Ensign Merrill — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

— y, - . . ' ; a ~5 et tert ; We ‘ ; : iN - 2 pen, & it ao . : mn . ' ee ~* tlw y SS ak ‘ : | OSCR i THE ‘MYSTERIO us SIGNAL. ee) shy ~~ : 1 ; | Grae doxtor,?? he Ted abruptly. **We have rampant treason aboard this ship, and it has to be wiped out. Ned, send a trusty man aloft to the maintop, and see what is there. Pick out three others, and let them patrol the berth deck. Give them revolvers from the arm chest, with instructions to shoot any skulker or — suspicious person they find doing esi ara out of the way. After you do that, report to me.’ Gage started away on his errand, and Mark pro- eeeded aft. His injured arm hung Hate and useless at ‘his side, but he still grasped the revolver with the other, and there was an air of cOmmand and authority about him the assembled crew had never seen before. Mounting the hatch, he silently received the reports from the different gun divisions. It was a strange and thrilling sight. Gathered on the small expanse of deck were a hundred or moremen, their faces gleaming grotesquely in the uncertain light cast by a few oil lamps swinging overhead. Some were clad in ordinary costumes, but the majority ap- peared as they came, called on deck by the excitement of the hour from their hammocks, the expression of wonder still in their eyes. Towering above them was the stern, implacable figure of their master, quiet and watchful, the pistol grasped loosely but ready for instant use. For a moment silence reigned unbroken, save by the rippling touch of waves against the iron hull, or a vagrant wind whistling through the rigging overhead. Then Mark spoke. ‘“Men, we have shipped a traitor!’’ he said, raising his voicesoall could hear, ‘‘A traitor who is endeavor- ing to imperil this vessel and its crew. He has been | signaling to some confederate not a half-hour ago, and was almost caught in the act. He is probably among comick 900 ‘S.icoO mn , ae -..