the great war syndicate-第14章

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little　at　the　stern；　and　was　rolling　heavily；　but　she

was　still　a　magnificent　battleship；　with　the　red　cross

of　England　floating　over　her。　　He　could　not　help　the

thought　that　if　this　motor　mystery　should　amount　to

nothing；　there　was　no　reason　why　the　Craglevin　should

not　be　towed　into　port；　and　be　made　again　the　grand

warship　that　she　had　been。

　　　

Now　the　director　gave　the　signal；　and　the　captain；

with　his　eyes　fixed　upon　his　ship；　touched　the　button。　

A　quick　shock　ran　through　the　repeller；　and　a　black…

gray　cloud；　half　a　mile　high；　occupied　the　place　of　the

British　ship。

　　　

The　cloud　rapidly　settled　down；　covering　the　water

with　a　glittering　scum　which　spread　far　and　wide；

and　which　had　been　the　Craglevin。

　　　

The　British　captain　stood　for　a　moment　motionless；

and　then　he　picked　up　a　rammer　and　ran　it　into　the

muzzle　of　the　cannon　which　had　been　discharged。　　The

great　gun　was　empty。　　The　instantaneous　motor…bomb　was

not　there。

　　　

Now　he　was　convinced　that　the　Syndicate　had　not

mined　the　fortresses　which　they　had　destroyed。

　　　

In　twenty　minutes　the　two　British　officers　were　on

board　the　transport；　which　then　steamed　rapidly

westward。　　The　crabs　again　took　the　repeller　in　tow；

and　the　Syndicate's　fleet　continued　its　eastward

course；　passing　through　the　wide　expanse　of　glittering

scum　which　had　spread　itself　upon　the　sea。

　　　

They　were　not　two…thirds　of　their　way　across　the

Atlantic　when　the　transport　reached　St。　John's；　and　the

cable　told　the　world　that　the　Craglevin　had　been

annihilated。

　　　

The　news　was　received　with　amazement；　and　even

consternation。　　It　came　from　an　officer　in　the　Royal

Navy；　and　how　could　it　be　doubted　that　a　great　man…of…

war　had　been　destroyed　in　a　moment　by　one　shot

from　the　Syndicate's　vessel！　　And　yet；　even　now；

there　were　persons　who　did　doubt；　and　who　asserted　that

the　crabs　might　have　placed　a　great　torpedo　under　the

Craglevin；　that　a　wire　attached　to　this　torpedo　ran

out　from　the　repeller；　and　that　the　British　captain　had

merely　fired　the　torpedo。　　But　hour　by　hour；　as　fuller

news　came　across　the　ocean；　the　number　of　these

doubters　became　smaller　and　smaller。

　　　

In　the　midst　of　the　great　public　excitement　which

now　existed　on　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic；in　the

midst　of　all　the　conflicting　opinions；　fears；　and

hopes；the　dominant　sentiment　seemed　to　be；　in　America

as　well　as　in　Europe；　one　of　curiosity。　　Were　these　six

crabs　and　one　repeller　bound　to　the　British　Isles？　　And

if　so；　what　did　they　intend　to　do　when　they　got　there？

　　　

It　was　now　generally　admitted　that　one　of　the

Syndicate's　crabs　could　disable　a　man…of…war；　that　one

of　the　Syndicate's　repellers　could　withstand　the

heaviest　artillery　fire；　and　that　one　of　the

Syndicate's　motor…bombs　could　destroy　a　vessel　or　a

fort。　　But　these　things　had　been　proved　in　isolated

combats；　where　the　new　methods　of　attack　and　defence

had　had　almost　undisturbed　opportunity　for

exhibiting　their　efficiency。　　But　what　could　a　repeller

and　half　a　dozen　crabs　do　against　the　combined　force　of

the　Royal　Navy；a　navy　which　had　in　the　last　few　years

regained　its　supremacy　among　the　nations；　and　which　had

made　Great　Britain　once　more　the　first　maritime　power

in　the　world？

　　　

The　crabs　might　disable　some　men…of…war；　the

repeller　might　make　her　calculations　and　discharge　her

bomb　at　a　ship　or　a　fort；　but　what　would　the　main　body

of　the　navy　be　doing　meanwhile？　　Overwhelming；

crushing；　and　sinking　to　the　bottom　crabs；　repeller；

motor　guns；　and　everything　that　belonged　to　them。

　　　

