the great war syndicate-第22节

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repeller；　instead　of　bombarding；　should　send　men　in

boats　to　take　possession　of　the　evacuated

fortifications；　or　should　attempt　any　mining

operations。　　The　gunners　for　this　battery　were

stationed　at　a　safe　place　to　the　rear；　whence　they

could　readily　reach　their　guns　if　necessary。

　　　

The　next　day　was　one　of　supreme　importance　to　the

Syndicate。　　On　this　day　it　must　make　plain　to　the

world；　not　only　what　the　motor…bomb　could　do；　but　that

the　motor…bomb　did　what　was　done。　　Before　leaving　the

English　Channel　the　director　of　Repeller　No。　11　had

received　telegraphic　advices　from　both　Europe　and

America；　indicating　the　general　drift　of　public　opinion

in　regard　to　the　recent　sea…fight；　and；　besides　these；

many　English　and　continental　papers　had　been　brought　to

him　from　the　French　coast。

　　　

From　all　these　the　director　perceived　that　the

cause　of　the　Syndicate　had　in　a　certain　way　suffered

from　the　manner　in　which　the　battle　in　the　channel　had

been　conducted。　　Every　newspaper　urged　that　if　the

repeller　carried　guns　capable　of　throwing　the　bombs

which　the　Syndicate　professed　to　use；　there　was　no

reason　why　every　ship　in　the　British　fleet　should

not　have　been　destroyed。　　But　as　the　repeller　had　not

fired　a　single　shot　at　the　fleet；　and　as　the　battle　had

been　fought　entirely　by　the　crabs；　there　was　every

reason　to　believe　that　if　there　were　such　things　as

motor…guns；　their　range　was　very　short；　not　as　great　as

that　of　the　ordinary　dynamite　cannon。　　The　great　risk

run　by　one　of　the　crabs　in　order　to　disable　a　dynamite

gun…boat　seemed　an　additional　proof　of　this。

　　　

It　was　urged　that　the　explosions　in　the　water　might

have　been　produced　by　torpedoes；　that　the　torpedo…boat

which　had　been　destroyed　was　so　near　the　repeller　that

an　ordinary　shell　was　sufficient　to　accomplish　the

damage　that　had　been　done。

　　　

To　gainsay　these　assumptions　was　imperative　on　the

Syndicate's　forces。　　To　firmly　establish　the　prestige

of　the　instantaneous　motor　was　the　object　of　the　war。　

Crabs　were　of　but　temporary　service。　　Any　nation　could

build　vessels　like　them；　and　there　were　many　means　of

destroying　them。　　The　spring　armour　was　a　complete

defence　against　ordinary　artillery；　but　it　was　not　a

defence　against　submarine　torpedoes。　　The　claims

of　the　Syndicate　could　be　firmly　based　on　nothing　but

the　powers　of　absolute　annihilation　possessed　by　the

instantaneous　motor…bomb。

　　　

About　nine　o'clock　on　the　appointed　morning；

Repeller　No。　11；　much　to　the　surprise　of　the　spectators

on　the　high　grounds　with　field…glasses　and　telescopes；

steamed　away　from　Caerdaff。　　What　this　meant　nobody

knew；　but　the　naval　military　observers　immediately

suspected　that　the　Syndicate's　vessel　had　concentrated

attention　upon　Caerdaff　in　order　to　go　over　to　Ireland

to　do　some　sort　of　mischief　there。　　It　was　presumed

that　the　crabs　accompanied　her；　but　as　they　were　now　at

their　fighting　depth　it　was　impossible　to　see　them　at

so　great　a　distance。

　　　

But　it　was　soon　perceived　that　Repeller　No。　11　had

no　intention　of　running　away；　nor　of　going　over　to

Ireland。　　From　slowly　cruising　about　four　or　five　miles

off　shore；　she　had　steamed　westward　until　she　had

reached　a　point　which；　according　to　the　calculations　of

her　scientific　corps；　was　nine　marine　miles　from

Caerdaff。　　There　she　lay　to　against　a　strong　breeze

from　the　east。



It　was　not　yet　ten　o'clock　when　the　officer　in

charge　of　the　starboard　gun　remarked　to　the　director

that　he　suppose　that　it　would　not　be　necessary　to　give

the　smoke　signals；　as　had　been　done　in　the　channel；　as

now　all　the　crabs　were　lying　near　them。　　The　director

reflected　a　moment；　and　then　ordered　that　the　signals

should　be　given　at　every　discharge　of　the　gun；　and　that

the　columns　of　black　smoke　should　be　shot　up　to　their

greatest　height。



At　precisely　ten　o'clock；　up　rose　from　Repeller　No。

11　two　tall　jets　of　black　smoke。　　Up　rose　from　the

promontory　of　Caerdaff；　a　heavy　gray　cloud；　like　an

immense　balloon；　and　then　the　people　on　the　hill…tops

and　highlands　felt　a　sharp　shock　of　the　ground　and

rocks　beneath　them；　and　heard　the　sound　of　a　terrible

but　momentary　grinding　crush。



As　the　cloud　began　to　settle；　it　was　borne　out　to

sea　by　the　wind；　and　then　it　was　revealed　that　the

fortifications　of　Caerdaff　had　disappeared。



In　ten　minutes　there　was　another　smoke　signal；　and

a　great　cloud　over　the　castellated　structure　on　the

other　side　of　the　bay。　　The　cloud　passed　away；　leaving

a　vacant　space　on　the　other　side　of　the　bay。



The　second　shock　sent　a　panic　through　the　crowd　of

spectators。　　The　next　earthquake　bomb　might　strike

among　them。　　Down　the　eastern　slopes　ran　hundreds　of

them；　leaving　only　a　few　of　the　bravest　civilians；　the

reporters　of　the　press；　and　the　naval　and　military　men。

　　　

