THE GREAT WAR SYNDICATE

BY

FRANK R. STOCKTON



Author of "The Lady or the Tiger," "Rudder Grange,"
    "The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs.
        Aleshine," "What Might Have Been
             Expected," etc., etc.




THE GREAT WAR SYNDICATE.




In the spring of a certain year, not far from the close of the
nineteenth century, when the political relations between the United
States and Great Britain became so strained that careful observers on
both sides of the Atlantic were forced to the belief that a serious
break in these relations might be looked for at any time, the fishing
schooner Eliza Drum sailed from a port in Maine for the banks of
Newfoundland.

It was in this year that a new system of protection for American
fishing vessels had been adopted in Washington.  Every fleet of these
vessels was accompanied by one or more United States cruisers, which
remained on the fishing grounds, not only for the purpose of warning
American craft who might approach too near the three-mile limit, but
also to overlook the action of the British naval vessels on the coast,
and to interfere, at least by protest, with such seizures of American
fishing boats as might appear to be unjust.  In the opinion of all
persons of sober judgment, there was nothing in the condition of
affairs at this time so dangerous to the peace of the two countries as
the presence of these American cruisers in the fishing waters.

The Eliza Drum was late in her arrival on the fishing grounds, and
having, under orders from Washington, reported to the commander of the
Lennehaha, the United States vessel in charge at that place, her
captain and crew went vigorously to work to make up for lost time.
They worked so vigorously, and with eyes so single to the catching of
fish, that on the morning of the day after their arrival, they were
hauling up cod at a point which, according to the nationality of the
calculator, might be two and three-quarters or three and one-quarter
miles from the Canadian coast.

In consequence of this inattention to the apparent extent of the marine
mile, the Eliza Drum, a little before noon, was overhauled and seized
by the British cruiser, Dog Star.  A few miles away the Lennehaha had
perceived the dangerous position of the Eliza Drum, and had started
toward her to warn her to take a less doubtful position.  But before
she arrived the capture had taken place.  When he reached the spot
where the Eliza Drum had been fishing, the commander of the Lennehaha
made an observation of the distance from the shore, and calculated it
to be more than three miles.  When he sent an officer in a boat to the
Dog Star to state the result of his computations, the captain of the
British vessel replied that he was satisfied the distance was less than
three miles, and that he was now about to take the Eliza Drum into port.

On receiving this information, the commander of the Lennehaha steamed
closer to the Dog Star, and informed her captain, by means of a
speaking-trumpet, that if he took the Eliza Drum into a Canadian port,
he would first have to sail over his ship.  To this the captain of the
Dog Star replied that he did not in the least object to sail over the
Lennehaha, and proceeded to put a prize crew on board the fishing
vessel.

At this juncture the captain of the Eliza Drum ran up a large American
flag; in five minutes afterward the captain of the prize crew hauled it
down; in less than ten minutes after this the Lennehaha and the Dog
Star were blazing at each other with their bow guns.  The spark had
been struck.

The contest was not a long one.  The Dog Star was of much greater
tonnage and heavier armament than her antagonist, and early in the
afternoon she steamed for St. John's, taking with her as prizes both
the Eliza Drum and the Lennehaha.

All that night, at every point in the United States which was reached
by telegraph, there burned a smothered fire; and the next morning, when
the regular and extra editions of the newspapers were poured out upon
the land, the fire burst into a roaring blaze.  From lakes to gulf,
from ocean to ocean, on mountain and plain, in city and prairie, it
roared and blazed.  Parties, sections, politics, were all forgotten.
Every American formed part of an electric system; the same fire flashed
into every soul.  No matter what might be thought on the morrow, or in
the coming days which might bring better under-standing, this day the
unreasoning fire blazed and roared.

With morning newspapers in their hands, men rushed from the
breakfast-tables into the streets to meet their fellow-men.  What was
it that they should do?

Detailed accounts of the affair came rapidly, but there was nothing in
them to quiet the national indignation; the American flag had been
hauled down by Englishmen, an American naval vessel had been fired into
and captured; that was enough!  No matter whether the Eliza Drum was
within the three-mile limit or not!  No matter which vessel fired
first!  If it were the Lennehaha, the more honour to her; she ought to
have done it!  From platform, pulpit, stump, and editorial office came
one vehement, passionate shout directed toward Washington.

