the great war syndicate-第7部分

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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　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