The　next　motor…bomb　descended　into　the　fishing

village；　the　comminuted　particles　of　which；　being

mostly　of　light　material；　floated　far　out　to　sea。

　　　

The　detachment　of　artillerists　who　had　been　deputed

to　man　the　guns　on　the　heights　which　commanded　the　bay

had　been　ordered　to　fall　back　to　the　mountains　as　soon

as　it　had　been　seen　that　it　was　not　the　intention　of

the　repeller　to　send　boats　on　shore。　　The　most

courageous　of　the　spectators　trembled　a　little　when　the

fourth　bomb　was　discharged；　for　it　came　farther　inland；

and　struck　the　height　on　which　the　battery　had　been

placed；　removing　all　vestiges　of　the　guns；　caissons；

and　the　ledge　of　rock　on　which　they　had　stood。

　　　

The　motor…bombs　which　the　repeller　was　now

discharging　were　of　the　largest　size　and　greatest

power；　and　a　dozen　more　of　them　were　discharged　at

intervals　of　a　few　minutes。　　The　promontory　on　which

the　fortifications　had　stood　was　annihilated；　and

the　waters　of　the　bay　swept　over　its　foundations。　　Soon

afterward　the　head　of　the　bay　seemed　madly　rushing　out

to　sea；　but　quickly　surged　back　to　fill　the　chasm　which

yawned　at　the　spot　where　the　village　had　been。

　　　

The　dense　clouds　were　now　upheaved　at　such　short

intervals　that　the　scene　of　devastation　was　completely

shut　out　from　the　observers　on　the　hills；　but　every　few

minutes　they　felt　a　sickening　shock；　and　heard　a

momentary　and　horrible　crash　and　hiss　which　seemed　to

fill　all　the　air。　　The　instantaneous　motor…bombs　were

tearing　up　the　sea…board；　and　grinding　it　to　atoms。

　　　

It　was　not　yet　noon　when　the　bombardment　ceased。　

No　more　puffs　of　black　smoke　came　up　from　the　distant

repeller；　and　the　vast　spreading　mass　of　clouds　moved

seaward；　dropping　down　upon　St。　George's　Channel　in　a

rain　of　stone　dust。　　Then　the　repeller　steamed

shoreward；　and　when　she　was　within　three　or　four　miles

of　the　coast　she　ran　up　a　large　white　flag　in　token

that　her　task　was　ended。

　　　

This　sign　that　the　bombardment　had　ceased　was

accepted　in　good　faith；　and　as　some　of　the　military　and

naval　men　had　carefully　noted　that　each　puff　from

the　repeller　was　accompanied　by　a　shock；　it　was

considered　certain　that　all　the　bombs　which　had　been

discharged　had　acted；　and　that；　consequently；　no

further　danger　was　to　be　apprehended　from　them。　　In

spite　of　this　announcement　many　of　the　spectators　would

not　leave　their　position　on　the　hills；　but　a　hundred　or　more　of

curious　and　courageous　men　ventured　down　into　the　plain。



That　part　of　the　sea…coast　where　Caerdaff　had　been

was　a　new　country；　about　which　men　wandered　slowly　and

cautiously　with　sudden　exclamations；　of　amazement　and

awe。　　There　were　no　longer　promontories　jutting　out

into　the　sea；　there　were　no　hillocks　and　rocky　terraces

rising　inland。　　In　a　vast　plain；　shaven　and　shorn　down

to　a　common　level　of　scarred　and　pallid　rock；

there　lay　an　immense　chasm　two　miles　and　a　half　long；

half　a　mile　wide；　and　so　deep　that　shuddering　men　could

stand　and　look　down　upon　the　rent　and　riven　rocks　upon

which　had　rested　that　portion　of　the　Welsh　coast　which

had　now　blown　out　to　sea。



An　officer　of　the　Royal　Engineers　stood　on　the

seaward　edge　of　this　yawning　abyss；　then　he　walked　over

to　the　almost　circular　body　of　water　which　occupied　the

place　where　the　fishing　village　had　been；　and　into

which　the　waters　of　the　bay　had　flowed。　　When　this

officer　returned　to　London　he　wrote　a　report　to　the

effect　that　a　ship　canal；　less　than　an　eighth　of　a　mile

long；　leading　from　the　newly　formed　lake　at　the　head　of

the　bay；　would　make　of　this　chasm；　when　filled　by　the

sea；　the　finest　and　most　thoroughly　protected　inland

basin　for　ships　of　all　sizes　on　the　British　coast。　　But

before　this　report　received　due　official　consideration

the　idea　had　been　suggested　and　elaborated　in　a　dozen

newspapers。

　　　

Accounts　and　reports　of　all　kinds　describing　the

destruction　of　Caerdaff；　and　of　the　place　in　which　it

had　stood；　filled　the　newspapers　of　the　world。　　Photo…

graphs　and　pictures　of　Caerdaff　as　it　had　been　and

as　it　then　was　were　produ