Ensign Merrill — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

1 a Poet ateotod for the landing: After a Hed sal of almost an hour, it was finally reached, and proved to he NED ons on AN EXPEDITION. 123 Yb “be safe enough for the purpose. Ther. was still a little © 4 | sea moving, and the first cutter gave her crewa wetting. ‘after entering the surf, but the whaleboat, more adapted for the purpose, struck the sand without ame hap. Gage designated four men toremain behind, and ‘at the head of the rest, marched along the beach to where he had descried an opening in the dense under- growth: _ As yet nothing had been seen indicating the presence ‘of human beings on the island. The stretch of sandy _beach was very narrow, hardly affording room enough for two to walk abreast. A series of rocky shelves, topped by stunted bushes and creeping vines, formed ‘the boundary inland, and back of that was higher ground rising gradually toward the summit. _ After walking seven or eight hundred yards the break in the natural barrier was reached. To Ned’s gratification it proved to be an apparently artificial opening, revealing a well-trodden path, which passed out of sight in devious windings not far beyond. Be- fore entering, the middy looked back and saw the Badger just vanishing behind the point. She had al- ready commenced the game of hide and seek. **Now, men, there must not be any loud talking,”’ cautioned the young leader. ‘‘Try your best to step carefully and make as little noise as possible. If you see anything, don’t fire until I give the word. Let that be plainly understood. If we are successful, it will mean an extra allowance of grog to all hands.. For- ward !’’ At the command, given in a low voice, the party passed into the interior. For several minutes they 3 walked BBOMTY. ap. the ven incline, with guns at a comicbooks:co