Великий военный синдикат

           Ifthetorpedo-boatshottoonesideinordertogetthecraboutofline,thecrab,itsbacksometimeshiddenbythetossingwaves,spedalsotothesameside.Whenthetorpedo-boatcouldaimagunatthecrabandnotatthegun-boat,adeadlytorpedoflewintothesea;butatossingseaandashiftingtargetwereunfavourabletothegunner’saim.Itwasnotlong,however,beforethecrabhadrunthechasewhichmightsoreadilyhavebeenfataltoit,andwassonearthegun-boatthatnomoretorpedoescouldbefiredatit.Ofcoursetheofficersandcrewofthegun-boathadwatchedwithmostanxiousinterestthechaseofthecrab.Thevesselwasonewhichhadbeenfittedoutforservicewithdynamiteguns,ofwhichshecarriedsomeofverylongrangeforthisclassofartillery,andshehadbeenorderedtogetasternoftherepellerandtodoherbesttoputafewdynamitebombsonboardofher.Thedynamitegun-boatthereforehadkeptaheadatfullspeed,determinedtocarryoutherinstructionsifsheshouldbeallowedtodoso;butherspeedwasnotasgreatasthatofacrab,andwhenthetorpedo-boathadgivenupthechase,andthedreadedcrabwasdrawingswiftlynear,thecaptainthoughtittimeforbraverytogiveplacetoprudence.Withthelargeamountofexplosivematerialofthemosttremendousandterrificcharacterwhichhehadonboard,itwouldbetheinsanityofcourageforhimtoallowhiscomparativelysmallvesseltoberacked,shaken,andpartiallyshiveredbythepowerfuljawsoftheon-comingfoe.