Ensign Merrill — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

et close i: oe pest tak which sloped Fro the we iter’s. 2 ‘“We will waste no time settling this affair now,’ muttered the ensign grimly. ‘I think a couple of 4 _rific concussion. The air trembled with the shock, and _ rocked on the surface of a mighty wave the cruiser ~ ort, . ae . a - toward him. He stood pointing with trembiing hand § ths edge toa stretch of forest running back to. the Fae a wall of rock encircling the basin. The Bad ger- steamed ts -_ straight out until the center was almost reached, ‘then — veering to starboard, headed for the pirate ship. — ae ye _ shots will awaken—— He was suddenly taturrapted by the sound of a ter-— . %, a> » tal <= heeled over until her port-holes were a-wash with the — - boiling sea. ‘ A wild shriek from Chow Tow caused Mark to turn a astern to where, in the very center of the channel, a _ huge mass of rock completely blocked the way. They were caught in a trap. CHAPTER XXXII. IN THE BASIN. SOLAR explosion, caused by an unseen hand, had hak: tered the edge of the cliff on the right, sending tons of _ rock and earth down into the narrow. entrance to the a - gurrounded, cut off from the outer waters, would | “hever | _eturn to her port of a ga gees the ° er with ~¢hannel, completely blocking it. Mark stood transfixed, staring at the obstruction. He saw instantly the terrible meaning of the catastrophe. — _ Fhey were caught in a perous trap with no way of | _ escaping. Aaa The cruiser, floating on an inland sea, now entirely sa, Big ie : } weit 4 ne