Ensign Merrill — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

= — Pores yoo) CLOSE QUARTERS. more and the mob of yelling, bloodthirsty Chinese would pour in an overwhelming stream on the Badger’s deck. There seemed no alternative but to rally the crew to that point, and engage in a hand-to-hand con- flict. Suddenly Mark called out for the second officer. The word was passed from man to man until it reached Watson. He ran to the bridge and was hurriedly asked by the ensign if the pivot gun was loaded. On being answered in the affirmative, Merrill said: “Rush below with a couple of men, depress the muz- zle as much as you can, and fire into that junk on the port bow. Send a solid shot through the bottom. It may sink her, and we will have one less to contend with. Go, and may luck go with you.”’ Watson was off the bridge before the last sentence was concluded. Calling a couple of men tofollow him he plunged below. Mark watched the huge misshapen hull draw nearer; he saw the hosts of villainous cut- throats armed to the teeth, ready for the spring, and he silently whispered to himself: ‘Will he be in time?’’ His answer came in the roar of the sixty-pounder rifle and the crash and the grinding, shattering noise of the ball as it tore its way through side and bottom into the deep. | ‘The concussion at such closequarters forced the two * vessels farther apart. They were now separated by sixty feet at least, and the young commander saw with an overwhelming joy that the junk would never cover the distance again. | Even above the spiteful cracking of small arms and the tumult of many voices, he heard the rushi.g of water as it entered the pirate ship’s hold. She had — already commenced to settle. Lower and yet phi! ; of if fh ee a ooks, wish WAS? mre oY