the great war syndicate-第8节

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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　many　people　of　sober　judgment　in

America　looked　upon　the　affair　of　the　crabs　and　the

repellers　as　but　an　incident　in　the　beginning　of　a

great　and　disastrous　war。

　　　

On　the　morning　of　the　destruction　of　Fort　Pilcher；

the　Syndicate's　vessels　moved　toward　the　port；　and　the

steel　net　was　taken　up　by　the　two　crabs；　and　moved

nearer　the　mouth　of　the　harbour；　at　a　point　from　which

the　fort；　now　in　process　of　evacuation；　was　in　full

view。　　When　this　had　been　done；　Repeller　No。　2　took　up

her　position　at　a　moderate　distance　behind　the　net；　and

the　other　vessels　stationed　themselves　near　by。

　　　

The　protection　of　the　net　was　considered　necessary；

for　although　there　could　be　no　reasonable　doubt　that

all　the　torpedoes　in　the　harbour　and　river　had　been

exploded；　others　might　be　sent　out　against　the

Syndicate's　vessels；　and　a　torpedo　under　a　crab　or　a

repeller　was　the　enemy　most　feared　by　the　Syndicate。

　　　

About　three　o'clock　the　signals　between　the

repellers　became　very　frequent；　and　soon　afterwards

a　truce…boat　went　out　from　Repeller　No。　1。　　This　was

rowed　with　great　rapidity；　but　it　was　obliged　to　go

much　farther　up　the　harbour　than　on　previous　occasions；

in　order　to　deliver　its　message　to　an　officer　of　the

garrison。

　　　

This　was　to　the　effect　that　the　evacuation　of　the

fort　had　been　observed　from　the　Syndicate's　vessels；

and　although　it　had　been　apparently　complete；　one　of

the　scientific　corps；　with　a　powerful　glass；　had

discovered　a　man　in　one　of　the　outer　redoubts；　whose

presence　there　was　probably　unknown　to　the　officers　of

the　garrison。　　It　was；　therefore；　earnestly　urged　that

this　man　be　instantly　removed；　and　in　order　that　this

might　be　done；　the　discharge　of　the　motor…bomb　would　be

postponed　half　an　hour。

　　　

The　officer　received　this　message；　and　was　disposed

to　look　upon　it　as　a　new　trick；　but　as　no　time　was　to

be　lost；　he　sent　a　corporal's　guard　to　the　fort；　and

there　discovered　an　Irish　sergeant　by　the　name　of

Kilsey；　who　had　sworn　an　oath　that　if　every　other　man

in　the　fort　ran　away　like　a　lot　of　addle…pated　sheep；

he　would　not　run　with　them；　he　would　stand　to　his　post

to　the　last；　and　when　the　couple　of　ships　outside

had　got　through　bombarding　the　stout　walls　of　the　fort；

the　world　would　see　that　there　was　at　least　one　British

soldier　who　was　not　afraid　of　a　bomb；　be　it　little　or　big。　

Therefore　he　had　managed　to　elude　observation；　and　to　remain

behind。



The　sergeant　was　so　hot…headed　in　his　determination

to　stand　by　the　fort；　that　it　required　violence　to

remove　him；　and　it　was　not　until　twenty　minutes

past　four　that　the　Syndicate　observers　perceived　that

he　had　been　taken　to　the　hill　behind　which　the　garrison

was　encamped。



As　it　had　been　decided　that　Repeller　No。　2　should

discharge　the　next　instantaneous　motor…bomb；　there　was

an　anxious　desire　on　the　part　of　the　operators　on　that

vessel　that　in　this；　their　first　experience；　they　might

do　their　duty　as　well　as　their　comrades　on　board　the

other　repeller　had　done　theirs。　　The　most　accurate

observations；　the　most　careful　calculations；　were　made

and　re…made；　the　point　to　be　aimed　at　being　about　the

centre　of　the　fort。



The　motor…bomb　had　been　in　the　cannon　for　nearly　an

hour；　and　everything　had　long　been　ready；　when　at

precisely　thirty　minutes　past　four　o'clock　the　signal

to　discharge　came　from　the　Director…in…chief；　and　in

four　seconds　afterwards　the　index　on　the　scale

indicated　that　the　gun　was　in　the　proper　position；　and

the　button　was　touched。

　　　

The　motor…bomb　was　set　to　act　the　instant　it　should

touch　any　portion　of　the　fort；　and　the　effect　was

different　from　that　of　the　other　bombs。　　There　was　a

quick；　hard　shock；　but　it　was　all　in　the　air。　　Thou…

sands　of　panes　of　glass　in　the　city　and　in　houses

for　miles　around　were　cracked　or　broken；　birds　fell

dead　or　stunned　upon　the　ground；　and　people　on

elevations　at　considerable　distances　felt　as　if　they

had　received　a　blow；　but　there　was　no　trembling　of　the

ground。

　　　

