Великий военный синдикат

           AttheinstantoftouchingthebuttonahydraulicshockwasfeltonRepellerNo.1.Thiswassupposedtobeoccasionedthedischargeofthemotor,butitwasalsofeltontheothervessels.Itwasthesameshockthathadbeenfeltonshore,butlessindegree.Afewmomentsaftertherewasagreatheavingswellofthesea,whichtossedandrolledthefourvessels,andliftedthesteelprotectingnetsohighthatforaninstantpartsofitshowedthemselvesabovethesurfacelikeglisteningsea-ghosts.Experimentswithmotor-bombshadbeenmadeinunsettledmountainousdistricts,butthiswasthefirstonewhichhadeverexerteditspowerunderwater.Onshore,intheforts,andinthecitynooneforaninstantsupposedthattheterrificphenomenonwhichhadjustoccurredwasinanywayduetothevesselsoftheSyndicate.Therepellerswereinplainview,anditwasevidentthatneitherofthemhadfiredagun.Besides,thefiringofcannondidnotproducesucheffects.Itwasthegeneralopinionthattherehadbeenanearthquakeshock,accompaniedbyacloud-burstandextraordinaryconvulsionsofthesea.Suchacombinationofelementarydisturbanceshadneverbeenknownintheseparts;andagreatmanypersonsweremuchmorefrightenedthaniftheyhadunderstoodwhathadreallyhappened.Inabouthalfanhourafterthedischargeofthemotor-bomb,whentheseahadresumeditsusualquiet,aboatcarryingawhiteflagleftRepellerNo.1,roweddirectlyoverthesubmergednet,andmadefortheharbour.