Великий военный синдикат

           Butitwaseasiertohitthecrabthantoleaveitbehind.Itwascapableofgreatspeed,and,followingtheBritishvessel,itquicklycameupwithher.ThecourseoftheScarabaeuswasinstantlychanged,andeveryeffortwasmadetogetthevesselintoapositiontorundownthecrab.Butthiswasnoteasyforsolargeaship,andCrabAseemedtohavenodifficultyinkeepingclosetoherstern.Severalmachine-guns,especiallyadoptedforfiringattorpedo-boatsoranyhostilecraftwhichmightbediscoveredclosetoavessel,werenowbroughttobearuponthecrab,andballafterballwashurledather.Someofthesestruck,butglancedoffwithoutpenetratinghertougharmour.Thesemanoeuvreshadnotcontinuedlong,whenthecrewofthecrabwasreadytobringintoactionthepeculiarapparatusofthatpeculiarcraft.Anenormouspairofironforceps,eachmassivelimbofwhichmeasuredtwelvefeetormoreinlength,wasrunoutinfrontofthecrabatadepthofsixoreightfeetbelowthesurface.Theseforcepswereacteduponbyanelectricengineofimmensepower,bywhichtheycouldbeshut,opened,projected,withdrawn,orturnedandtwisted.Thecrabdartedforward,andinthenextinstantthegreatteethofherpincerswerefastenedwithatremendousgripupontherudderandrudder-postoftheScarabaeus.Thenfollowedasuddentwist,whichsentathrillthroughbothvessels;acrash;abackwardjerk;thesnappingofachain;andinamomentthegreatrudder,withhalfoftherudder-postattached,wastornfromthevessel,andastheforcepsopeneditdroppedtoleewardandhungdanglingbyonechain.