Congress was in session, and in its halls the fire roared louder and
blazed higher than on mountain or plain, in city or prairie.  No member
of the Government, from President to page, ventured to oppose the
tempestuous demands of the people.  The day for argument upon the
exciting question had been a long weary one, and it had gone by in less
than a week the great shout of the people was answered by a declaration
of war against Great Britain.

When this had been done, those who demanded war breathed easier, but
those who must direct the war breathed harder.

It was indeed a time for hard breathing, but the great mass of the
people perceived no reason why this should be.  Money there was in vast
abundance.  In every State well-drilled men, by thousands, stood ready
for the word to march, and the military experience and knowledge given
by a great war was yet strong upon the nation.

To the people at large the plan of the war appeared a very obvious and
a very simple one.  Canada had given the offence, Canada should be made
to pay the penalty.  In a very short time, one hundred thousand, two
hundred thousand, five hundred thousand men, if necessary, could be
made ready for the invasion of Canada.  From platform, pulpit, stump,
and editorial office came the cry:  "On to Canada!"

At the seat of Government, however, the plan of the war did not appear
so obvious, so simple.  Throwing a great army into Canada was all well
enough, and that army would probably do well enough; but the question
which produced hard breathing in the executive branch of the Government
was the immediate protection of the sea-coast, Atlantic, Gulf, and even
Pacific.

In a storm of national indignation war had been declared against a
power which at this period of her history had brought up her naval
forces to a point double in strength to that of any other country in
the world.  And this war had been declared by a nation which,
comparatively speaking, possessed no naval strength at all.

For some years the United States navy had been steadily improving, but
this improvement was not sufficient to make it worthy of reliance at
this crisis.  As has been said, there was money enough, and every
ship-yard in the country could be set to work to build ironclad
men-of-war: but it takes a long time to build ships, and England's navy
was afloat.  It was the British keel that America had to fear.

By means of the continental cables it was known that many of the
largest mail vessels of the British transatlantic lines, which had been
withdrawn upon the declaration of war, were preparing in British ports
to transport troops to Canada.  It was not impossible that these great
steamers might land an army in Canada before an American army could be
organized and marched to that province.  It might be that the United
States would be forced to defend her borders, instead of invading those
of the enemy.

In every fort and navy-yard all was activity; the hammering of iron
went on by day and by night; but what was to be done when the great
ironclads of England hammered upon our defences?  How long would it be
before the American flag would be seen no more upon the high seas?

It is not surprising that the Government found its position one of
perilous responsibility.  A wrathful nation expected of it more than it
could perform.

All over the country, however, there were thoughtful men, not connected
with the Government, who saw the perilous features of the situation;
and day by day these grew less afraid of being considered traitors, and
more willing to declare their convictions of the country's danger.
Despite the continuance of the national enthusiasm, doubts,
perplexities, and fears began to show themselves.

In the States bordering upon Canada a reactionary feeling became
evident.  Unless the United States navy could prevent England from
rapidly pouring into Canada, not only her own troops, but perhaps those
of allied nations, these Northern States might become the scene of
warfare, and whatever the issue of the contest, their lands might be
ravished, their people suffer.

From many quarters urgent demands were now pressed upon the Government.
From the interior there were clamours for troops to be massed on the
Northern frontier, and from the seaboard cities there came a cry for
ships that were worthy to be called men-of-war,--ships to defend the
harbours and bays, ships to repel an invasion by sea.  Suggestions were
innumerable.  There was no time to build, it was urged; the Government
could call upon friendly nations.  But wise men smiled sadly at these
suggestions; it was difficult to find a nation desirous of a war with
England.

In the midst of the enthusiasms, the fears, and the suggestions, came
reports of the capture of American merchantmen by fast British
cruisers.  These reports made the American people more furious, the
American Government more anxious.

Almost from the beginning of this period of national turmoil, a party
of gentlemen met daily in one of the large rooms in a hotel in New
York.  At first there were eleven of these men, all from the great
Atlantic cities, but their number increased by arrivals from other
parts of the country, until at last they, numbered twenty-three.  These
gentlemen were all great capitalists, and accustomed to occupying
themselves with great enterprises.  By day and by night they met
together with closed doors, until they had matured the scheme which
they had been considering.  As soon as this work was done, a committee
was sent to Washington, to submit a plan to the Government.

