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Many
of
the
British
vessels
were
already
well
prepared
for
ordinary
naval
warfare
;
but
to
resist
crabs
additional
defences
were
necessary
.
It
was
known
that
the
Adamant
had
been
captured
,
and
consequently
the
manufacture
of
stern
-
jackets
had
been
abandoned
;
but
it
was
believed
that
protection
could
be
effectually
given
to
rudders
and
propeller
-
blades
by
a
new
method
which
the
Admiralty
had
adopted
.
The
repeller
which
was
to
take
part
in
the
Syndicate
’
s
proposed
movement
had
been
a
vessel
of
the
United
States
navy
which
for
a
long
time
had
been
out
of
commission
,
and
undergoing
a
course
of
very
slow
and
desultory
repairs
in
a
dockyard
.
She
had
always
been
considered
the
most
unlucky
craft
in
the
service
,
and
nearly
every
accident
that
could
happen
to
a
ship
had
happened
to
her
.
Years
and
years
before
,
when
she
would
set
out
upon
a
cruise
,
her
officers
and
crew
would
receive
the
humorous
sympathy
of
their
friends
,
and
wagers
were
frequently
laid
in
regard
to
the
different
kinds
of
mishaps
which
might
befall
this
unlucky
vessel
,
which
was
then
known
as
the
Tallapoosa
.
The
Syndicate
did
not
particularly
desire
this
vessel
,
but
there
was
no
other
that
could
readily
be
made
available
for
its
purposes
,
and
accordingly
the
Tallapoosa
was
purchased
from
the
Government
and
work
immediately
begun
upon
her
.
Her
engines
and
hull
were
put
into
good
condition
,
and
outside
of
her
was
built
another
hull
,
composed
of
heavy
steel
armour
-
plates
,
and
strongly
braced
by
great
transverse
beams
running
through
the
ship
.
Still
outside
of
this
was
placed
an
improved
system
of
spring
armour
,
much
stronger
and
more
effective
than
any
which
had
yet
been
constructed
.
This
,
with
the
armour
-
plate
,
added
nearly
fifteen
feet
to
the
width
of
the
vessel
above
water
.
All
her
superstructures
were
removed
from
her
deck
,
which
was
covered
by
a
curved
steel
roof
,
and
under
a
bomb
-
proof
canopy
at
the
bow
were
placed
two
guns
capable
of
carrying
the
largest
-
sized
motor
-
bombs
.
The
Tallapoosa
,
thus
transformed
,
was
called
Repeller
No
.
11
.
The
immense
addition
to
her
weight
would
of
course
interfere
very
much
with
the
speed
of
the
new
repeller
,
but
this
was
considered
of
little
importance
,
as
she
would
depend
on
her
own
engines
only
in
time
of
action
.
She
was
now
believed
to
possess
more
perfect
defences
than
any
battle
-
ship
in
the
world
.
Early
on
a
misty
morning
,
Repeller
No
.
11
,
towed
by
four
of
the
swiftest
and
most
powerful
crabs
,
and
followed
by
two
others
,
left
a
Northern
port
of
the
United
States
,
bound
for
the
coast
of
Great
Britain
.
Her
course
was
a
very
northerly
one
,
for
the
reason
that
the
Syndicate
had
planned
work
for
her
to
do
while
on
her
way
across
the
Atlantic
.
The
Syndicate
had
now
determined
,
without
unnecessarily
losing
an
hour
,
to
plainly
demonstrate
the
power
of
the
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
.
It
had
been
intended
to
do
this
upon
the
Adamant
,
but
as
it
had
been
found
impossible
to
induce
the
captain
of
that
vessel
to
evacuate
his
ship
,
the
Syndicate
had
declined
to
exhibit
the
efficiency
of
their
new
agent
of
destruction
upon
a
disabled
craft
crowded
with
human
beings
.
This
course
had
been
highly
prejudicial
to
the
claims
of
the
Syndicate
,
for
as
Repeller
No
.
