the great war syndicate-第4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！



mathematical　table　showed　to　what　points　on　the

graduated　scales　the　gun　should　be　adjusted；　and　the

instant　that　the　that　the　muzzle　of　the　cannon　was　in

the　position　that　it　was　when　the　observation　was

taken；　a　button　was　touched　and　the　bomb　was

instantaneously　placed　on　the　spot　aimed　at。　　The

exactness　with　which　the　propelling　force　of　the　bomb

could　be　determined　was　an　important　factor　in　this

method　of　aiming。



As　soon　as　three　of　the　spring…armoured　vessels　and

five　〃crabs〃　were　completed；　the　Syndicate　felt　itself

ready　to　begin　operations。　　It　was　indeed　time。　　The

seas　had　been　covered　with　American　and　British

merchantmen　hastening　homeward；　or　to　friendly

ports；　before　the　actual　commencement　of　hostilities。　

But　all　had　not　been　fortunate　enough　to　reach　safety

within　the　limits　of　time　allowed；　and　several　American

merchantmen　had　been　already　captured　by　fast　British

cruisers。



The　members　of　the　Syndicate　well　understood　that

if　a　war　was　to　be　carried　on　as　they　desired；　they

must　strike　the　first　real　blow。　　Comparatively

speaking；　a　very　short　time　had　elapsed　since　the

declaration　of　war；　and　the　opportunity　to　take　the

initiative　was　still　open。

　　　