These twenty-three men had formed themselves into a Syndicate, with the
object of taking entire charge of the war between the United States and
Great Britain.

This proposition was an astounding one, but the Government was obliged
to treat it with respectful consideration.  The men who offered it were
a power in the land,--a power which no government could afford to
disregard.

The plan of the Syndicate was comprehensive, direct, and simple.  It
offered to assume the entire control and expense of the war, and to
effect a satisfactory peace within one year.  As a guarantee that this
contract would be properly performed, an immense sum of money would be
deposited in the Treasury at Washington.  Should the Syndicate be
unsuccessful, this sum would be forfeited, and it would receive no pay
for anything it had done.

The sum to be paid by the Government to the Syndicate, should it bring
the war to a satisfactory conclusion, would depend upon the duration of
hostilities.  That is to say, that as the shorter the duration of the
war, the greater would be the benefit to the country, therefore, the
larger must be the pay to the Syndicate.  According to the proposed
contract, the Syndicate would receive, if the war should continue for a
year, one-quarter the sum stipulated to be paid if peace should be
declared in three months.

If at any time during the conduct of the war by the Syndicate an
American seaport should be taken by the enemy, or a British force
landed on any point of the seacoast, the contract should be considered
at an end, and security and payment forfeited.  If any point on the
northern boundary of the United States should be taken and occupied by
the enemy, one million dollars of the deposited security should be
forfeited for every such occupation, but the contract should continue.

It was stipulated that the land and naval forces of the United States
should remain under the entire control of the Government, but should be
maintained as a defensive force, and not brought into action unless any
failure on the part of the Syndicate should render such action
necessary.

The state of feeling in governmental circles, and the evidences of
alarm and distrust which were becoming apparent in Congress and among
the people, exerted an important influence in favour of the Syndicate.
The Government caught at its proposition, not as if it were a straw,
but as if it were a life-raft.  The men who offered to relieve the
executive departments of their perilous responsibilities were men of
great ability, prominent positions, and vast resources, whose vast
enterprises had already made them known all over the globe.  Such men
were not likely to jeopardize their reputations and fortunes in a case
like this, unless they had well-founded reasons for believing that they
would be successful.  Even the largest amount stipulated to be paid
them in case of success would be less than the ordinary estimates for
the military and naval operations which had been anticipated; and in
case of failure, the amount forfeited would go far to repair the losses
which might be sustained by the citizens of the various States.

At all events, should the Syndicate be allowed to take immediate
control of the war, there would be time to put the army and navy,
especially the latter, in better condition to carry on the contest in
case of the failure of the Syndicate.  Organization and construction
might still go on, and, should it be necessary, the army and navy could
step into the contest fresh and well prepared.

All branches of the Government united in accepting the offer of the
Syndicate.  The contract was signed, and the world waited to see what
would happen next.

The influence which for years had been exerted by the interests
controlled by the men composing the Syndicate, had its effect in
producing a popular confidence in the power of the members of the
Syndicate to conduct a war as successfully as they had conducted other
gigantic enterprises.  Therefore, although predictions of disaster came
from many quarters, the American public appeared willing to wait with
but moderate impatience for the result of this novel undertaking.

The Government now proceeded to mass troops at important points on the
northern frontier; forts were supplied with men and armaments, all
coast defences were put in the best possible condition, the navy was
stationed at important ports, and work at the shipyards went on.  But
without reference to all this, the work of the Syndicate immediately
began.

This body of men were of various politics and of various pursuits in
life.  But politics were no more regarded in the work they had
undertaken than they would have been in the purchase of land or of
railroad iron.  No manifestoes of motives and intentions were issued to
the public.  The Syndicate simply went to work.  There could be no
doubt that early success would be a direct profit to it, but there
could also be no doubt that its success would be a vast benefit and
profit, not only to the business enterprises in which these men were
severally engaged, but to the business of the whole country.  To save
the United States from a dragging war, and to save themselves from the
effects of it, were the prompting motives for the formation of the
Syndicate.

Without hesitation, the Syndicate determined that the war in which it
was about to engage should be one of defence by means of offence.  Such
a war must necessarily be quick and effective; and with all the force
of their fortunes, their minds, and their bodies, its members went to
work to wage this war quickly and effectively.

