Ensign Merrill — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

“We are eotting pretty well south now, ‘ae if all e ~ goes well and we hold this breeze, to-morrow morning — - ought to find us in sight of the islands where our search — commences. What I want to do to-day is to disguise the ship as much as possible.”’ ‘Don’t you think they will be —e us?’ asked Gage. “Why, yes; no doubt they will,’’ replied Mark witha jaugh. ‘‘But as there is not any cable service with Shanghai, they can hardly tell when we started. If that was their chief [saw on the junk night before last, he is away back there somewhere,’’ pointing astern, ‘fand cannot possibly notify his lieutenants. Of course, — itis only a chance that we will be picked up as a mer- chant vessel, but the ruse may succeed. ’”’ ‘It is worth trying, anyway,’’ agreed Ned. ind SO thought the rest of the officers when they were apprised of the commander’s intentions. Immediately after all ~ “hands had eaten, the work was commenced. A dozen men were set to work painting the deck-houses and bridge a dirty yellow. A gang under the boatswain eased off the stays and other rigging so the vessel — would present an untidy appearance aloft. Strips cut — from an old weather-beaten awning were placed handy * for clapping over the snow-white sails when the time ~ arrived for furling them. The trim-looking funnel and — ventilators were scraped in odd spots until they looked ancient enough for the purpose, and then, as a final — ; touch, Mark ordered that not more than a third of the — crew would be allowed on the spar-deck at one time, — commencing from the following morning. TR oy , ‘Merchant steamers of this size don’t generally wien ; one hundred and fifty men,’’ he said, in ex pinnaes! :" “And the smaller the crew in sight, the more de z _ they are to attack.” ae me sears Goo bitte ei § -¢a IC _ ormicbooks.com : lel p : ‘ . ”" Ne — . . a ~*. d PP : ™~. ” , aa LS. rome l= f~e