The Blockade Runner — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

THE BLOCKADE RUNNER, PAS yt firing and was close aboard on the privateer’s port quar- ter. | | : “What steamer is that?” roared Captain Graham from the mizzen rigging of the cruiser. : “Confederate steamer Destroyer,’ shouted Bentham. “Pipe away your boats and take possession—quick !” No doubt Captain Graham was astonished with the | general character of the reply, but he lost no time in issuing orders. The Avenger held a raking position. The boatswain’s whistle came lustily down on the wind, three boats were lowered and the crews were soon over the side and into the launches in true man-o’-war style. The boats danced over the water quickly, but the Confederate crew, not having understood their quarter- deck reply to the Yankee’s hail, were preparing for a desperate resistance. “It’s useless, my men,’ said Bentham, looking down upon such of the crew as were ready to repel boarders. “We have been betrayed and must surrender. Yonder craft can sweep us from stern to stern. Look at his guns run out, and the men hold the lanyards ready. We can’t help ourselves.” The crew were thunderstruck and their demoraliza- tion was complete. Mr. Jones at that moment rushed up from the engine- room and sprang upon the quarter-deck. “What's the meaning of this, Captain Randolph? Treachery. has ruined us. The machinery is wrecked. Our guns have been tampered with, and signal rockets discharged. I believe that infernal nigger is at the bottom of this!’ Comicbooks COR