Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to move quickly, to run; often constr. with across, along, away etc.

1833		C.A. Davis Letters of Major J. Downing (1835) 32: He was clippin it across the orchard.
1843		T. Haliburton Sam Slick in England II 36: Come right back to London, as hard as you can clip.
1848		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms.
1853		T. Haliburton Sam Slick’s Wise Saws II 271: And off we went as hard as we could clip.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 65: I clipped along, and all of a sudden I bounded right on to the ashes of a camp fire.
1887		H. Frederic Seth’s Brother’s Wife 391: Do you clip over and tell Annie.
1905		‘Central Connecticut Word-List’ in DN III:i 6: clip, v. To run rapidly.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 88: They were clipping along at forty-five.
1961		R. Gover One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding 146: She passed everything on the road, clipping along at 70 with ease.