The Blockade Runner — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

vA THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. “Come, Bentham,” said an officer to the young gun- ner, who was loading one of the guns with his own hands. “ We shall sink in less than five minutes.” “One more shot, sir! Here, men, let us give that devil a parting salute ?’ - Several sailors sprung to his side with enthusiastic cheers. : The gun was sighted by Bentham and fired. - The next moment the muzzle of the piece was under water! It was, indeed, the last shot. Bentham seach the rigging as the spar-deck dis- appeared from view beneath the seething sea. “Jump, Bentham!’ called out the young officer and the heroic gunner who had covered himself with glory sprung as far out as possible as the vessel orp out of sight forever. After battling with the waves for awhile, Bentham was picked up, and rowed, with others, toward the frowning fortress, from whose walls hundreds had witnessed the fight. Scores of the Cumberland’s crew went down to the depths with her, among them her chaplain, whose last words were words of comfort to the dying. The frigate’s destruction was complete; but the Merrimac was not satisfied. : She turned her prow toward the crippled Congress, and sent her resistless shot clean through her wooden sides. But the Yankee tars fought their vessel nobly. Their captain fell in the action; the decks grew slip- pery under their feet ; they were in danger of sharing the Cumberland’s fate. Comicdooks.:co 3