It　was　in　order　to　take　this　initiative　that；　in

the　early　hours　of　a　July　morning；　two　of　the

Syndicate's　armoured　vessels；　each　accompanied　by　a

crab；　steamed　out　of　a　New　England　port；　and　headed　for

the　point　on　the　Canadian　coast　where　it　had　been

decided　to　open　the　campaign。



The　vessels　of　the　Syndicate　had　no　individual

names。　　The　spring…armoured　ships　were　termed

〃repellers；〃　and　were　numbered；　and　the　crabs　were

known　by　the　letters　of　the　alphabet。　　Each　repeller

was　in　charge　of　a　Director　of　Naval　Operations；　and

the　whole　naval　force　of　the　Syndicate　was　under　the

command　of　a　Director…in…chief。　　On　this　momentous　

occasion　this　officer　was　on　board　of　Repeller　No。　1；

and　commanded　the　little　fleet。



The　repellers　had　never　been　vessels　of　great

speed；　and　their　present　armour　of　steel　strips；　the

lower　portion　of　which　was　frequently　under　water；

considerably　retarded　their　progress；　but　each　of　them

was　taken　in　tow　by　one　of　the　swift　and　powerful

crabs；　and　with　this　assistance　they　made　very　good

time；　reaching　their　destination　on　the　morning　of　the

second　day。



It　was　on　a　breezy　day；　with　a　cloudy　sky；　and　the

sea　moderately　smooth；　that　the　little　fleet　of　the

Syndicate　lay　to　off　the　harbour　of　one　of　the

principal　Canadian　seaports。　　About　five　miles　away　the

headlands　on　either　side　of　the　mouth　of　the　harbour

could　be　plainly　seen。　　It　had　been　decided　that

Repeller　No。　1　should　begin　operations。　　Accordingly；

that　vessel　steamed　about　a　mile　nearer　the　harbour；

accompanied　by　Crab　A。　　The　other　repeller　and　crab

remained　in　their　first　position；　ready　to　act　in　case

they　should　be　needed。



The　approach　of　two　vessels；　evidently　men…of…war；

and　carrying　the　American　flag；　was　perceived　from　the

forts　and　redoubts　at　the　mouth　of　the　harbour；

and　the　news　quickly　spread　to　the　city　and　to　the

vessels　in　port。　　Intense　excitement　ensued　on　land　and

water；　among　the　citizens　of　the　place　as　well　as　its

defenders。　　Every　man　who　had　a　post　of　duty　was

instantly　at　it；　and　in　less　than　half　an　hour　the

British　man…of…war　Scarabaeus；　which　had　been　lying

at　anchor　a　short　distance　outside　the　harbour；　came

steaming　out　to　meet　the　enemy。　　There　were　other　naval

vessels　in　port；　but　they　required　more　time　to　be　put

in　readiness　for　action。



As　soon　as　the　approach　of　Scarabaeus　was

perceived　by　Repeller　No。　1；　a　boat　bearing　a　white

flag　was　lowered　from　that　vessel　and　was　rapidly　rowed

toward　the　British　ship。　　When　the　latter　saw　the　boat

coming　she　lay　to；　and　waited　its　arrival。　　A　note　was

delivered　to　the　captain　of　the　Scarabaeus；　in　which

it　was　stated　that　the　Syndicate；　which　had　undertaken

on　the　part　of　the　United　States　the　conduct　of　the　war

between　that　country　and　Great　Britain；　was　now

prepared　to　demand　the　surrender　of　this　city　with　its

forts　and　defences　and　all　vessels　within　its　harbour；

and；　as　a　first　step；　the　immediate　surrender　of　the

vessel　to　the　commander　of　which　this　note　was　delivered。



The　overwhelming　effrontery　of　this　demand　caused

the　commander　of　the　Scarabaeus　to　doubt　whether　he

had　to　deal　with　a　raving　lunatic　or　a　blustering　fool；

but　he　informed　the　person　in　charge　of　the　flag…of…

truce　boat；　that　he　would　give　him　fifteen　minutes　in

which　to　get　back　to　his　vessel；　and　that　he　would　then

open　fire　upon　that　craft。



The　men　who　rowed　the　little　boat　were　not　men…of…

war's　men；　and　were　unaccustomed　to　duties　of　this

kind。　　In　eight　minutes　they　had　reached　their　vessel；

and　were　safe　on　board。



Just　seven　minutes　afterward　the　first　shot　came

from　the　Scarabaeus。　　It　passed　over　Repeller　No。　1；

and　that　vessel；　instead　of　replying；　immediately

steamed　nearer　her　adversary。　　The　Director…in…chief

desired　to　determine　the　effect　of　an　active　cannonade

upon　the　new　armour；　and　therefore　ordered　the　vessel

placed　in　such　a　position　that　the　Englishman　might

have　the　best　opportunity　for　using　it　as　a　target。



The　Scarabaeus　lost　no　time　in　availing　herself

of　the　facilities　offered。　　She　was　a　large　and

powerful　ship；　with　a　heavy　armament；　and；　soon　getting

the　range　of　the　Syndicate's　vessel；　she　hurled　ball

after　ball　upon　her　striped　side。　　Repeller　No。　1　made

no　reply；　but　quietly　submitted　to　the　terrible

bombardment。　　Some　of　the　great　shot　jarred　her　from

bow　to　stern；　but　not　one　of　them　broke　a　steel　spring；

nor　penetrated　the　heavy　inside　plates。



After　half　an　hour　of　this；　work　the　Director…in…

chief　became　satisfied　that　the　new　armour　had　well

acquitted　itself　in　the　severe　trial　to　which　it　had

been　subjected。　　Some　of　the　air…buffers　had　been

disabled；　probably　on　account　of　faults　in　their

construction；　but　these　could　readily　be　replaced；　and

no　further　injury　had　been　done　the　vessel。　　It　was　not

necessary；　therefore；　to　continue　the　experiment　any

longer；　and　besides；　there　was　danger　that　the

Englishman；　perceiving　that　his　antagonist　did　not

appear　to　be　affected　by　his　fire；　would　approach

closer　and　endeavour　to　ram　her。　　This　was　to　be

avoided；　for　the　Scarabaeus　was　a　much　larger　vessel

than　Repeller　No。　1；　and　able　to　run　into　the　latter

and　sink　her　by　mere　preponderance　of　weight。



It　was　therefore　decided　to　now　test　the　powers　of

the　crabs。　　Signals　were　made　from　Repeller　No。　1　to

Crab　A；　which　had　been　lying　with　the　larger　vessel　between　it

and　the　enemy。　　These　signals　were　made　by　jets　of

dense　black　smoke；　which　were　ejected　from　a　small　pipe

on　the　repeller。　　These　slender　columns　of　smoke

preserved　their　cylindrical　forms　for　some　moments；　and

were　visible　at　a　great　distance　by　day　or　night；　being

illumined　in　the　latter　case　by　electric　light。　　The

length　and　frequency　of　these　jets　were　regulated　by　an

instrument　in　the　Director's　room。　　Thus；　by　means　of

long　and　short　puffs；　with　the　proper　use　of　intervals；

a　message　could　be　projected　into　the　air　as　a

telegraphic　instrument　would　mark　it　upon　paper。



In　this　manner　Crab　A　was　ordered　to　immediately

proceed　to　the　attack　of　the　Scarabaeus。　　The　almost

submerged　vessel　steamed　rapidly　from　behind　her

consort；　and　made　for　the　British　man…of…war。



When　the　latter　vessel　perceived　the　approach　of

this　turtle…backed　object；　squirting　little　jets　of

black　smoke　as　she　replied　to　the　orders　from　the

repeller；　there　was　great　amazement　on　board。　　The　crab

had　not　been　seen　before；　but　as　it　came　rapidly　on

there　was　no　time　for　curiosity　or　discussion；　and

several　heavy　guns　were　brought　to　bear　upon　it。　　It

was　difficult　to　hit　a　rapidly　moving　flat　object

scarcely　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　althou