the great war syndicate-第5章

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was　difficult　to　hit　a　rapidly　moving　flat　object

scarcely　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　although

several　shot　struck　the　crab；　they　glanced　off

without　in　the　least　interfering　with　its　progress。



Crab　A　soon　came　so　near　the　Scarabaeus　that　it

was　impossible　to　depress　the　guns　of　the　latter　so　as

to　strike　her。　　The　great　vessel　was；　therefore；　headed

toward　its　assailant；　and　under　a　full　head　of　steam

dashed　directly　at　it　to　run　it　down。　　But　the　crab

could　turn　as　upon　a　pivot；　and　shooting　to　one　side

allowed　the　surging　man…of…war　to　pass　it。



Perceiving　instantly　that　it　would　be　difficult　to

strike　this　nimble　and　almost　submerged　adversary；　the

commander　of　the　Scarabaeus　thought　it　well　to　let　it

alone　for　the　present；　and　to　bear　down　with　all　speed

upon　the　repeller。　　But　it　was　easier　to　hit　the　crab

than　to　leave　it　behind。　　It　was　capable　of　great

speed；　and；　following　the　British　vessel；　it　quickly

came　up　with　her。



The　course　of　the　Scarabaeus　was　instantly

changed；　and　every　effort　was　made　to　get　the　vessel

into　a　position　to　run　down　the　crab。　　But　this　was　not

easy　for　so　large　a　ship；　and　Crab　A　seemed　to　have　no

difficulty　in　keeping　close　to　her　stern。



Several　machine…guns；　especially　adopted　for

firing　at　torpedo…boats　or　any　hostile　craft　which

might　be　discovered　close　to　a　vessel；　were　now　brought

to　bear　upon　the　crab；　and　ball　after　ball　was　hurled

at　her。　　Some　of　these　struck；　but　glanced　off　without

penetrating　her　tough　armour。



These　manoeuvres　had　not　continued　long；　when　the

crew　of　the　crab　was　ready　to　bring　into　action　the

peculiar　apparatus　of　that　peculiar　craft。　　An　enormous

pair　of　iron　forceps；　each　massive　limb　of　which

measured　twelve　feet　or　more　in　length；　was　run　out　in

front　of　the　crab　at　a　depth　of　six　or　eight　feet

below　the　surface。　　These　forceps　were　acted　upon　by　an

electric　engine　of　immense　power；　by　which　they　could

be　shut；　opened；　projected；　withdrawn；　or　turned　and

twisted。



The　crab　darted　forward；　and　in　the　next　instant

the　great　teeth　of　her　pincers　were　fastened　with　a

tremendous　grip　upon　the　rudder　and　rudder…post　of　the

Scarabaeus。



Then　followed　a　sudden　twist；　which　sent　a　thrill

through　both　vessels；　a　crash；　a　backward　jerk；　the

snapping　of　a　chain；　and　in　a　moment　the　great　rudder；

with　half　of　the　rudder…post　attached；　was　torn　from

the　vessel；　and　as　the　forceps　opened　it　dropped　to

leeward　and　hung　dangling　by　one　chain。

　　　

Again　the　forceps　opened　wide；　again　there　was　a

rush；　and　this　time　the　huge　jaws　closed　upon　the

rapidly　revolving　screw…propeller。　　There　was　a

tremendous　crash；　and　the　small　but　massive　crab　turned

over　so　far　that　for　an　instant　one　of　its　sides　was

plainly　visible　above　the　water。　　The　blades　of　the

propeller　were　crushed　and　shivered；　those　parts　of　the

steamer's　engines　connecting　with　the　propeller…shaft

were　snapped　and　rent　apart；　while　the　propeller…

shaft　itself　was　broken　by　the　violent　stoppage。

　　　

The　crab；　which　had　quickly　righted；　now　backed；

still　holding　the　crushed　propeller　in　its　iron　grasp；

and　as　it　moved　away　from　the　Scarabaeus；　it

extracted　about　forty　feet　of　its　propeller…shaft；

then；　opening　its　massive　jaws；　it　allowed　the　useless

mass　of　iron　to　drop　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea。

　　　

Every　man　on　board　the　Scarabaeus　was　wild　with

amazement　and　excitement。　　Few　could　comprehend　what

had　happened；　but　this　very　quickly　became　evident。　　So

far　as　motive　power　was　concerned；　the　Scarabaeus　was

totally；　disabled。　　She　could　not　direct　her　course；

for　her　rudder　was　gone；　her　propeller　was　gone；　her

engines　were　useless；　and　she　could　do　no　more　than

float　as　wind　or　tide　might　move　her。　　Moreover；　there

was　a　jagged　hole　in　her　stern　where　the　shaft　had

been；　and　through　this　the　water　was　pouring　into　the

vessel。　　As　a　man…of…war　the　Scarabaeus　was　worthless。

　　