As　to　the　fort；　it　had　entirely　disappeared；　its

particles　having　been　instantaneously　removed　to　a

great　distance　in　every　direction；　falling　over　such　a

vast　expanse　of　land　and　water　that　their　descent　was

unobservable。

　　　

In　the　place　where　the　fortress　had　stood　there　was

a　wide　tract　of　bare　earth；　which　looked　as　if　it　had

been　scraped　into　a　staring　dead　level　of　gravel　and

clay。　　The　instantaneous　motor…bomb　had　been　arranged

to　act　almost　horizontally。

　　　

Few　persons；　except　those　who　from　a　distance　had

been　watching　the　fort　with　glasses；　understood　what

had　happened；　but　every　one　in　the　city　and　surrounding

country　was　conscious　that　something　had　happened　of　a

most　startling　kind；　and　that　it　was　over　in　the　same

instant　in　which　they　had　perceived　it。　　Everywhere

there　was　the　noise　of　falling　window…glass。　There　were

those　who　asserted　that　for　an　instant　they　had

heard　in　the　distance　a　grinding　crash；　and　there　were

others　who　were　quite　sure　that　they　had　noticed　what

might　be　called　a　flash　of　darkness；　as　if　something

had；　with　almost　unappreciable　quickness；　passed

between　them　and　the　sun。

　　　

When　the　officers　of　the　garrison　mounted　the　hill

before　them　and　surveyed　the　place　where　their　fort　had

been；　there　was　not　one　of　them　who　had　sufficient

command　of　himself　to　write　a　report　of　what　had

happened。　　They　gazed　at　the　bare；　staring　flatness　of

the　shorn　bluff；　and　they　looked　at　each　other。　　This

was　not　war。　　It　was　something　supernatural；　awful！　

They　were　not　frightened；　they　were　oppressed　and

appalled。　　But　the　military　discipline　of　their　minds

soon　exerted　its　force；　and　a　brief　account　of　the

terrific　event　was　transmitted　to　the　authorities；　and

Sergeant　Kilsey　was　sentenced　to　a　month　in　the　guard…

house。

　　　

No　one　approached　the　vicinity　of　the　bluff　where

the　fort　had　stood；　for　danger　might　not　be　over；　but

every　possible　point　of　observation　within　a　safe

distance　was　soon　crowded　with　anxious　and　terrified

observers。　　A　feeling　of　awe　was　noticeable

everywhere。　　If　people　could　have　had　a　tangible　idea

of　what　had　occurred；　it　would　have　been　different。　　If

the　sea　had　raged；　if　a　vast　body　of　water　had　been

thrown　into　the　air；　if　a　dense　cloud　had　been　suddenly

ejected　from　the　surface　of　the　earth；　they　might　have

formed　some　opinion　about　it。　　But　the　instantaneous

disappearance　of　a　great　fortification　with　a　little

more　appreciable　accompaniment　than　the　sudden　tap；　as

of　a　little　hammer；　upon　thousands　of　window…panes；　was

something　which　their　intellects　could　not　grasp。　　It

was　not　to　be　expected　that　the　ordinary　mind　could

appreciate　the　difference　between　the　action　of　an

instantaneous　motor　when　imbedded　in　rocks　and　earth；

and　its　effect；　when　opposed　by　nothing　but　stone

walls；　upon　or　near　the　surface　of　the　earth。

　　　

Early　the　next　morning；　the　little　fleet　of　the

Syndicate　prepared　to　carry　out　its　further　orders。　

The　waters　of　the　lower　bay　were　now　entirely　deserted；

craft　of　every　description　having　taken　refuge　in　the

upper　part　of　the　harbour　near　and　above　the　city。　

Therefore；　as　soon　as　it　was　light　enough　to　make

observations；　Repeller　No。　1　did　not　hesitate　to

discharge　a　motor…bomb　into　the　harbour；　a　mile　or

more　above　where　the　first　one　had　fallen。　　This　was

done　in　order　to　explode　any　torpedoes　which　might　have

been　put　into　position　since　the　discharge　of　the　first

bomb。

　　　

There　were　very　few　people　in　the　city　and　suburbs

who　were　at　that　hour　out　of　doors　where　they　could　see

the　great　cloud　of　water　arise　toward　the　sky；　and

behold　it　descend　like　a　mighty　cataract　upon　the

harbour　and　adjacent　shores；　but　the　quick；　sharp　shock

which　ran　under　the　town　made　people　spring　from　their

beds；　and　although　nothing　was　then　to　b