Ensign Merrill — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

atu 2. id ae Sia t SY 4,’ fr -erv . 4 ys iO ama a Tue TRAITOR Is, CAPTURED. Wee ee Magaleh’o ene Erow the Sten. It all occupied much less — ‘time than it takes to describe it, and when the crew started forward, headed by Mark, as they did immedi- ately, thirty seconds had not elapsed since the firing of the first shot. Mark Merrill possessed the faculty to command in a remarkable degree. He was a good example of the Annapolis training, where coolness in action and self- possession in emergencies are the cardinal points and keystone of their education. Clear-headed, self-dependent, the aptitude for reason- ing rapidly, all stood him in good stead now, when, at the very commencement of the expedition, he was con- fronted with an apparent mutiny and the terrifying fact that his ship was visited by that dread scourge of seafaring men—fire! Leaving his position on the hatch-cover with a bound, he ran toward the bridge and climbed the ladder — three steps ata time. Following close at his heels were the doctor and the third officer, each armed with revol- vers. The first thing attracting their notice was Wat- gon and Gage kneeling on the recumbent figure of a man, holding him down by sheer force. A sudden spurt of fire flaring up from the lower deck lighted his face just then—it was the tall man with the bushy whiskers. Calling to a number of sailors swarming up the lad- der, Mark sternly bade them secure the fellow, and then turned his attention to the conflagration. At first ap- “pearance it seemed as if the whole interior of the Badger was a seething mass of fire. The forward hatch, situated between the bridge and foremast, acted — as a flue, belching flame and smoke to the height of fifteen feet, and its roaring was plainly discernible in every part of the ship. “comichbooks:com