Ensign Merrill — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

cl, up to the top of the cliffs. ay rigs ne The Sipbeeibouns man eve as ie pry eee i, bee an ae a Se ae . “Spells be hanged!’’ ejaculated Mark coniouibies _ uously. “If cape: 93 all he can do to keep us out we need fear nothing. x vy * The ensign feel quietly to himself, It was evi- 53 eam an assault by a vessel manned like the Badger was not to be expected. However, a very few minutes % _ would settle the question. They had almost reached the curve; another hundred stand by for a signal. With. his hand on the whistle- dent this white leader had worked on the ignorant fears of his men to insure unfailing devotion and obe- : dience. But that he expected to defend his stronghold — _yards and the straight channel would be exposed to. view. Merrill sent a message to Watson, bidding him cord, the young. commander silently waited until at last, after a few more turns of the propeller, the cruiser edged slightly to the right, and thase on the bridge saw before them a narrow stretch of water, ending in a placid basin fringed with semitropical vegetation. Not a sign of human habitation could be ‘seen. No _ junks, nor boats, nor houses. No mark showing the ~ handiwork of man, nothing save a picture of serene ealmness unbroken in its solitude. Mark stared fora inoment, and then turned inquiringly to Chow Tow, “Why, what is the meaning of this?! he asked. The Chinaman shrugged his shoulders, and replied: “They have evidently retreated to the upper end, sir. That basin extends ten miles toward the left. See, there are the guns [ mentioned !”’ In the direction indicated was a rude hole cut in the face of the cliff, through which projected the muzzle of ae Kaw eh a cannon, rusted with age. On the opposite side of the : passage was a similar BpSH Hee also conte orananee, i