All known inventions and improvements in the art of war had been
thoroughly considered by the Syndicate, and by the eminent specialists
whom it had enlisted in its service.  Certain recently perfected
engines of war, novel in nature, were the exclusive property of the
Syndicate.  It was known, or surmised, in certain quarters that the
Syndicate had secured possession of important warlike inventions; but
what they were and how they acted was a secret carefully guarded and
protected.

The first step of the Syndicate was to purchase from the United States
Government ten war-vessels.  These were of medium size and in good
condition, but they were of an old-fashioned type, and it had not been
considered expedient to put them in commission.  This action caused
surprise and disappointment in many quarters.  It had been supposed
that the Syndicate, through its agents scattered all over the world,
would immediately acquire, by purchase or lease, a fleet of fine
ironclads culled from various maritime powers.  But the Syndicate
having no intention of involving, or attempting to involve, other
countries in this quarrel, paid no attention to public opinion, and
went to work in its own way.

Its vessels, eight of which were on the Atlantic coast and two on the
Pacific, were rapidly prepared for the peculiar service in which they
were to be engaged.  The resources of the Syndicate were great, and in
a very short time several of their vessels, already heavily plated with
steel, were furnished with an additional outside armour, formed of
strips of elastic steel, each reaching from the gunwales nearly to the
surface of the water.  These strips, about a foot wide, and placed an
inch or two apart, were each backed by several powerful air-buffers, so
that a ball striking one or more of them would be deprived of much of
its momentum.  The experiments upon the steel spring and buffers
adopted by the Syndicate showed that the force of the heaviest
cannonading was almost deadened by the powerful elasticity of this
armour.

The armament of each vessel consisted of but one gun, of large calibre,
placed on the forward deck, and protected by a bomb-proof covering.
Each vessel was manned by a captain and crew from the merchant service,
from whom no warlike duties were expected.  The fighting operations
were in charge of a small body of men, composed of two or three
scientific specialists, and some practical gunners and their
assistants.  A few bomb-proof canopies and a curved steel deck
completed the defences of the vessel.

Besides equipping this little navy, the Syndicate set about the
construction of certain sea-going vessels of an extraordinary kind.  So
great were the facilities at its command, and so thorough and complete
its methods, that ten or a dozen ship-yards and foundries were set to
work simultaneously to build one of these ships.  In a marvellously
short time the Syndicate possessed several of them ready for action.

These vessels became technically known as "crabs." They were not large,
and the only part of them which projected above the water was the
middle of an elliptical deck, slightly convex, and heavily mailed with
ribs of steel.  These vessels were fitted with electric engines of
extraordinary power, and were capable of great speed.  At their bows,
fully protected by the overhanging deck, was the machinery by which
their peculiar work was to be accomplished.  The Syndicate intended to
confine itself to marine operations, and for the present it was
contented with these two classes of vessels.

The armament for each of the large vessels, as has been said before,
consisted of a single gun of long range, and the ammunition was
confined entirely to a new style of projectile, which had never yet
been used in warfare.  The material and construction of this projectile
were known only to three members of the Syndicate, who had invented and
perfected it, and it was on account of their possession of this secret
that they had been invited to join that body.

This projectile was not, in the ordinary sense of the word, an
explosive, and was named by its inventors, "The Instantaneous Motor."
It was discharged from an ordinary cannon, but no gunpowder or other
explosive compound was used to propel it.  The bomb possessed, in
itself the necessary power of propulsion, and the gun was used merely
to give it the proper direction.

These bombs were cylindrical in form, and pointed at the outer end.
They were filled with hundreds of small tubes, each radiating outward
from a central line.  Those in the middle third of the bomb pointed
directly outward, while those in its front portion were inclined
forward at a slight angle, and those in the rear portion backward at
the same angle.  One tube at the end of the bomb, and pointing directly
backward, furnished the motive power.

Each of these tubes could exert a force sufficient to move an ordinary
train of passenger cars one mile, and this power could be exerted
instantaneously, so that the difference in time in the starting of a
train at one end of the mile and its arrival at the other would not be
appreciable.  The difference in concussionary force between a train
moving at the rate of a mile in two minutes, or even one minute, and
another train which moves a mile in an instant, can easily be imagined.

