the great war syndicate-第14章

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somewhat　similar　use。　　It　was　the　intention　of　the

captain　of　the　Adamant；　should　the　crabs　attempt　to

attach　themselves　to　his　stern；　to　suddenly　put　on　all

steam；　reverse　his　engines；　and　back　upon　them；　the

stern…jacket　answering　as　a　ram。

　　　

The　commander　of　the　Adamant　had　no　doubt　that　in

this　way　he　could　run　into　a　crab；　roll　it　over　in　the

water；　and　when　it　was　lying　bottom　upward；　like　a

floating　cask；　he　could　move　his　ship　to　a　distance；

and　make　a　target　of　it。　　So　desirous　was　this　brave

and　somewhat　facetious　captain　to　try　his　new　plan　upon

a　crab；　that　he　forebore　to　fire　upon　the　two　vessels

of　that　class　which　were　approaching　him。　　Some　of　his

guns　were　so　mounted　that　their　muzzles　could　be

greatly　depressed；　and　aimed　at　an　object　in　the　water

not　far　from　the　ship。　　But　these　were　not　discharged；

and；　indeed；　the　crabs；　which　were　new　ones　of　unusual

swiftness；　were　alongside　the　Adamant　in　an　incredibly　

short　time；　and　out　of　the　range　of　these　guns。

　　　

Crab　J　was　on　the　starboard　side　of　the　Adamant；

Crab　K　was　on　the　port　side；　and；　simultaneously；　the

two　laid　hold　of　her。　　But　they　were　not　directly

astern　of　the　great　vessel。　　Each　had　its　nippers

fastened　to　one　side　of　the　stern…jacket；　near　the

hinge…like　bolts　which　held　it　to　the　vessel；　and　on

which　it　was　raised　and　lowered。

　　　

In　a　moment　the　Adamant　began　to　steam　backward；

but　the　only　effect　of　this　motion；　which　soon　became

rapid；　was　to　swing　the　crabs　around　against　her　sides；

and　carry　them　with　her。　　As　the　vessels　were　thus

moving　the　great　pincers　of　the　crabs　were　twisted　with

tremendous　force；　the　stern…jacket　on　one　side　was

broken　from　its　bolt；　and　on　the　other　the　bolt　itself

was　drawn　out　of　the　side　of　the　vessel。　　The　nippers

then　opened；　and　the　stern…jacket　fell　from　their　grasp

into　the　sea；　snapping　in　its　fall　the　chain　by　which

it　had　been　raised　and　lowered。

　　　

This　disaster　occurred　so　quickly　that　few　persons

on　board　the　Adamant　knew　what　had　happened。　　But　the

captain；　who　had　seen　everything；　gave　instant

orders　to　go　ahead　at　full　speed。　　The　first　thing

to　be　done　was　to　get　at　a　distance　from　those　crabs；

keep　well　away　from　them；　and　pound　them　to　pieces　with

his　heavy　guns。

　　　

But　the　iron　screw…propellers　had　scarcely　begun　to

move　in　the　opposite　direction；　before　the　two　crabs；

each　now　lying　at　right　angles　with　the　length　of　the

ship；　but　neither　of　them　directly　astern　of　her；　made

a　dash　with　open　nippers；　and　Crab　J　fastened　upon　one

propeller；　while　Crab　K　laid　hold　of　the　other。　　There

was　a　din　and　crash　of　breaking　metal；　two　shocks　which

were　felt　throughout　the　vessel；　and　the　shattered　and

crushed　blades　of　the　propellers　of　the　great　battle…

ship　were　powerless　to　move　her。

　　　

The　captain　of　the　Adamant；　pallid　with　fury；

stood　upon　the　poop。　　In　a　moment　the　crabs　would　be　at

his　rudder！　　The　great　gun；　double…shotted　and　ready　to

fire；　was　hanging　from　its　boom　over　the　stern。　　Crab

K；　whose　roof　had　the　additional　protection　of　spring

armour；　now　moved　round　so　as　to　be　directly　astern　of

the　Adamant。　　Before　she　could　reach　the　rudder；　her

forward　part　came　under　the　suspended　cannon；　and　two

massive　steel　shot　were　driven　down　upon　her　with　a

force　sufficient　to　send　them　through　masses　of　solid

rock；　but　from　the　surface　of　elastic　steel　springs　and

air…buffers　they　bounced　upward；　one　of　them　almost

falling　on　the　deck　of　the　Adamant。

　　　

The　gunners　of　this　piece　had　been　well　trained。　

In　a　moment　the　boom　was　swung　around；　the　cannon

reloaded；　and　when　Crab　K　fixed　her　nippers　on　the

rudder　of　the　Adamant；　two　more　shot　came　down　upon

her。　　As　in　the　first　instance　she　dipped　and　rolled；

but　the　ribs　of　her　uninjured　armour　had　scarcely

sprung　back　into　their　places；　before　her　nippers

turned；　and　the　rudder　of　the　Adamant　was　broken　in

two；　and　the　upper　portion　dragged　from　its　fastenings

then　a　quick　backward　jerk　snapped　its　chains；　and　it

was　dropped　into　the　sea。

　　　

