Великий военный синдикат

           Shewasalargeandpowerfulship,withaheavyarmament;and,soongettingtherangeoftheSyndicate’svessel,shehurledballafterballuponherstripedside.RepellerNo.1madenoreply,butquietlysubmittedtotheterriblebombardment.Someofthegreatshotjarredherfrombowtostern,butnotoneofthembrokeasteelspring,norpenetratedtheheavyinsideplates.Afterhalfanhourofthis,worktheDirector-in-chiefbecamesatisfiedthatthenewarmourhadwellacquitteditselfintheseveretrialtowhichithadbeensubjected.Someoftheair-buffershadbeendisabled,probablyonaccountoffaultsintheirconstruction,butthesecouldreadilybereplaced,andnofurtherinjuryhadbeendonethevessel.Itwasnotnecessary,therefore,tocontinuetheexperimentanylonger,andbesides,therewasdangerthattheEnglishman,perceivingthathisantagonistdidnotappeartobeaffectedbyhisfire,wouldapproachcloserandendeavourtoramher.Thiswastobeavoided,fortheScarabaeuswasamuchlargervesselthanRepellerNo.1,andabletorunintothelatterandsinkherbymerepreponderanceofweight.Itwasthereforedecidedtonowtestthepowersofthecrabs.SignalsweremadefromRepellerNo.1toCrabA,whichhadbeenlyingwiththelargervesselbetweenitandtheenemy.Thesesignalsweremadebyjetsofdenseblacksmoke,whichwereejectedfromasmallpipeontherepeller.Theseslendercolumnsofsmokepreservedtheircylindricalformsforsomemoments,andwerevisibleatagreatdistancebydayornight,beingilluminedinthelattercasebyelectriclight.