7
had
made
no
use
in
the
contest
with
the
Adamant
of
the
motor
-
bombs
with
which
she
was
said
to
be
supplied
,
it
was
generally
believed
on
both
sides
of
the
Atlantic
that
she
carried
no
such
bombs
,
and
the
conviction
that
the
destruction
at
the
Canadian
port
had
been
effected
by
means
of
mines
continued
as
strong
as
it
had
ever
been
.
To
correct
these
false
ideas
was
,
now
the
duty
of
Repeller
No
.
11
.
For
some
time
Great
Britain
had
been
steadily
forwarding
troops
and
munitions
of
war
to
Canada
,
without
interruption
from
her
enemy
.
Only
once
had
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
appeared
above
the
Banks
of
Newfoundland
,
and
as
the
number
of
these
peculiar
craft
must
necessarily
be
small
,
it
was
not
supposed
that
their
line
of
operations
would
be
extended
very
far
north
,
and
no
danger
from
them
was
apprehended
,
provided
the
English
vessels
laid
their
courses
well
to
the
north
.
Shortly
before
the
sailing
of
Repeller
No
.
11
,
the
Syndicate
had
received
news
that
one
of
the
largest
transatlantic
mail
steamers
,
loaded
with
troops
and
with
heavy
cannon
for
Canadian
fortifications
,
and
accompanied
by
the
Craglevin
,
one
of
the
largest
ironclads
in
the
Royal
Navy
,
had
started
across
the
Atlantic
.
The
first
business
of
the
repeller
and
her
attendant
crabs
concerned
these
two
vessels
.
Owing
to
the
power
and
speed
of
the
crabs
which
towed
her
,
Repeller
No
.
11
made
excellent
time
;
and
on
the
morning
of
the
third
day
out
the
two
British
vessels
were
sighted
.
Somewhat
altering
their
course
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
were
soon
within
a
few
miles
of
the
enemy
.
The
Craglevin
was
a
magnificent
warship
.
She
was
not
quite
so
large
as
the
Adamant
,
and
she
was
unprovided
with
a
stern
-
jacket
or
other
defence
of
the
kind
.
In
sending
her
out
the
Admiralty
had
designed
her
to
defend
the
transport
against
the
regular
vessels
of
the
United
States
navy
;
for
although
the
nature
of
the
contract
with
the
Syndicate
was
well
understood
in
England
,
it
was
not
supposed
that
the
American
Government
would
long
consent
to
allow
their
war
vessels
to
remain
entirely
idle
.
When
the
captain
of
the
Craglevin
perceived
the
approach
of
the
repeller
he
was
much
surprised
,
but
he
did
not
hesitate
for
a
moment
as
to
his
course
.
He
signalled
to
the
transport
,
then
about
a
mile
to
the
north
,
to
keep
on
her
way
while
he
steered
to
meet
the
enemy
.
It
had
been
decided
in
British
naval
circles
that
the
proper
thing
to
do
in
regard
to
a
repeller
was
to
ram
her
as
quickly
as
possible
.
These
vessels
were
necessarily
slow
and
unwieldy
,
and
if
a
heavy
ironclad
could
keep
clear
of
crabs
long
enough
to
rush
down
upon
one
,
there
was
every
reason
to
believe
that
the
"
ball
-
bouncer
,
"
as
the
repellers
were
called
by
British
sailors
,
could
be
crushed
in
below
the
water
-
line
and
sunk
.
So
,
full
of
courage
and
determination
,
the
captain
of
the
Craglevin
bore
down
upon
the
repeller
.
It
is
not
necessary
to
enter
into
details
of
the
ensuing
action
.
Before
the
Craglevin
was
within
half
a
mile
of
her
enemy
she
was
seized
by
two
crabs
,
all
of
which
had
cast
loose
from
the
repeller
,
and
in
less
than
twenty
minutes
both
of
her
screws
were
extracted
and
her
rudder
shattered
.
