Ensign Merrill — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

4 , - . ‘ ; ~ c A J « * oo - 7. + 7 ‘ s es ie . “4 ~, - \ » 7 i . * POV +. ; pe *s ~) a a8 Pie vl »*> “ + ss ; . a L-« . ~ . ? = ¥wv ° ‘* ~~" > . a“ nd -“* - ." » , i é - ¥ _S* - . ~Y . . q ‘ * ° . — a ‘ . * ‘ . « ve “Bat / . ; . o> ‘es . Al Se SE « . - CL “ . 1 » +> i} . - —) a ‘ 4% .. 7 rn ae > a ls : Satisfied that Miller would do good work, ie farted) - away and continued the preparations. Sixty men were | armed with rifles and distributed along the railings. Others were ordered to the tops similarly equipped; the fire hose was let out, and word sent to the engine- roorn to have plenty of hot water in readiness, and then Merrill concluded that everything possible an been done to meet the enemy. 5 CHAPTER XX VI. , CLOSE QUARTERS. - ALTHOUGH the work had been carried on rapidly, -yet almost before the last length of hose was attached to the connecting pipe a volley rang out from the third officer’s machine gun. Whir-r-r! rattle! bang! bang! The leaden hail zipped and whistled through the air, and presently there came a chorus of shrieks and groans from the leading junk. The Gatlings were doing frightful execution. A dense crowd of men on the lofty forecastle were literally mowed down like ripened wheat before the reaper’s scythe. Sitting on the little saddle of the tripod carriage, Jeff slowly swept the cluster of barrels back and forth, turning the crank handle with quiet energy. Mark found time to shout a brief word of praise in his ear, and then he felt the deck shake under his feet with the discharge of the two heavy guns. His orders to Ned had been literally carried out. The pirate ships were not three lengths away when the shells struck them. The crash of shattered timbers was plainly heard, and even the cries of a host of dying WIeiOnes: A .