A　signal　was　now　sent　from　Crab　J　to　Repeller　No。

7；　to　the　effect　that　the　Adamant　had　been　rendered

incapable　of　steaming　or　sailing；　and　that　she　lay

subject　to　order。

　　　

Subject　to　order　or　not；　the　Adamant　did　not　lie

passive。　　Every　gun　on　board　which　could　be

sufficiently　depressed；　was　made　ready　to　fire　upon　the

crabs　should　they　attempt　to　get　away。　　Four　large

boats；　furnished　with　machine　guns；　grapnels；　and　with

various　appliances　which　might　be　brought　into　use　on　a

steel…plated　roof；　were　lowered　from　their　davits；　and

immediately　began　firing　upon　the　exposed　portions　of

the　crabs。　　Their　machine　guns　were　loaded　with　small

shells；　and　if　these　penetrated　under　the　horizontal

plates　of　a　crab；　and　through　the　heavy　glass　which　was

supposed　to　be　in　these　interstices；　the　crew　of　the

submerged　craft　would　be　soon　destroyed。

　　　

The　quick　eye　of　the　captain　of　the　Adamant　had

observed　through　his　glass；　while　the　crabs　were　still

at　a　considerable　distance；　their　protruding　air…pipes；

and　he　had　instructed　the　officers　in　charge　of　the

boats　to　make　an　especial　attack　upon　these。　　If　the

air…pipes　of　a　crab　could　be　rendered　useless；　the　crew

must　inevitably　be　smothered。

　　　

But　the　brave　captain　did　not　know　that　the

condensed…air　chambers　of　the　crabs　would　supply　their

inmates　for　an　hour　or　more　without　recourse　to　the

outer　air；　and　that　the　air…pipes；　furnished　with

valves　at　the　top；　were　always　withdrawn　under　water

during　action　with　an　enemy。　　Nor　did　he　know　that

the　glass　blocks　under　the　armour…plates　of　the　crabs；

which　were　placed　in　rubber　frames　to　protect　them　from

concussion　above；　were　also　guarded　by　steel　netting

from　injury　by　small　balls。

　　　

Valiantly　the　boats　beset　the　crabs；　keeping　up　a

constant　fusillade；　and　endeavouring　to　throw　grapnels

over　them。　　If　one　of　these　should　catch　under　an

overlapping　armour…plate　it　could　be　connected　with　the

steam　windlass　of　the　Adamant；　and　a　plate　might　be

ripped　off　or　a　crab　overturned。

　　　

But　the　crabs　proved　to　be　much　more　lively　fish

than　their　enemies　had　supposed。　　Turning；　as　if　on　a

pivot；　and　darting　from　side　to　side；　they　seemed　to　be

playing　with　the　boats；　and　not　trying　to　get　away　from

them。　　The　spring　armour　of　Crab　K　interfered　somewhat

with　its　movements；　and　also　put　it　in　danger　from

attacks　by　grapnels；　and　it　therefore　left　most　of　the

work　to　its　consort。

　　　

Crab　J；　after　darting　swiftly　in　and　out　among　her

antagonists　for　some　time；　suddenly　made　a　turn；　and

dashing　at　one　of　the　boats；　ran　under　it；　and　raising

it　on　its　glistening　back；　rolled　it；　bottom　upward；

into　the　sea。　　In　a　moment　the　crew　of　the　boat

were　swimming　for　their　lives。　　They　were　quickly

picked　up　by　two　of　the　other　boats；　which　then　deemed

it　prudent　to　return　to　the　ship。

　　　

But　the　second　officer　of　the　Adamant；　who

commanded　the　fourth　boat；　did　not　give　up　the　fight。　

Having　noted　the　spring　armour　of　Crab　K；　he　believed

that　if　he　could　get　a　grapnel　between　its　steel　ribs

he　yet　might　capture　the　sea…monster。　　For　some　minutes

Crab　K　contented　itself　with　eluding　him；　but；　tired　of

this；　it　turned；　and　raising　its　huge　nippers　almost

out　of　the　water；　it　seized　the　bow　of　the　boat；　and

gave　it　a　gentle　crunch；　after　which　it　released　its

hold　and　retired。　　The　boat；　leaking　rapidly　through

two　ragged　holes；　was　rowed　back　to　the　ship；　which　it

reached　half　full　of　water。

　　　

The　great　battle…ship；　totally　bereft　of　the　power

of　moving　herself；　was　now　rolling　in　the　trough　of　the

sea；　and　a　signal　came　from　the　repeller　for　Crab　K　to

make　fast　to　her　and　put　her　head　to　the　wind。　　This

was　quickly　done；　the　crab　attaching　itself　to　the

stern…post　of　the　Adamant　by　a　pair　of　towing

nippers。　　These　were　projected　from　the　st