In
the
mean
time
two
of
the
swiftest
crabs
had
pursued
the
transport
,
and
,
coming
up
with
her
,
one
of
them
had
fastened
to
her
rudder
,
without
,
however
,
making
any
attempt
to
injure
it
.
When
the
captain
of
the
steamer
saw
that
one
of
the
sea
-
devils
had
him
by
the
stern
,
while
another
was
near
by
ready
to
attack
him
,
he
prudently
stopped
his
engines
and
lay
to
,
the
crab
keeping
his
ship
’
s
head
to
the
sea
.
The
captain
of
the
Craglevin
was
a
very
different
man
from
the
captain
of
the
Adamant
.
He
was
quite
as
brave
,
but
he
was
wiser
and
more
prudent
.
He
saw
that
the
transport
had
been
captured
and
forced
to
lay
to
;
he
saw
that
the
repeller
mounted
two
heavy
guns
at
her
bow
,
and
whatever
might
be
the
character
of
those
guns
,
there
could
be
no
reasonable
doubt
that
they
were
sufficient
to
sink
an
ordinary
mail
steamer
.
His
own
vessel
was
entirely
out
of
his
control
,
and
even
if
he
chose
to
try
his
guns
on
the
spring
armour
of
the
repeller
,
it
would
probably
result
in
the
repeller
turning
her
fire
up
on
the
transport
.
With
a
disabled
ship
,
and
the
lives
of
so
many
men
in
his
charge
,
the
captain
of
the
Craglevin
saw
that
it
would
be
wrong
for
him
to
attempt
to
fight
,
and
he
did
not
fire
a
gun
.
With
as
much
calmness
as
the
circumstances
would
permit
,
he
awaited
the
progress
of
events
.
In
a
very
short
time
a
message
came
to
him
from
Repeller
No
.
11
,
which
stated
that
in
two
hours
his
ship
would
be
destroyed
by
instantaneous
motor
-
bombs
.
Every
opportunity
,
however
,
would
be
given
for
the
transfer
to
the
mail
steamer
of
all
the
officers
and
men
on
board
the
Craglevin
,
together
with
such
of
their
possessions
as
they
could
take
with
them
in
that
time
.
When
this
had
been
done
the
transport
would
be
allowed
to
proceed
on
her
way
.
To
this
demand
nothing
but
acquiescence
was
possible
.
Whether
or
not
there
was
such
a
thing
as
an
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
the
Craglevin
’
s
officers
did
not
know
;
but
they
knew
that
if
left
to
herself
their
ship
would
soon
attend
to
her
own
sinking
,
for
there
was
a
terrible
rent
in
her
stern
,
owing
to
a
pitch
of
the
vessel
while
one
of
the
propeller
-
shafts
was
being
extracted
.
Preparations
for
leaving
the
ship
were
,
therefore
,
immediately
begun
.
The
crab
was
ordered
to
release
the
mail
steamer
,
which
,
in
obedience
to
signals
from
the
Craglevin
,
steamed
as
near
that
vessel
as
safety
would
permit
.
Boats
were
lowered
from
both
ships
,
and
the
work
of
transfer
went
on
with
great
activity
.
There
was
no
lowering
of
flags
on
board
the
Craglevin
,
for
the
Syndicate
attached
no
importance
to
such
outward
signs
and
formalities
.
If
the
captain
of
the
British
ship
chose
to
haul
down
his
colours
he
could
do
so
;
but
if
he
preferred
to
leave
them
still
bravely
floating
above
his
vessel
he
was
equally
welcome
to
do
that
.
When
nearly
every
one
had
left
the
Craglevin
,
a
boat
was
sent
from
the
repeller
,
which
lay
near
by
,
with
a
note
requesting
the
captain
and
first
officer
of
the
British
ship
to
come
on
board
Repeller
No
.
11
and
witness
the
method
of
discharging
the
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
,
after
which
they
would
be
put
on
board
the
transport
.
