Великий военный синдикат

           Butbeforedoinganythingelse,hemustprovideforthesafetyofthoseofhisvesselswhichhadbeenrenderedhelplessbythecrabs,andsomeofwhichwerenowdriftingdangerouslyneartoeachother.DespatcheshadbeensenttoPortsmouthfortugs,butitwouldnotdotowaituntilthesearrived,andasufficientnumberofironcladsweredetailedtotowtheirinjuredconsortsintoport.Whenthisorderhadbeengiven,theVice-Admiralimmediatelypreparedtorenewthefight,andthistimehiseffortsweretobedirectedentirelyagainsttherepeller.Itwouldbeuselesstodevoteanyfurtherattentiontothecrabs,especiallyintheirpresentpositions.ButifthechiefvesseloftheSyndicate’sfleet,withitsspringarmouranditsterribleearthquakebombs,couldbedestroyed,itwasquitepossiblethatthosesea-parasites,thecrabs,couldalsobedisposedof.Everytorpedo-boatwasnoworderedtothefront,andinalongline,almostabreastofeachother,theseswiftvessels—thelight-infantryofthesea—advanceduponthesolitaryanddistantfoe.Ifonetorpedocouldbutreachherhull,theVice-Admiral,inspiteofsevendisabledironcladsandacapturedgun-boat,mightyetgazeproudlyathisfloatingflag,evenifhisownshipshouldbedriftingbroadsidetothesea.Thelineoftorpedo-boats,slightlycurvinginward,hadadvancedaboutamile,whenRepellerNo.11awokefromherseemingsleep,andbegantoact.Thetwogreatgunsatherbowweretrainedupward,sothatabombdischargedfromthemwouldfallintotheseaamileandahalfahead.