Великий военный синдикат

           Ashecouldneitherflynorfight,hehauleddownhisflagintokenofsurrender,thefirstinstanceofthekindwhichhadoccurredinthiswar.WhenthedirectorofCrabQ,throughhislookout-glass,beheldthisactiononthepartofthegun-boat,hewasalittleperplexedastowhatheshouldnextdo.ToacceptthesurrenderoftheBritishvessel,andtoassumecontrolofher,itwasnecessarytocommunicatewithher.Thecommunicationsofthecrabsweremadeentirelybyblack-smokesignals,andthesethecaptainofthegun-boatcouldnotunderstand.Theheavyhatchesinthemailedroofwhichcouldbeputinusewhenthecrabwascruising,couldnotbeopenedwhenshewasatherfightingdepth,andinatossingsea.Ameanswassoondevisedofcommunicatingwiththegun-boat.Aspeaking-tubewasrunupthroughoneoftheair-pipesofthecrab,whichpipewasthenelevatedsomedistanceabovethesurface.Throughthisthedirectorhailedtheothervessel,andastheair-pipewasnearthesternofthecrab,andthereforeatadistancefromtheonlyvisibleportionoftheturtle-backroof,hisvoiceseemedtocomeoutofthedepthsoftheocean.Thesurrenderwasaccepted,andthecaptainofthegun-boatwasorderedtostophisenginesandpreparetobetowed.Whenthisorderhadbeengiven,thecrabmovedroundtothebowofthegun-boat,andgraspingthecut-waterwithitsforceps,reverseditsenginesandbegantobackrapidlytowardtheBritishfleet,takingwithitthecapturedvesselasaprotectionagainsttorpedoeswhileintransit.