Ensign Merrill — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

NG Le ee eee Ee ante Ss eat oes Sg Neca a r Les Se! = - ~>~ = Ps é \ . » = =. ve i. . . + . — £ 7% men % a 7. 6 , 5 ; fees *e . ; x * ee fee =. ae Fi > LS ar ee ae eS | et wa « 146 Pree CLOSE QUARTERS. me pa cust grazing the sock 3 in passing. * Aiboues que’ _ painful, he heeded it not, and simply tying a handker- ‘: - chief around his head, directed the crew as before. All _ the other officers had escaped injury so far, so when the - two vessels ran alongside both Ned and Watson were in readiness to lead the men in defending the deck. The din of conflict was deafening. Cries and groans from the injured, the sharp rattling of musketry, and the shouts of rage and excitement from hundreds of throats, all created such a tumult that the young ensign, from his position on the maces could scarcely make himself heard. “Stand by with axes, men,’’ he sung out, on seeing _ the preparations for throwing the grappling-irons. Out the ropes. Don’t let one hold fast. You sharp- shooters in the bow there, pick off those men ready to cast the hooks. Mow them down; our only salvation lies in keeping them from boarding.’’ © Quick to see the object of their commander’s wishes, four or five sailors grabbed axes from the racks and hacked frantically at the ropes connecting the irons. _ Others devoted their efforts towara freeing the books from where they had caught in the railing, while a number, under the able guidance of the second officer, lifted a fragment of the spanker gaff that had fallen to the deck and prepared to use it as afender against one of the junks, Nea, from a position near the bow, was using his re- volver with telling effect. He mounted the forecastle hatch-cover, and stood in a commanding position, in- spiring those under him by his daring actions. The middy had one main object in thus climbing above the level of the deck. He was trying to espy the foreigner — who so ably led the pirates. Running his eye over the throngs of Chinamen form