The Blue Clipper — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

“Mary! Mary!’ came her father’s voice. “ My child! my child !” All was uproar and confnsion without; ber father’s yoice was soon drowned in the din. She pushed at the door, with all her might, yet it would not give way, beneath her tiny strength. jer apartment was now full of smoke. Above the cracks in the door, she could see long, slender columns of flame, creeping in; she knew, by the roaring noise, that the fire was right at her door. “ Break it open,” cried a number of voices. “Impossible,” answered another, “ we can not get through the fire.” Mary sunk, half-fainting from terror, against ber berth. She could now again hear the agonizing cries of her parent, calling upon the men without to*save her. Wet canvas was being thrown upon the flames to give the men a chance to get at the door. Vain, however, such efforts, Mary’s apartment being nearly over the larboard sidé of the run, the fire had burst through the planking outside ber door, before it was discovered. Now it was raging all through the cabin, driving the men back, every time they approached the red torrent, Soon a fearful cry was heard : “ THE POWDER-MAGAZINE !" | The fire was near it; it must e€plode in a few minutes, and blow up the cutter. Captain Watson issued several hasty orders, Wet canvas was thrown over the powder, and some of the men were pouring a stream of water upon it with a ~~ hose, when a long tongue of flame was seen to approach within a foot of it. “To THE BOATS!|—ALL HANDS!” screamed Watson. The boats bad already been lowered. Into them the men proceeded to descend, some of them dragging after them. Mr. Clare, who had said thet, if his daughter must perish, he would perish with her. The boats were not large enough to hold all the men; so some of them plunged into the water, swimming for the boats of the frigate, which, by this time, were coming to their as- sistance. f . x eer commiciookercom= epee Te sah ae a eae of tee x