the great war syndicate-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



purpose　be　altered　or　their　propositions　modified。　

Although　the　British　Government　might　be　convinced　of

the　power　of　the　Syndicate's　motor…bombs；　it　was　not

the　case　with　the　British　people；　for　it　was　yet

popularly　disbelieved　that　motor…bombs　existed。　

This　disbelief　the　Syndicate　was　determined　to

overcome；　not　only　for　the　furtherance　of　its　own

purposes；　but　to　prevent　the　downfall　of　the　present

British　Ministry；　and　a　probable　radical　change　in　the

Government。　　That　such　a　political　revolution；　as

undesirable　to　the　Syndicate　as　to　cool…headed　and

sensible　Englishmen；　was　imminent；　there　could　be　no

doubt。　　The　growing　feeling　of　disaffection；　almost

amounting　to　disloyalty；　not　only　in　the　opposition

party；　but　among　those　who　had　hitherto　been　firm

adherents　of　the　Government；　was　mainly　based　upon　the

idea　that　the　present　British　rulers　had　allowed

themselves　to　be　frightened　by　mines　and　torpedoes；

artfully　placed　and　exploded。　　Therefore　the　Syndicate

intended　to　set　right　the　public　mind　upon　this

subject。　　The　note　concluded　by　earnestly　urging　the

designation；　without　loss　of　time；　of　a　place　of　operations。

　　　

This　answer　was　received　in　London　in　the　evening；

and　all　night　it　was　the　subject　of　earnest　and　anxious

deliberation　in　the　Government　offices。　　It　was　at　last

decided；　amid　great　opposition；　that　the　Syndicate's　

alternative　must　be　accepted；　for　it

would　be　the　height　of　folly　to　allow　the　repeller　to

bombard　any　port　she　should　choose。　　When　this

conclusion　had　been　reached；　the　work　of　selecting　a

place　for　the　proposed　demonstration　of　the　American

Syndicate　occupied　but　little　time。　　The　task　was　not

difficult。　　Nowhere　in　Great　Britain　was　there　a

fortified　spot　of　so　little　importance　as　Caerdaff；　on

the　west　coast　of　Wales。

　　　

Caerdaff　consisted　of　a　large　fort　on　a　promontory；

and　an　immense　castellated　structure　on　the　other　side

of　a　small　bay；　with　a　little　fishing　village　at　the

head　of　said　bay。　　The　castellated　structure　was　rather

old；　the　fortress　somewhat　less　so；　and　both　had　long

been　considered　useless；　as　there　was　no　probability

that　an　enemy　would　land　at　this　point　on　the　coast。

　　　

Caerdaff　was　therefore　selected　as　the　spot　to　be

operated　upon。　　No　one　could　for　a　moment　imagine　that

the　Syndicate　had　mined　this　place；　and　if　it　should　be

destroyed　by　motor…bombs；　it　would　prove　to　the　country

that　the　Government　had　not　been　frightened　by　the

tricks　of　a　crafty　enemy。



An　hour　after　the　receipt　of　the　note　in　

which　it　was　stated　that　Caerdaff　had　been

selected；　the　Syndicate's　fleet　started　for　that　place。　

The　crabs　were　elevated　to　cruising　height；　the

repeller　taken　in　tow；　and　by　the　afternoon　of　the　next

day　the　fleet　was　lying　off　Caerdaff。　　A　note　was　sent

on　shore　to　the　officer　in　command；　stating　that　the

bombardment　would　begin　at　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning

of　the　next　day　but　one；　and　requesting　that

information　of　the　hour　appointed　be　instantly

transmitted　to　London。　　When　this　had　been　done；　the

fleet　steamed　six　or　seven　miles　off　shore；　where　it

lay　to　or　cruised　about　for　two　nights　and　a　day。



As　soon　as　the　Government　had　selected　Caerdaff　for

bombardment；　immediate　measures　were　taken　to　remove

the　small　garrisons　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　fishing

village　from　possible　danger。　　When　the　Syndicate's

note　was　received　by　the　commandant　of　the　fort；　he　was

already　in　receipt　of　orders　from　the　War　Office　to

evacuate　the　fortifications；　and　to　superintend　the

removal　of　the　fishermen　and　their　families　to　a　point

of　safety　farther　up　the　coast。

　　　

Caerdaff　was　a　place　difficult　of　access　by　land；

the　nearest　railroad　stations　being　fifteen　or

twenty　miles　away；　but　on　the　day　after　the　arrival　of

the　Syndicate's　fleet　in　the　offing；　thousands　of

people　made　their　way　to　this　part　of　the　country；

anxious　to　seeif　perchance　they　might　find　an

opportunity　to　safely　seewhat　might　happen　at　ten

o'clock　the　next　morning。　　Officers　of　the　army　and

navy；　Government　officials；　press　correspondents；　in

great　numbers；　and　curious　and　anxious　observers　of　all

classes；　hastened　to　the　Welsh　coast。

　　　