In　England　there　was　a　feeling　of　strong　resentment

that　such　a　little　fleet　should　be　allowed　to　sail　with

such　intent　into　British　waters。　　This　resentment

extended　itself；　not　only　to　the　impudent　Syndicate；

but　toward　the　Government；　and　the　opposition　party

gained　daily　in　strength。　　The　opposition　papers　had

been　loud　and　reckless　in　their　denunciations　of　the

slowness　and　inadequacy　of　the　naval　preparations；　and

loaded　the　Government　with　the　entire　responsibility；

not　only　of　the　damage　which　had　already　been　done

to　the　forts；　the　ships；　and　the　prestige　of　Great

Britain；　but　also　for　the　threatened　danger　of　a　sudden

descent　of　the　Syndicate's　fleet　upon　some　unprotected

point　upon　the　coast。　　This　fleet　should　never　have

been　allowed　to　approach　within　a　thousand　miles　of

England。　　It　should　have　been　sunk　in　mid…ocean；　if　its

sinking　had　involved　the　loss　of　a　dozen　men…of…war。

　　　

In　America　a　very　strong　feeling　of　dissatisfaction

showed　itself。　　From　the　first；　the　Syndicate　contract

had　not　been　popular；　but　the　quick；　effective；　and

business…like　action　of　that　body　of　men；　and　the

marked　success　up　to　this　time　of　their　inventions　and

their　operations；　had　caused　a　great　reaction　in　their

favour。　　They　had；　so　far；　successfully　defended　the

American　coast；　and　when　they　had　increased　the　number

of　their　vessels；　they　would　have　been　relied　upon　to

continue　that　defence。　　Even　if　a　British　armada　had

set　out　to　cross　the　Atlantic；　its　movements　must　have

been　slow　and　cumbrous；　and　the　swift　and　sudden

strokes　with　which　the　Syndicate　waged　war　could　have

been　given　by　night　and　by　day　over　thousands　of　miles

of　ocean。

　　　

Whether　or　not　these　strokes　would　have　been　quick

enough　or　hard　enough　to　turn　back　an　armada　might　be　a

question；　but　there　could　be　no　question　of　the

suicidal　policy　of　sending　seven　ships　and　two　cannon

to　conquer　England。　　It　seemed　as　if　the　success　of　the

Syndicate　had　so　puffed　up　its　members　with　pride　and

confidence　in　their　powers　that　they　had　come　to

believe　that　they　had　only　to　show　themselves　to

conquer；　whatever　might　be　the　conditions　of　the

contest。

　　　

The　destruction　of　the　Syndicate's　fleet　would　now

be　a　heavy　blow　to　the　United　States。　　It　would　produce

an　utter　want　of　confidence　in　the　councils　and

judgments　of　the　Syndicate；　which　could　not　be

counteracted　by　the　strongest　faith　in　the　efficiency

of　their　engines　of　war；　and　it　was　feared　it　might

become　necessary；　even　at　this　critical　juncture；　to

annul　the　contract　with　the　Syndicate；　and　to　depend

upon　the　American　navy　for　the　defence　of　the　American

coast。

　　　

Even　among　the　men　on　board　the　Syndicate's　fleet

there　were　signs　of　doubt　and　apprehensions　of　evil。　

It　had　all　been　very　well　so　far；　but　fighting　one　ship

at　a　time　was　a　very　different　thing　from　steaming

into　the　midst　of　a　hundred　ships。　　On　board　the

repeller　there　was　now　an　additional　reason　for　fears

and　misgivings。　　The　unlucky　character　of　the　vessel

when　it　had　been　the　Tallapoosa　was　known；　and　not　a

few　of　the　men　imagined　that　it　must　now　be　time　for

some　new　disaster　to　this　ill…starred　craft；　and　if　her

evil　genius　had　desired　fresh　disaster　for　her；　it　was

certainly　sending　her　into　a　good　place　to　look　for　it。

　　　

But　the　Syndicate　neither　doubted　nor　hesitated　nor

paid　any　attention　to　the　doubts　and　condemnations

which　they　heard　from　every　quarter。　　Four　days　after

the　news　of　the　destruction　of　the　Craglevin　had　been

telegraphed　from　Canada　to　London；　the　Syndicate's

fleet　entered　the　English　Channel。　　Owing　to　the　power

and　speed　of　the　crabs；　Repeller　No。　11　had　made　a

passage　of　the　Atlantic　which　in　her　old　naval　career

would　have　been　considered　miraculous。

　　　

