Ensign Merrill — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

i - Peep i stern Ss : ; , a : , ® a . . , é ; . 7 > - Rg 4 . wl) RY, As ; : “* af, ow : y 2" \ Z ait a x 4 _ Nets 1 J , 4 ey, OLS Ce MU te ah ine om Ny ig ; 0 ET ae ee ) ‘ i ie a ad oe ay ae i ‘ ‘ ’ Sa WL OTG bok eR rent gigs ae Sree OO Bae wale” ~ | eR) «is 2 ff. + core a ne * Pe Ps z dg ts fia or “y 4 } aa Cu we Wiig ike 217 cy a > ene 23 Tie, Jy : y aA he , mers 5 " aly ig ee Pe aE ie CeHOSy oe (hee * ’ ving The spanker had been partly torn from the gaff, hanging in disordered festoons over the boom. The foresail was in shreds, and one staysail had been _ cut loose from its halyards. The jibs forward were all _ that remained. The cruiser had just made the tack when this hap- 2 pened, and therefore did not have an opportunity to regain the speed lost while wearing. She now rolled nearly helpless, unable to move more than a knot an hour, and that sideways. ‘The pirates were not slow in seeing the Badger’s predicament. A fierce yell came - | from both junks, repeated again and again. They ceased firing and bent all their energies toward board- ing their prey. The distance between the combatants was now too slight to admit of any hope. It would require many minutes of hard work to repair the sails, and even then the space lost could not be regained. - Mark saw this and ordered the ship cleared for action. ‘“Run down below, Ned, and tell Watson to reserve his fire until they are within five hundred yards, then let them have it. After that he is to hurry on deck, with his men armed to the teeth. Give your second similar instructions, and then return here.’ After the middy had departed Merrill turned his at- tention to the Gatling battery. Miller was in readi- ness, having stationed himself at-one gun. The hop- pers of both were loaded to the rim, and all that now “remained was to aim the cylinder and turn the crank. “Aim low, Jeff,’’ cautioned the ensign. ‘‘ Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes and then don’t stop until the victory is ours. Fire where the crowds are thickest, and try to make every bullet reach a a alos, ty m Comicbooks.co