The Blockade Runner — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

v 166 THE BLOCKADE RUNNER. Strong men fell in all directions. Bentham was thrown across a gun-carriage, and Graham was knocked senseless by a spar that swept the quarter-deck. For several minutes not a man spoke. There were cries for help from the sea, Boats were lowered as quickly as possible, and a number of the crew of the Foxhound were pulled from the sea, more frightened than hurt. “The old ship’s gone at last,” said one of the rescued men when he found his breath among his rescuers. “To think that we’ve been sailing the seas eight months with a torpedo somewhere in the hold ready to blow us to perdition! Some thought the captain wouldn’t keep his word, but I knew him better than all the rest of them. When he went below half an hour ago with his two hands clinched and his eyes flashing, I knew that the Foxhound would never carry another cargo.” “ Where’s Captain Powell?” asked Bentham at the first opportunity. “T ouess you'll have to ask the sea,” was the reply. “ Te’s just lucky enough to escape on a spar, you see land is closé aboard, and live to run the blockade till the war closes.” “ After blowing up one ship ?” ejaculated the young gunner. “'That’s my opinion, sir. Dve got confidence enough in Captain Powell’s luck to believe in things you’d never dream of.” 99 COMME OOLKSn(EO) a ee