Orders　now　came　fast　from　Repeller　No。　1；　which　had

moved　nearer　to　the　scene　of　conflict。　　It　was　to　be

supposed　that　the　disabled　ship　was　properly　furnished

with　bulk…heads；　so　that　the　water　would　penetrate

no　farther　than　the　stern　compartment；　and　that；

therefore；　she　was　in　no　danger　of　sinking。　　Crab　A　was

ordered　to　make　fast　to　the　bow　of　the　Scarabaeus；

and　tow　her　toward　two　men…of…war　who　were　rapidly

approaching　from　the　harbour。

　　　

This　proceeding　astonished　the　commander　and

officers　of　the　Scarabaeus　almost　as　much　as　the

extraordinary　attack　which　had　been　made　upon　their

ship。　　They　had　expected　a　demand　to　surrender　and　haul

down　their　flag；　but　the　Director…in…chief　on　board

Repeller　No。　1　was　of　the　opinion　that　with　her

propeller　extracted　it　mattered　little　what　flag　she

flew。　　His　work　with　the　Scarabaeus　was　over；　for　it

had　been　ordered　by　the　Syndicate　that　its　vessels

should　not　encumber　themselves　with　prizes。

　　　

Towed　by　the　powerful　crab；　which　apparently　had　no

fear　that　its　disabled　adversary　might　fire　upon　it；

the　Scarabaeus　moved　toward　the　harbour；　and　when　it

had　come　within　a　quarter　of　a　mile　of　the　foremost

British　vessel；　Crab　A　cast　off　and　steamed　back　to

Repeller　No。　1。

　　　

The　other　English　vessels　soon　came　up；　and

each　lay　to　and　sent　a　boat　to　the　Scarabaeus。　　After

half　an　hour's　consultation；　in　which　the　amazement　of

those　on　board　the　damaged　vessel　was　communicated　to

the　officers　and　crews　of　her　two　consorts；　it　was

determined　that　the　smaller　of　these　should　tow　the

disabled　ship　into　port；　while　the　other　one；　in

company　with　a　man…of…war　just　coming　out　of　the

harbour；　should　make　an　attack　upon　Repeller　No。　1。

　　　


It　had　been　plainly　proved　that　ordinary　shot　and

shell　had　no　effect　upon　this　craft；　but　it　had　not

been　proved　that　she　could　withstand　the　rams　of

powerful　ironclads。　　If　this　vessel；　that　apparently

carried　no　guns；　or；　at　least；　had　used　none；　could　be

crushed；　capsized；　sunk；　or　in　any　way　put　out　of　the

fight；　it　was　probable　that　the　dangerous　submerged

nautical　machine　would　not　care　to　remain　in　these

waters。　　If　it　remained　it　must　be　destroyed　by　torpedoes。

　　　

Signals　were　exchanged　between　the　two　English

vessels；　and　in　a　very　short　time　they　were　steaming

toward　the　repeller。　　It　was　a　dangerous　thing　for　two

vessels　of　their　size　to　come　close　enough　together　for

both　to　ram　an　enemy　at　the　same　time；　but　it　was

determined　to　take　the　risks　and　do　this；　if　possible；

for　the　destruction　of　the　repeller　was　obviously　the

first　duty　in　hand。

　　　

As　the　two　men…of…war　rapidly　approached　Repeller

No。　1；　they　kept　up　a　steady　fire　upon　her；　for　if　in

this　way　they　could　damage　her；　the　easier　would　be

their　task。　　With　a　firm　reliance　upon　the　efficacy　of

the　steel…spring　armour；　the　Director…in…chief　felt　no

fear　of　the　enemy's　shot　and　shell；　but　he　was　not　at

all　willing　that　his　vessel　should　be　rammed；　for　the

consequences　would　probably　be　disastrous。　　Accordingly

he　did　not　wait　for　the　approach　of　the　two　vessels；

but　steering　seaward；　he　signalled　for　the　other　crab。

　　

When　Crab　B　made　its　appearance；　puffing　its　little

black　jets　of　smoke；　as　it　answered　the　signals　of　the

Director…in…chief；　the　commanders　of　the　two　British

vessels　were　surprised。　　They　had　imagined　that　there

was　only　one　of　these　strange　and　terrible　enemies；　and

had　supposed　that　she　would　be　afraid　to　make　her

peculiar　attack　upon　one　of　them；　because　while　doing

so　she　would　expose　herself　to　the　danger　of　being　run

down　by　the　other。　　But　the　presence　of　two　of　these

almost　submerged　engines　of　destruction　entirely

changed　the　situation。

　　　

But　the　commanders　of　the　British　ships　were　brave

men。　　They　had　started　to　run　down　the　strangely

armoured　American　craft；　and　run　her　down　they　would；

if　they　could。　　They　put　on　more　steam；　and　went　ahead

at　greater　spe