the great war syndicate-第6章

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

at　greater　speed。　　In　such　a　furious　onslaught　the

crabs　might　not　dare　to　attack　them。

　　　

But　they　did　not　understand　the　nature　nor　the

powers　of　these　enemies。　　In　less　than　twenty　minutes

Crab　A　had　laid　hold　of　one　of　the　men…of…war；　and　Crab

B　of　the　other。　　The　rudders　of　both　were　shattered　and

torn　away；　and　while　the　blades　of　one　propeller　were

crushed　to　pieces；　the　other；　with　nearly　half　its

shaft；　was　drawn　out　and　dropped　into　the　ocean。　

Helplessly　the　two　men…of…war　rose　and　fell　upon　the

waves。

　　　

In　obedience　to　orders　from　the　repeller；　each　crab

took　hold　of　one　of　the　disabled　vessels；　and　towed　it

near　the　mouth　of　the　harbour；　where　it　was　left。

　　　

The　city　was　now　in　a　state　of　feverish　excitement；

which　was　intensified　by　the　fact　that　a　majority　of

the　people　did　not　understand　what　had　happened；　while

those　to　whom　this　had　been　made　plain　could　not

comprehend　why　such　a　thing　should　have　been　allowed　to

happen。　　Three　of　Her　Majesty's　ships　of　war；　equipped

and　ready　for　action；　had　sailed　out　of　the　harbour；

and　an　apparently　insignificant　enemy；　without　firing　a

gun；　had　put　them　into　such　a　condition　that　they　were

utterly　unfit　for　service；　and　must　be　towed　into　a　dry

dock。　　How　could　the　Government；　the　municipality；　the

army；　or　the　navy　explain　this？

　　　

The　anxiety；　the　excitement；　the　nervous　desire　to

know　what　had　happened；　and　what　might　be　expected

next；　spread　that　evening　to　every　part　of　the　Dominion

reached　by　telegraph。

　　　

The　military　authorities　in　charge　of　the　defences

of　the　city　were　as　much　disturbed　and　amazed　by　what

had　happened　as　any　civilian　could　possibly　be；　but

they　had　no　fears　for　the　safety　of　the　place；　for　the

enemy's　vessels　could　not　possibly　enter；　nor　even

approach；　the　harbour。　　The　fortifications　on　the

heights　mounted　guns　much　heavier　than　those　on　the

men…of…war；　and　shots　from　these　fired　from　an

elevation　might　sink　even　those　〃underwater　devils。〃　

But；　more　than　on　the　forts；　they　relied　upon　their

admirable　system　of　torpedoes　and　submarine　batteries。　

With　these　in　position　and　ready　for　action；　as　they

now　were；　it　was　impossible　for　an　enemy's　vessel；

floating　on　the　water　or　under　it；　to　enter　the　harbour

without　certain　destruction。

　　　

Bulletins　to　this　effect　were　posted　in　the　city；

and　somewhat　allayed　the　popular　anxiety；　although　many

people；　who　were　fearful　of　what　might　happen　next；

left　by　the　evening　trains　for　the　interior。　　That

night　the　news　of　this　extraordinary　affair　was　cabled

to　Europe；　and　thence　back　to　the　United　States；　and

all　over　the　world。　　In　many　quarters　the　account　was

disbelieved；　and　in　no　quarter　was　it　thoroughly

understood；　for　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　the

methods　of　operation　employed　by　the　crabs　were　not

evident　to　those　on　board　the　disabled　vessels。　　But

everywhere　there　was　the　greatest　desire　to　know　what

would　be　done　next。

　　　

It　was　the　general　opinion　that　the　two　armoured

vessels　were　merely　tenders　to　the　submerged　machines

which　had　done　the　mischief。　　Having　fired　no　guns；　nor

taken　any　active　part　in　the　combat；　there　was　every

reason　to　believe　that　they　were　intended　merely　as

bomb…proof　store…ships　for　their　formidable　consorts。　

As　these　submerged　vessels　could　not　attack　a　town；　nor

reduce　fortifications；　but　could　exercise　their　power

only　against　vessels　afloat；　it　was　plain　enough　to　see

that　the　object　of　the　American　Syndicate　was　to

blockade　the　port。　　That　they　would　be　able　to　maintain

the　blockade　when　the　full　power　of　the　British　navy

should　be　brought　to　bear　upon　them　was　generally

doubted；　though　it　was　conceded　in　the　most　wrathful

circles　that；　until　the　situation　should　be　altered；　it

would　be　unwise　to　risk　valuable　war　vessels　in

encounters　with　the　diabolical　sea…monsters　now　lying

off　the　port。

　　　