This
invitation
struck
the
captain
of
the
Craglevin
with
surprise
,
but
a
little
reflection
showed
him
that
it
would
be
wise
to
accept
it
.
In
the
first
place
,
it
was
in
the
nature
of
a
command
,
which
,
in
the
presence
of
six
crabs
and
a
repeller
,
it
would
be
ridiculous
to
disobey
;
and
,
moreover
,
he
was
moved
by
a
desire
to
know
something
about
the
Syndicate
’
s
mysterious
engine
of
destruction
,
if
,
indeed
,
such
a
thing
really
existed
.
Accordingly
,
when
all
the
others
had
left
the
ship
,
the
captain
of
the
Craglevin
and
his
first
officer
came
on
board
the
repeller
,
curiously
observing
the
spring
armour
over
which
they
passed
by
means
of
a
light
gang
-
board
with
handrail
.
They
were
received
by
the
director
at
one
of
the
hatches
of
the
steel
deck
,
which
were
now
all
open
,
and
conducted
by
him
to
the
bomb
-
proof
compartment
in
the
bow
.
There
was
no
reason
why
the
nature
of
the
repeller
’
s
defences
should
not
be
known
to
the
world
nor
adopted
by
other
nations
.
They
were
intended
as
a
protection
against
ordinary
shot
and
shell
;
they
would
avail
nothing
against
the
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
.
The
British
officers
were
shown
the
motor
-
bomb
to
be
discharged
,
which
,
externally
,
was
very
much
like
an
ordinary
shell
,
except
that
it
was
nearly
as
long
as
the
bore
of
the
cannon
;
and
the
director
stated
that
although
,
of
course
,
the
principle
of
the
motor
-
bomb
was
the
Syndicate
’
s
secret
,
it
was
highly
desirable
that
its
effects
and
its
methods
of
operation
should
be
generally
known
.
The
repeller
,
accompanied
by
the
mail
steamer
and
all
the
crabs
,
now
moved
to
about
two
miles
to
the
leeward
of
the
Craglevin
,
and
lay
to
.
The
motor
-
bomb
was
then
placed
in
one
of
the
great
guns
,
while
the
scientific
corps
attended
to
the
necessary
calculations
of
distance
,
etc
.
The
director
now
turned
to
the
British
captain
,
who
had
been
observing
everything
with
the
greatest
interest
,
and
,
with
a
smile
,
asked
him
if
he
would
like
to
commit
hari
-
kari
?
As
this
remark
was
somewhat
enigmatical
,
the
director
went
on
to
say
that
if
it
would
be
any
gratification
to
the
captain
to
destroy
his
vessel
with
his
own
hands
,
instead
of
allowing
this
to
be
done
by
an
enemy
,
he
was
at
liberty
to
do
so
.
This
offer
was
immediately
accepted
,
for
if
his
ship
was
really
to
be
destroyed
,
the
captain
felt
that
he
would
like
to
do
it
himself
.
When
the
calculations
had
been
made
and
the
indicator
set
,
the
captain
was
shown
the
button
he
must
press
,
and
stood
waiting
for
the
signal
.
He
looked
over
the
sea
at
the
Craglevin
,
which
had
settled
a
little
at
the
stern
,
and
was
rolling
heavily
;
but
she
was
still
a
magnificent
battleship
,
with
the
red
cross
of
England
floating
over
her
.
He
could
not
help
the
thought
that
if
this
motor
mystery
should
amount
to
nothing
,
there
was
no
reason
why
the
Craglevin
should
not
be
towed
into
port
,
and
be
made
again
the
grand
warship
that
she
had
been
.
Now
the
director
gave
the
signal
,
and
the
captain
,
with
his
eyes
fixed
upon
his
ship
,
touched
the
button
.
A
quick
shock
ran
through
the
repeller
,
and
a
black
-
gray
cloud
,
half
a
mile
high
,
occupied
the
place
of
the
British
ship
.