Craft　of　various　kinds　were　now　passed；　but　none　of

them　carried　the　British　flag。　　In　the　expectation　of

the　arrival　of　the　enemy；　British　merchantmen　and

fishing　vessels　had　been　advised　to　keep　in　the

background　until　the　British　navy　had　concluded

its　business　with　the　vessels　of　the　American　Syndicate。

　　

As　has　been　said　before；　the　British　Admiralty　had

adopted　a　new　method　of　defence　for　the　rudders　and

screw…propellers　of　naval　vessels　against　the　attacks

of　submerged　craft。　　The　work　of　constructing　the　new

appliances　had　been　pushed　forward　as　fast　as　possible；

but　so　far　only　one　of　these　had　been　finished　and

attached　to　a　man…of…war。

　　

The　Llangaron　was　a　recently　built　ironclad　of

the　same　size　and　class　as　the　Adamant；　and　to　her

had　been　attached　the　new　stern…defence。　　This　was　an

immense　steel　cylinder；　entirely　closed；　and　rounded　at

the　ends。　　It　was　about　ten　feet　in　diameter；　and

strongly　braced　inside。　It　was　suspended　by　chains　from

two　davits　which　projected　over　the　stern　of　the

vessel。　　When　sailing　this　cylinder　was　hoisted　up　to

the　davits；　but　when　the　ship　was　prepared　for　action

it　was　lowered　until　it　lay；　nearly　submerged；　abaft　of

the　rudder。　　In　this　position　its　ends　projected　about

fifteen　feet　on　either　side　of　the　propeller…blades。

　　　

It　was　believed　that　this　cylinder　would

effectually　prevent　a　crab　from　getting　near　enough　to

the　propeller　or　the　rudder　to　do　any　damage。　　It

could　not　be　torn　away　as　the　stern…jacket　had　been；

for　the　rounded　and　smooth　sides　and　ends　of　the

massive　cylinder　would　offer　no　hold　to　the　forceps　of

the　crabs；　and；　approaching　from　any　quarter；　it　would

be　impossible　for　these　forceps　to　reach　rudder　or

screw。

　　　

The　Syndicate's　little　fleet　arrived　in　British

waters　late　in　the　day；　and　early　the　next　morning　it

appeared　about　twenty　miles　to　the　south　of　the　Isle　of

Wight；　and　headed　to　the　north…east；　as　if　it　were

making　for　Portsmouth。　　The　course　of　these　vessels

greatly　surprised　the　English　Government　and　naval

authorities。　　It　was　expected　that　an　attack　would

probably　be　made　upon　some　comparatively　unprotected

spot　on　the　British　seaboard；　and　therefore　on　the　west

coast　of　Ireland　and　in　St。　George's　Channel

preparations　of　the　most　formidable　character　had　been

made　to　defend　British　ports　against　Repeller　No。　11

and　her　attendant　crabs。　　Particularly　was　this　the

case　in　Bristol　Channel；　where　a　large　number　of

ironclads　were　stationed；　and　which　was　to　have　been

the　destination　of　the　Llangaron　if　the　Syndicate's

vessels　had　delayed　their　coming　long　enough　to　allow

her　to　get　around　there。　　That　this　little　fleet

should　have　sailed　straight　for　England's　great　naval

stronghold　was　something　that　the　British　Admiralty

could　not　understand。　　The　fact　was　not　appreciated

that　it　was　the　object　of　the　Syndicate　to　measure　its

strength　with　the　greatest　strength　of　the　enemy。　

Anything　less　than　this　would　not　avail　its　purpose。

　　　

Notwithstanding　that　so　many　vessels　had　been　sent

to　different　parts　of　the　coast；　there　was　still　in

Portsmouth　harbour　a　large　number　of　war　vessels　of

various　classes；　all　in　commission　and　ready　for

action。　　The　greater　part　of　these　had　received　orders

to　cruise　that　day　in　the　channel。　　Consequently；　it

was　still　early　in　the　morning　when；　around　the　eastern

end　of　the　Isle　of　Wight；　there　appeared　a　British　fleet　

composed　of　fifteen　of