Ensign Merrill — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

422 «WED GOES on AN EXPEDITION. ae . se - dropped a foot.’? And the middy laughed heartily at, the recollection, “Tt was no doubt an unpleasant auyphbee agreed | Mark, joining in the mirth. ‘‘And I hope not the last — one he will experience at our hands. But, to continue with this scheme, there is one thing certain: we will have to guard against signals from that point up there, and right away, too. I think it is a regular lookout station to notify those in the stronghold on T’sin Chu of approaching vessels, and to give warning if any man-of-war should come in sight. They know we are here, in fact, they are probably looking at us now, so if we rgb to surprise them we will have to capture the place.”’ ‘‘Give me a boat’s crew well armed and I’ll shut them up,’’ volunteered the middy, promptly. . ‘“You had better take both the second cutter and the whaleboat, Ned,’’ advised Mark. “That will give you twenty men. You may find an armed force up there, larger than you expect. Arm each man witha rifle, revolver, and cutlass, and don’t fail to leave at least two seamen in each boat to guard them in case of accidents. Start at once, and make a quick job of it. If you should wish to communicate with me, wigwag from the summit—we can see it plainly.”’ Gage immediately commenced preparations for the expedition. The two boats designated were lowered and soon occupied by their crews, whom the young officer had especially picked for the detail. They were a hardy, determined set of men, qualified for such duty. After receiving some minor instructions from the en- sign, Ned gave the command and they started or the beach. A spot some distance beyond the rocky bluff, Pro- tected by a jutting point from the long roll asa . ‘A na nei ng 2 il . ‘a U Pr a tal Dy gt }¢ eae