The
cloud
rapidly
settled
down
,
covering
the
water
with
a
glittering
scum
which
spread
far
and
wide
,
and
which
had
been
the
Craglevin
.
The
British
captain
stood
for
a
moment
motionless
,
and
then
he
picked
up
a
rammer
and
ran
it
into
the
muzzle
of
the
cannon
which
had
been
discharged
.
The
great
gun
was
empty
.
The
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
was
not
there
.
Now
he
was
convinced
that
the
Syndicate
had
not
mined
the
fortresses
which
they
had
destroyed
.
In
twenty
minutes
the
two
British
officers
were
on
board
the
transport
,
which
then
steamed
rapidly
westward
.
The
crabs
again
took
the
repeller
in
tow
,
and
the
Syndicate
’
s
fleet
continued
its
eastward
course
,
passing
through
the
wide
expanse
of
glittering
scum
which
had
spread
itself
upon
the
sea
.
They
were
not
two
-
thirds
of
their
way
across
the
Atlantic
when
the
transport
reached
St
.
John
’
s
,
and
the
cable
told
the
world
that
the
Craglevin
had
been
annihilated
.
The
news
was
received
with
amazement
,
and
even
consternation
.
It
came
from
an
officer
in
the
Royal
Navy
,
and
how
could
it
be
doubted
that
a
great
man
-
of
-
war
had
been
destroyed
in
a
moment
by
one
shot
from
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessel
!
And
yet
,
even
now
,
there
were
persons
who
did
doubt
,
and
who
asserted
that
the
crabs
might
have
placed
a
great
torpedo
under
the
Craglevin
,
that
a
wire
attached
to
this
torpedo
ran
out
from
the
repeller
,
and
that
the
British
captain
had
merely
fired
the
torpedo
.
But
hour
by
hour
,
as
fuller
news
came
across
the
ocean
,
the
number
of
these
doubters
became
smaller
and
smaller
.
In
the
midst
of
the
great
public
excitement
which
now
existed
on
both
sides
of
the
Atlantic
,
—
in
the
midst
of
all
the
conflicting
opinions
,
fears
,
and
hopes
,
—
the
dominant
sentiment
seemed
to
be
,
in
America
as
well
as
in
Europe
,
one
of
curiosity
.
Were
these
six
crabs
and
one
repeller
bound
to
the
British
Isles
?
And
if
so
,
what
did
they
intend
to
do
when
they
got
there
?
It
was
now
generally
admitted
that
one
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
crabs
could
disable
a
man
-
of
-
war
,
that
one
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
repellers
could
withstand
the
heaviest
artillery
fire
,
and
that
one
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
motor
-
bombs
could
destroy
a
vessel
or
a
fort
.
But
these
things
had
been
proved
in
isolated
combats
,
where
the
new
methods
of
attack
and
defence
had
had
almost
undisturbed
opportunity
for
exhibiting
their
efficiency
.
But
what
could
a
repeller
and
half
a
dozen
crabs
do
against
the
combined
force
of
the
Royal
Navy
,
—
a
navy
which
had
in
the
last
few
years
regained
its
supremacy
among
the
nations
,
and
which
had
made
Great
Britain
once
more
the
first
maritime
power
in
the
world
?
The
crabs
might
disable
some
men
-
of
-
war
,
the
repeller
might
make
her
calculations
and
discharge
her
bomb
at
a
ship
or
a
fort
,
but
what
would
the
main
body
of
the
navy
be
doing
meanwhile
?
Overwhelming
,
crushing
,
and
sinking
to
the
bottom
crabs
,
repeller
,
motor
guns
,
and
everything
that
belonged
to
them
.
In
England
there
was
a
feeling
of
strong
resentment
that
such
a
little
fleet
should
be
allowed
to
sail
with
such
intent
into
British
waters
.
This
resentment
extended
itself
,
not
only
to
the
impudent
Syndicate
,
but
toward
the
Government
;
and
the
opposition
party
gained
daily
in
strength
.
