the great war syndicate-第8章

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any　moment　might　ascend　in　a　cloud　of　minute　particles。　

They　felt　that　they　were　in　a　region　of　hidden　traitors

and　bombs；　and　in　consequence　of　this　belief　thousands

of　citizens　left　their　homes。

　　　

That　afternoon　a　truce…boat　again　went　out　from

Repeller　No。　1；　and　rowed　to　the　fort；　where　a　letter

to　the　commandant　was　delivered。　　This；　like　the　other；

demanded　no　answer；　and　the　boat　returned。　　Later　in

the　afternoon　the　two　repellers；　accompanied　by　the

crabs；　and　leaving　the　steel　net　still　anchored　in　its

place；　retired　a　few　miles　seaward；　where　they　prepared

to　lay　to　for　the　night。

　　　

The　letter　brought　by　the　truce…boat　was　read　by

the　commandant；　surrounded　by　his　officers。　　It　stated

that　in　twenty…four　hours　from　time　of　writing　it；

which　would　be　at　or　about　four　o'clock　on　the　next

afternoon；　a　bomb　would　be　thrown　into　the　garrisoned

fort；　under　the　command　of　the　officer　addressed。　　As

this　would　result　in　the　entire　destruction　of　the

fortification；　the　commandant　was　earnestly　counselled

to　evacuate　the　fort　before　the　hour　specified。

　　　

Ordinarily　the　commandant　of　the　fort　was　of　a　calm

and　unexcitable　temperament。　　During　the　astounding

events　of　that　day　and　the　day　before　he　had　kept　his

head　cool；　his　judgment；　if　not　correct；　was　the　result

of　sober　and　earnest　consideration。　　But　now　he　lost

his　temper。　　The　unparalleled　effrontery　and　impertinence　

of　this　demand　of　the　American　Syndicate　was　too　much　for　

his　self…possession。　　He　stormed　in　anger。

　　　

Here　was　the　culmination　of　the　knavish　trickery　of

these　conscienceless　pirates　who　had　attacked　the　port。　

A　torpedo　had　been　exploded　in　the　harbour；　an

unfinished　fort　had　been　mined　and　blown　up；　and　all

this　had　been　done　to　frighten　hima　British　soldier

in　command　of　a　strong　fort　well　garrisoned　and　fully

supplied　with　all　the　munitions　of　war。　　In　the　fear

that　his　fort　would　be　destroyed　by　a　mystical

bomb；　he　was　expected　to　march　to　a　place　of　safety

with　all　his　forces。　　If　this　should　be　done　it　would

not　be　long　before　these　crafty　fellows　would　occupy

the　fort；　and　with　its　great　guns　turned　inland；　would

hold　the　city　at　their　mercy。　　There　could　be　no

greater　insult　to　a　soldier　than　to　suppose　that　he

could　be　gulled　by　a　trick　like　this。

　　　

No　thought　of　actual　danger　entered　the　mind　of　the

commandant。　　It　had　been　easy　enough　to　sink　a　great

torpedo　in　the　harbour；　and　the　unguarded　bluffs　of

Fort　Pilcher　offered　every　opportunity　to　the

scoundrels　who　may　have　worked　at　their　mines　through

the　nights　of　several　months。　　But　a　mine　under　the

fort　which　he　commanded　was　an　impossibility；　its

guarded　outposts　prevented　any　such　method　of　attack。　

At　a　bomb；　or　a　dozen；　or　a　hundred　of　the　Syndicate's

bombs　he　snapped　his　fingers。　　He　could　throw　bombs　as

well。

　　　

Nothing　would　please　him　better　than　that　those

ark…like　ships　in　the　offing　should　come　near　enough

for　an　artillery　fight。　　A　few　tons　of　solid　shot　and

shell　dropped　on　top　of　them　might　be　a　very

conclusive　answer　to　their　impudent　demands。

　　　

The　letter　from　the　Syndicate；　together　with　his

own　convictions　on　the　subject；　were　communicated　by

the　commandant　to　the　military　authorities　of　the　port；

and　to　the　War　Office　of　the　Dominion。　　The　news　of

what　had　happened　that　day　had　already　been　cabled

across　the　Atlantic　back　to　the　United　States；　and　all

over　the　world；　and　the　profound　impression　created　by

it　was　intensified　when　it　became　known　what　the

Syndicate　proposed　to　do　the　next　day。　　Orders　and

advices　from　the　British　Admiralty　and　War　Office　sped

across　the　ocean；　and　that　night　few　of　the　leaders　in

government　circles　in　England　or　Canada　closed　their

eyes。

　　　