The　little　towns　where　the　visitors　left　the　trains

were　crowded　to　overflowing；　and　every　possible

conveyance；　by　which　the　mountains　lying　back　of

Caerdaff　could　be　reached；　was　eagerly　secured；　many

persons；　however；　being　obliged　to　depend　upon　their

own　legs。　　Soon　after　sunrise　of　the　appointed　day　the

forts；　the　village；　and　the　surrounding　lower　country

were　entirely　deserted；　and　every　point　of　vantage　on

the　mountains　lying　some　miles　back　from　the　coast　was

occupied　by　excited　spectators；　nearly　every　one　armed

with　a　field…glass。

　　　

A　few　of　the　guns　from　the　fortifications　were

transported　to　an　overlooking　height；　in　order　that

they　might　be　brought　into　action　in　case　the

repeller；　instead　of　bombarding；　should　send　men　in

boats　to　take　possession　of　the　evacuated

fortifications；　or　should　attempt　any　mining

operations。　　The　gunners　for　this　battery　were

stationed　at　a　safe　place　to　the　rear；　whence　they

could　readily　reach　their　guns　if　necessary。

　　　

The　next　day　was　one　of　supreme　importance　to　the

Syndicate。　　On　this　day　it　must　make　plain　to　the

world；　not　only　what　the　motor…bomb　could　do；　but　that

the　motor…bomb　did　what　was　done。　　Before　leaving　the

English　Channel　the　director　of　Repeller　No。　11　had

received　telegraphic　advices　from　both　Europe　and

America；　indicating　the　general　drift　of　public　opinion

in　regard　to　the　recent　sea…fight；　and；　besides　these；

many　English　and　continental　papers　had　been　brought　to

him　from　the　French　coast。

　　　

From　all　these　the　director　perceived　that　the

cause　of　the　Syndicate　had　in　a　certain　way　suffered

from　the　manner　in　which　the　battle　in　the　channel　had

been　conducted。　　Every　newspaper　urged　that　if　the

repeller　carried　guns　capable　of　throwing　the　bombs

which　the　Syndicate　professed　to　use；　there　was　no

reason　why　every　ship　in　the　British　fleet　should

not　have　been　destroyed。　　But　as　the　repeller　had　not

fired　a　single　shot　at　the　fleet；　and　as　the　battle　had

been　fought　entirely　by　the　crabs；　there　was　every

reason　to　believe　that　if　there　were　such　things　as

motor…guns；　their　range　was　very　short；　not　as　great　as

that　of　the　ordinary　dynamite　cannon。　　The　great　risk

run　by　one　of　the　crabs　in　order　to　disable　a　dynamite

gun…boat　seemed　an　additional　proof　of　this。

　　　

It　was　urged　that　the　explosions　in　the　water　might

have　been　produced　by　torpedoes；　that　the　torpedo…boat

which　had　been　destroyed　was　so　near　the　repeller　that

an　ordinary　shell　was　sufficient　to　accomplish　the

damage　that　had　been　done。

　　　

To　gainsay　these　assumptions　was　imperative　on　the

Syndicate's　forces。　　To　firmly　establish　the　prestige

of　the　instantaneous　motor　was　the　object　of　the　war。　

Crabs　were　of　but　temporary　service。　　Any　nation　could

build　vessels　like　them；　and　there　were　many　means　of

destroying　them。　　The　spring　armour　was　a　complete

defence　against　ordinary　artillery；　but　it　was　not　a

defence　against　submarine　torpedoes。　　The　claims

of　the　Syndicate　could　be　firmly　based　on　nothing　but

the　powers　of　absolute　annihilation　possessed　by　the

instantaneous　motor…bomb。

　　　

About　nine　o'clock　on　the　appointed　morning；

Repeller　No。　11；　much　to　the　surprise　of　the　spectators

on　the　high　grounds　with　field…glasses　and　telescopes；

steamed　away　from　Caerdaff。　　What　this　meant　nobody

knew；　but　the　naval　military　observers　immediately

suspected　that　the　Syndicate's　vessel　had　concentrated

attention　upon　Caerdaff　in　order　to　go　over　to　Ireland

to　do　some　sort　of　mischief　there。　　It　was　presumed

that　the　crabs　accompanied　her；　but　as　they　were　now　at

their　fighting　depth　it　was　impossible　to　see　them　at

so　great　a　distance。

　　　

But　it　was