Великий военный синдикат

           Whentheapproachofthisflag-of-trucewasperceivedfromthefortnearestthemouthoftheharbour,itoccasionedmuchsurmise.HadtheearthquakebroughttheseSyndicateknavestotheirsenses?Orweretheyabouttomakefurtherabsurdandoutrageousdemands?Someirateofficerswereoftheopinionthatenemiesliketheseshouldbeconsiderednobetterthanpirates,andthattheirflag-of-truceshouldbefiredupon.Butthecommandantofthefortpaidnoattentiontosuchcounsels,andsentadetachmentwithawhiteflagdowntothebeachtomeettheapproachingboatandlearnitserrand.ThemenintheboathadnothingtodobuttodeliveraletterfromtheDirector-in-chieftothecommandantofthefort,andthenrowbackagain.Noanswerwasrequired.Whenthecommandantreadthebriefnote,hemadenoremark.Infact,hecouldthinkofnoappropriateremarktomake.Themissivesimplyinformedhimthatatteno’clockandeighteenminutesA.M.,ofthatday,thefirstbombfromthemarineforcesoftheSyndicatehadbeendischargedintothewatersoftheharbour.At,orabout,twoo’clockP.M.,thesecondbombwouldbedischargedatFortPilcher.Thatwasall.Whatthisextraordinarymessagemeantcouldnotbeimaginedbyanyofficerofthegarrison.Ifthepeopleonboardtheshipsweretakingadvantageoftheearthquake,andsupposedthattheycouldinduceBritishsoldierstobelievethatithadbeencausedbyoneoftheirbombs,thenweretheyidiotsindeed.TheywouldfiretheirsecondshotatFortPilcher!Thiswasimpossible,fortheyhadnotyetfiredtheirfirstshot.