Великий военный синдикат

           Thelittletownswherethevisitorsleftthetrainswerecrowdedtooverflowing,andeverypossibleconveyance,bywhichthemountainslyingbackofCaerdaffcouldbereached,waseagerlysecured,manypersons,however,beingobligedtodependupontheirownlegs.Soonaftersunriseoftheappointeddaytheforts,thevillage,andthesurroundinglowercountrywereentirelydeserted,andeverypointofvantageonthemountainslyingsomemilesbackfromthecoastwasoccupiedbyexcitedspectators,nearlyeveryonearmedwithafield-glass.Afewofthegunsfromthefortificationsweretransportedtoanoverlookingheight,inorderthattheymightbebroughtintoactionincasetherepeller,insteadofbombarding,shouldsendmeninboatstotakepossessionoftheevacuatedfortifications,orshouldattemptanyminingoperations.Thegunnersforthisbatterywerestationedatasafeplacetotherear,whencetheycouldreadilyreachtheirgunsifnecessary.ThenextdaywasoneofsupremeimportancetotheSyndicate.Onthisdayitmustmakeplaintotheworld,notonlywhatthemotor-bombcoulddo,butthatthemotor-bombdidwhatwasdone.BeforeleavingtheEnglishChannelthedirectorofRepellerNo.11hadreceivedtelegraphicadvicesfrombothEuropeandAmerica,indicatingthegeneraldriftofpublicopinioninregardtotherecentsea-fight;and,besidesthese,manyEnglishandcontinentalpapershadbeenbroughttohimfromtheFrenchcoast.FromallthesethedirectorperceivedthatthecauseoftheSyndicatehadinacertainwaysufferedfromthemannerinwhichthebattleinthechannelhadbeenconducted.