In these bombs, those tubes which might direct their powers downward or
laterally upon the earth were capable of instantaneously propelling
every portion of solid ground or rock to a distance of two or three
hundred yards, while the particles of objects on the surface of the
earth were instantaneously removed to a far greater distance.  The tube
which propelled the bomb was of a force graduated according to
circumstances, and it would carry a bomb to as great a distance as
accurate observation for purposes of aim could be made.  Its force was
brought into action while in the cannon by means of electricity while
the same effect was produced in the other tubes by the concussion of
the steel head against the object aimed at.

What gave the tubes their power was the jealously guarded secret.

The method of aiming was as novel as the bomb itself.  In this process
nothing depended on the eyesight of the gunner; the personal equation
was entirely eliminated.  The gun was so mounted that its direction was
accurately indicated by graduated scales; there was an instrument which
was acted upon by the dip, rise, or roll of the vessel, and which
showed at any moment the position of the gun with reference to the
plane of the sea-surface.

Before the discharge of the cannon an observation was taken by one of
the scientific men, which accurately determined the distance to the
object to be aimed at, and reference to a carefully prepared
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 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 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 walls of water which had stood
up all around the suddenly created aperture hurled themselves back into
the abyss, and down into the great chasm at the bottom of the bay,
which had been made when the motor sent its shock along the great rock
beds.  Down upon, and into, this roaring, boiling tumult fell the
tremendous cataract from above, and the harbour became one wild expanse
of leaping maddened waves, hissing their whirling spray high into the
air.

During these few terrific moments other things happened which passed
unnoticed in the general consternation.  All along the shores of the
bay and in front of the city the waters seemed to be sucked away,
slowly returning as the sea forced them to their level, and at many
points up and down the harbour there were submarine detonations and
upheavals of the water.

These were caused by the explosion, by concussion, of every torpedo and
submarine battery in the harbour; and it was with this object in view
that the instantaneous motor-bomb had been shot into the mouth of the
bay.

The effects of the discharge of the motor-bomb astonished and even
startled those on board the repellers and the crabs.  At the instant of
touching the button a hydraulic shock was felt on Repeller No.  1.
This was supposed to be occasioned the discharge of the motor, but it
was also felt on the other vessels.  It was the same shock that had
been felt on shore, but less in degree.  A few moments after there was
a great heaving swell of the sea, which tossed and rolled the four
vessels, and lifted the steel protecting net so high that for an
instant parts of it showed themselves above the surface like glistening
sea-ghosts.

Experiments with motor-bombs had been made in unsettled mountainous
districts, but this was the first one which had ever exerted its power
under water.

On shore, in the forts, and in the city no one for an instant supposed
that the terrific phenomenon which had just occurred was in any way due
to the vessels of the Syndicate.  The repellers were in plain view, and
it was evident that neither of them had fired a gun.  Besides, the
firing of cannon did not produce such effects.  It was the general
opinion that there had been an earthquake shock, accompanied by a
cloud-burst and extraordinary convulsions of the sea.  Such a
combination of elementary disturbances had never been known in these
parts; and a great many persons were much more frightened than if they
had understood what had really happened.

In about half an hour after the discharge of the motor-bomb, when the
sea had resumed its usual quiet, a boat carrying a white flag left
Repeller No. 1, rowed directly over the submerged net, and made for the
harbour.  When the approach of this flag-of-truce was perceived from
the fort nearest the mouth of the harbour, it occasioned much surmise.
Had the earthquake brought these Syndicate knaves to their senses?  Or
were they about to make further absurd and outrageous demands?  Some
irate officers were of the opinion that enemies like these should be
considered no better than pirates, and that their flag-of-truce should
be fired upon.  But the commandant of the fort paid no attention to
such counsels, and sent a detachment with a white flag down to the
beach to meet the approaching boat and learn its errand.

The men in the boat had nothing to do but to deliver a letter from the
Director-in-chief to the commandant of the fort, and then row back
again.  No answer was required.

When the commandant read the brief note, he made no remark.  In fact,
he could think of no appropriate remark to make.  The missive simply
informed him that at ten o'clock and eighteen minutes A. M., of that
day, the first bomb from the marine forces of the Syndicate had been
discharged into the waters of the harbour.  At, or about, two o'clock
P.M., the second bomb would be discharged at Fort Pilcher.  That was
all.