo Cap- tain Randolph that the chief engineer had been stunned by some one who had come upon him unawares, and who then threw a heavy steel bar, which was used in the engine-room, among the rods, causing a smash-up that could not be repaired for hours. | Bentham’s indignation was admirably assumed. ~ He had already dispatched the second and third officers | to search the steamer. He now sent Mr. Jones down into the Re -and walked to the break of the poop. Jupe was apparently assisting the crew of the Arm- strong gun, who were trying to extricate the carriage from the difficulty it was in. Bentham called him to the quarter-deck, and sent him with hurried instructions to the wheel. Jupe slipped quickly behind the helmsman, and lift- ing him in his powerful embrace, tore him from his hold on the spokes and tossed him overboard. He then jammed the wheel hard down, bringing the Destroyer up into the wind’s eye, so that her broad- — side would not bear upon the Avenger, which had ceased COMMIC OCOKS (<@) PW ery Sh * ie — PP. t . — ol