In　the　New　York　office　of　the　Syndicate　there　was

great　satisfaction。　　The　news　received　was　incorrect

and　imperfect；　but　it　was　evident　that；　so　far；

everything　had　gone　well。

　　　

About　nine　o'clock　the　next　morning；　Repeller　No。

1；　with　her　consort　half　a　mile　astern；　and　preceded　by

the　two　crabs；　one　on　either　bow；　approached　to　within

two　miles　of　the　harbour　mouth。　　The　crabs；　a　quarter

of　a　mile　ahead　of　the　repeller；　moved　slowly；　for

between　them　they　bore　an　immense　net；　three　or

four　hundred　feet　long；　and　thirty　feet　deep；　composed

of　jointed　steel　rods。　　Along　the　upper　edge　of　this

net　was　a　series　of　air…floats；　which　were　so　graduated　that　they

were　sunk　by　the　weight　of　the　net　a　few　feet　below　the

surface　of　the　water；　from　which　position　they　held　the

net　suspended　vertically。



This　net；　which　was　intended　to　protect　the

repeller　against　the　approach　of　submarine　torpedoes；

which　might　be　directed　from　the　shore；　was　anchored　at

each　end；　two　very　small　buoys　indicating　its　position。　

The　crabs　then　falling　astern；　Repeller　No。　1　lay　to；

with　the　sunken　net　between　her　and　the　shore；　and

prepared　to　project　the　first　instantaneous　motor…bomb

ever　used　in　warfare。



The　great　gun　in　the　bow　of　the　vessel　was　loaded

with　one　of　the　largest　and　most　powerful　motor…bombs；

and　the　spot　to　be　aimed　at　was　selected。　　This　was　a

point　in　the　water　just　inside　of　the　mouth　of　the

harbour；　and　nearly　a　mile　from　the　land　on　either

side。　　The　distance　of　this　point　from　the　vessel　being

calculated；　the　cannon　was　adjusted　at　the　angle　called

for　by　the　scale　of　distances　and　levels；　and　the

instrument　indicating　rise；　fall；　and　direction　was

then　put　in　connection　with　it。

　　　

Now　the　Director…in…chief　stepped　forward　to　the

button；　by　pressing　which　the　power　of　the　motor　was

developed。　　The　chief　of　the　scientific　corps　then

showed　him　the　exact　point　upon　the　scale　which　would

be　indicated　when　the　gun　was　in　its　proper　position；

and　the　piece　was　then　moved　upon　its　bearings　so

as　to　approximate　as　nearly　as　possible　this　direction。

　　　

The　bow　of　the　vessel　now　rose　upon　the　swell　of

the　sea；　and　the　instant　that　the　index　upon　the　scale

reached　the　desired　point；　the　Director…in…chief

touched　the　button。

　　　

There　was　no　report；　no　smoke；　no　visible　sign　that

the　motor　had　left　the　cannon；　but　at　that　instant

there　appeared；　to　those　who　were　on　the　lookout；　from

a　fort　about　a　mile　away；　a　vast　aperture　in　the　waters

of　the　bay；　which　was　variously　described　as　from　one

hundred　yards　to　five　hundred　yards　in　diameter。　　At

that　same　instant；　in　the　neighbouring　headlands　and

islands　far　up　the　shores　of　the　bay；　and　in　every

street　and　building　of　the　city；　there　was　felt　a　sharp

shock；　as　if　the　underlying　rocks　had　been　struck　by　a

gigantic　trip…hammer。

　　　

At　the　same　instant　the　sky　above　the　spot　where

the　motor　had　descended　was　darkened　by　a　wide…

spreading　cloud。　　This　was　formed　of　that　portion　of

the　water　of　the　bay　which　had　been　instantaneously

raised　to　the　height　of　about　a　thousand　feet。　　The

sudden　appearance　of　this　cloud　was　even　more　terrible

than　the　yawning　chasm　in　the　waters　of　the　bay　or

the　startling　shock；　but　it　did　not　remain　long　in

view。　　It　had　no　sooner　reached　its　highest　elevation

than　it　began　to　descend。　　There　was　a　strong　sea…

breeze　blowing；　and　in　its　descent　this　vast　mass　of

water　was　impelled　toward　the　land。

　　　

It　came　down；　not　as　rain；　but　as　the　waters　of　a

vast　cataract；　as　though　a　mountain　lake；　by　an

earthquake　shock；　had　been　precipitated　in　a　body　upon

a　valley。　　Only　one　edge　of　it　reached　the　land；　and

here　the　seething　flood　tore　away　earth；　trees；　and

rocks；　leaving　behind　it　great　chasms　and　gullies　as　it

descended　to　the　sea。

　　　

The　bay　itself；　into　which　the　vast　body　of　the

water　fell；　became　a　scene　of　surging　madness。　　The

towering