the great war syndicate-第25章

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their　fighting　depth　it　was　impossible　to　see　them　at

so　great　a　distance。

　　　

But　it　was　soon　perceived　that　Repeller　No。　11　had

no　intention　of　running　away；　nor　of　going　over　to

Ireland。　　From　slowly　cruising　about　four　or　five　miles

off　shore；　she　had　steamed　westward　until　she　had

reached　a　point　which；　according　to　the　calculations　of

her　scientific　corps；　was　nine　marine　miles　from

Caerdaff。　　There　she　lay　to　against　a　strong　breeze

from　the　east。



It　was　not　yet　ten　o'clock　when　the　officer　in

charge　of　the　starboard　gun　remarked　to　the　director

that　he　suppose　that　it　would　not　be　necessary　to　give

the　smoke　signals；　as　had　been　done　in　the　channel；　as

now　all　the　crabs　were　lying　near　them。　　The　director

reflected　a　moment；　and　then　ordered　that　the　signals

should　be　given　at　every　discharge　of　the　gun；　and　that

the　columns　of　black　smoke　should　be　shot　up　to　their

greatest　height。



At　precisely　ten　o'clock；　up　rose　from　Repeller　No。

11　two　tall　jets　of　black　smoke。　　Up　rose　from　the

promontory　of　Caerdaff；　a　heavy　gray　cloud；　like　an

immense　balloon；　and　then　the　people　on　the　hill…tops

and　highlands　felt　a　sharp　shock　of　the　ground　and

rocks　beneath　them；　and　heard　the　sound　of　a　terrible

but　momentary　grinding　crush。



As　the　cloud　began　to　settle；　it　was　borne　out　to

sea　by　the　wind；　and　then　it　was　revealed　that　the

fortifications　of　Caerdaff　had　disappeared。



In　ten　minutes　there　was　another　smoke　signal；　and

a　great　cloud　over　the　castellated　structure　on　the

other　side　of　the　bay。　　The　cloud　passed　away；　leaving

a　vacant　space　on　the　other　side　of　the　bay。



The　second　shock　sent　a　panic　through　the　crowd　of

spectators。　　The　next　earthquake　bomb　might　strike

among　them。　　Down　the　eastern　slopes　ran　hundreds　of

them；　leaving　only　a　few　of　the　bravest　civilians；　the

reporters　of　the　press；　and　the　naval　and　military　men。

　　　

The　next　motor…bomb　descended　into　the　fishing

village；　the　comminuted　particles　of　which；　being

mostly　of　light　material；　floated　far　out　to　sea。

　　　

The　detachment　of　artillerists　who　had　been　deputed

to　man　the　guns　on　the　heights　which　commanded　the　bay

had　been　ordered　to　fall　back　to　the　mountains　as　soon

as　it　had　been　seen　that　it　was　not　the　intention　of

the　repeller　to　send　boats　on　shore。　　The　most

courageous　of　the　spectators　trembled　a　little　when　the

fourth　bomb　was　discharged；　for　it　came　farther　inland；

and　struck　the　height　on　which　the　battery　had　been

placed；　removing　all　vestiges　of　the　guns；　caissons；

and　the　ledge　of　rock　on　which　they　had　stood。

　　　

The　motor…bombs　which　the　repeller　was　now

discharging　were　of　the　largest　size　and　greatest

power；　and　a　dozen　more　of　them　were　discharged　at

intervals　of　a　few　minutes。　　The　promontory　on　which

the　fortifications　had　stood　was　annihilated；　and

the　waters　of　the　bay　swept　over　its　foundations。　　Soon

afterward　the　head　of　the　bay　seemed　madly　rushing　out

to　sea；　but　quickly　surged　back　to　fill　the　chasm　which

yawned　at　the　spot　where　the　village　had　been。

　　　

The　dense　clouds　were　now　upheaved　at　such　short

intervals　that　the　scene　of　devastation　was　completely

shut　out　from　the　observers　on　the　hills；　but　every　few

minutes　they　felt　a　sickening　shock；　and　heard　a

momentary　and　horrible　crash　and　hiss　which　seemed　to

fill　all　the　air。　　The　instantaneous　motor…bombs　were

tearing　up　the　sea…board；　and　grinding　it　to　atoms。

　　　

It　was　not　yet　noon　when　the　bombardment　ceased。　

No　more　puffs　of　black　smoke　came　up　from　the　distant

repeller；　and　the　vast　spreading　mass　of　clouds　moved

seaward；　dropping　down　upon　St。　George's　Channel　in　a

rain　of　stone　dust。　　Then　the　repeller　steamed

shoreward；　and　when　she　was　within　three　or　four　miles

of　the　coast　she　ran　up　a　large　white　flag　in　token

that　her　task　was　ended。

　　　