The　opinions　of　the　commandant　of　the　fort　were

received　with　but　little　favour　by　the　military　and

naval　authorities。　　Great　preparations　were　already

ordered　to　repel　and　crush　this　most　audacious　attack

upon　the　port；　but　in　the　mean　time　it　was　highly

desirable　that　the　utmost　caution　and　prudence　should

be　observed。　　Three　men…of…war　had　already　been

disabled　by　the　novel　and　destructive　machines　of　the

enemy；　and　it　had　been　ordered　that　for　the　present

no　more　vessels　of　the　British　navy　be　allowed　to

approach　the　crabs　of　the　Syndicate。

　　　

Whether　it　was　a　mine　or　a　bomb　which　had　been　used

in　the　destruction　of　the　unfinished　works　of　Fort

Pilcher；　it　would　be　impossible　to　determine　until　an

official　survey　had　been　made　of　the　ruins；　but；　in　any

event；　it　would　be　wise　and　humane　not　to　expose　the

garrison　of　the　fort　on　the　south　side　of　the　harbour

to　the　danger　which　had　overtaken　the　works　on　the

opposite　shore。　　If；　contrary　to　the　opinion　of　the

commandant；　the　garrisoned　fort　were　really　mined；　the

following　day　would　probably　prove　the　fact。　　Until

this　point　should　be　determined　it　would　be　highly

judicious　to　temporarily　evacuate　the　fort。　　This　could

not　be　followed　by　occupation　of　the　works　by　the

enemy；　for　all　approaches；　either　by　troops　in　boats　or

by　bodies　of　confederates　by　land；　could　be　fully

covered　by　the　inland　redoubts　and　fortifications。

　　　

When　the　orders　for　evacuation　reached　the

commandant　of　the　fort；　he　protested　hotly；　and　urged

that　his　protest　be　considered。　　It　was　not　until　the

command　had　been　reiterated　both　from　London　and

Ottawa；　that　he　accepted　the　situation；　and　with

bowed　head　prepared　to　leave　his　post。　　All　night

preparations　for　evacuation　went　on；　and　during　the

next　morning　the　garrison　left　the　fort；　and

established　itself　far　enough　away　to　preclude　danger

from　the　explosion　of　a　mine；　but　near　enough　to　be

available　in　case　of　necessity。

　　　

During　this　morning　there　arrived　in　the　offing

another　Syndicate　vessel。　　This　had　started　from　a

northern　part　of　the　United　States；　before　the

repellers　and　the　crabs；　and　it　had　been　engaged　in

laying　a　private　submarine　cable；　which　should　put　the

office　of　the　Syndicate　in　New　York　in　direct

communication　with　its　naval　forces　engaged　with　the

enemy。　　Telegraphic　connection　between　the　cable　boat

and　Repeller　No。　1　having　been　established；　the

Syndicate　soon　received　from　its　Director…in…chief　full

and　comprehensive　accounts　of　what　had　been　done　and

what　it　was　proposed　to　do。　　Great　was　the　satisfaction

among　the　members　of　the　Syndicate　when　these　direct

and　official　reports　came　in。　　Up　to　this　time　they　had

been　obliged　to　depend　upon　very　unsatisfactory

intelligence　communicated　from　Europe；　which　had　been

supplemented　by　wild　statements　and　rumours

smuggled　across　the　Canadian　border。

　　　

To　counteract　the　effect　of　these；　a　full　report

was　immediately　made　by　the　Syndicate　to　the　Government

of　the　United　States；　and　a　bulletin　distinctly

describing　what　had　happened　was　issued　to　the　people

of　the　country。　　These　reports；　which　received　a　world…

wide　circulation　in　the　newspapers；　created　a　popular

elation　in　the　United　States；　and　gave　rise　to　serious

apprehensions　and　concern　in　many　other　countries。　　But

under　both　elation　and　concern　there　was　a　certain

doubtfulness。　　So　far　the　Syndicate　had　been

successful；　but　its　style　of　warfare　was　decidedly

experimental；　and　its　forces；　in　numerical　strength　at

least；　were　weak。　　What　would　happen　when　the　great

naval　power　of　Great　Britain　should　be　brought　to　bear

upon　the　Syndicate；　was　a　question　whose　probable

answer　was　likely　to　cause　apprehension　and　concern　in

the　United　States；　and　elation　in　many　other　countries。

　　　

The　commencement　of　active　hostilities　had　been

precipitated　by　this　Syndicate。　　In　England

preparations　were　making　by　day　an　by　night　to　send

upon　the　coast…lines　of　the　United　States　a　fleet

which；　in　numbers　and　power；　would　be　greater　than　that

of　any　naval　expedition　in　the　history　of　the　world。　

It　is　no　wonder　that　man