This　sign　that　the　bombardment　had　ceased　was

accepted　in　good　faith；　and　as　some　of　the　military　and

naval　men　had　carefully　noted　that　each　puff　from

the　repeller　was　accompanied　by　a　shock；　it　was

considered　certain　that　all　the　bombs　which　had　been

discharged　had　acted；　and　that；　consequently；　no

further　danger　was　to　be　apprehended　from　them。　　In

spite　of　this　announcement　many　of　the　spectators　would

not　leave　their　position　on　the　hills；　but　a　hundred　or　more　of

curious　and　courageous　men　ventured　down　into　the　plain。



That　part　of　the　sea…coast　where　Caerdaff　had　been

was　a　new　country；　about　which　men　wandered　slowly　and

cautiously　with　sudden　exclamations；　of　amazement　and

awe。　　There　were　no　longer　promontories　jutting　out

into　the　sea；　there　were　no　hillocks　and　rocky　terraces

rising　inland。　　In　a　vast　plain；　shaven　and　shorn　down

to　a　common　level　of　scarred　and　pallid　rock；

there　lay　an　immense　chasm　two　miles　and　a　half　long；

half　a　mile　wide；　and　so　deep　that　shuddering　men　could

stand　and　look　down　upon　the　rent　and　riven　rocks　upon

which　had　rested　that　portion　of　the　Welsh　coast　which

had　now　blown　out　to　sea。



An　officer　of　the　Royal　Engineers　stood　on　the

seaward　edge　of　this　yawning　abyss；　then　he　walked　over

to　the　almost　circular　body　of　water　which　occupied　the

place　where　the　fishing　village　had　been；　and　into

which　the　waters　of　the　bay　had　flowed。　　When　this

officer　returned　to　London　he　wrote　a　report　to　the

effect　that　a　ship　canal；　less　than　an　eighth　of　a　mile

long；　leading　from　the　newly　formed　lake　at　the　head　of

the　bay；　would　make　of　this　chasm；　when　filled　by　the

sea；　the　finest　and　most　thoroughly　protected　inland

basin　for　ships　of　all　sizes　on　the　British　coast。　　But

before　this　report　received　due　official　consideration

the　idea　had　been　suggested　and　elaborated　in　a　dozen

newspapers。

　　　

Accounts　and　reports　of　all　kinds　describing　the

destruction　of　Caerdaff；　and　of　the　place　in　which　it

had　stood；　filled　the　newspapers　of　the　world。　　Photo…

graphs　and　pictures　of　Caerdaff　as　it　had　been　and

as　it　then　was　were　produced　with　marvellous　rapidity；

and　the　earthquake　bomb　of　the　American　War　Syndicate

was　the　subject　of　excited　conversation　in　every

civilized　country。

　　　

The　British　Ministry　was　now　the　calmest　body　of

men　in　Europe。　　The　great　opposition　storm　had　died

away；　the　great　war　storm　had　ceased；　and　the　wisest

British　statesmen　saw　the　unmistakable　path　of　national

policy　lying　plain　and　open　before　them。　　There　was　no

longer　time　for　arguments　and　struggles　with　opponents

or　enemies；　internal　or　external。　　There　was　even　no

longer　time　for　the　discussion　of　measures。　　It　was　the

time　for　the　adoption　of　a　measure　which　indicated

itself；　and　which　did　not　need　discussion。

　　

On　the　afternoon　of　the　day　of　the　bombardment　of

Caerdaff；　Repeller　No。　11；　accompanied　by　her　crabs；

steamed　for　the　English　Channel。　　Two　days　afterward

there　lay　off　the　coast　at　Brighton；　with　a　white　flag

floating　high　above　her；　the　old　Tallapoosa；　now

naval　mistress　of　the　world。

　　　

Near　by　lay　a　cable　boat；　and　constant

communication　by　way　of　France　was　kept　up　between

the　officers　of　the　American　Syndicate　and　the

repeller。　　In　a　very　short　time　communications　were

opened　between　the　repeller　and　London。

　　　

When　this　last　step　became　known　to　the　public　of

America；　almost　as　much　excited　by　the　recent　events　as

the　public　of　England；　a　great　disturbance　arose　in

certain　political　circles。　　It　was　argued　that　the

Syndicate　had　no　right　to　negotiate　in　any　way　with　the

Government　of　England；　that　it　had　been　empowered　to

carry　on　a　war；　and　that；　if　its　duties　in　this　regard

had　been　satisfactorily　executed；　it　must　now　retire；

and　allow　the　United　States　Government　to　attend　to　its

foreign　relations。

　　　

But　the　Syndicate　was　firm。　　It　had　contracted　to

bring　the　war　to　a　satisfactory　conclusion。　　When　it

considered　that　this　had　been　done；　it　would　retire　and

allow　the　American