Великий военный синдикат

           Notwithstandingthislattercontingency,theorderwasquicklygiventoraisethecylinder;butbeforethehoistingenginehadbeensetinmotion,CrabQthrustforwardherforcepsoverthetopofthecylinderandhelditdown.Anotherthrust,andtheironjawshadgraspedoneofthetwoponderouschainsbywhichthecylinderwassuspended.Theotherendofthecylinderbegantorise,butatthismomentCrabR,apparentlybyasingleeffort,liftedherselfafoothigheroutofthesea;herpincersflashedforward,andtheotherchainwasgrasped.Thetwocrabswerenowplacedinthemostextraordinaryposition.TheoverhangoftheirroofspreventedanattackontheirhullsbytheLlangaron,buttheirunmailedhullsweresogreatlyexposedthatafewshotfromanothershipcouldeasilyhavedestroyedthem.ButasanyshipfiringatthemwouldbeverylikelytohittheLlangaron,theirdirectorsfeltsafeonthispoint.Threeoftheforemostironclads,lessthantwomilesaway,wereheadingdirectlyforthem,andtheirramsmightbeusedwithbutlittledangertotheLlangaron;but,ontheotherhand,threeswiftcrabswereheadingdirectlyfortheseironclads.ItwasimpossibleforCrabsQandRtooperateintheusualway.Theirmassiveforceps,lyingflatagainstthetopofthecylinder,couldnotbetwisted.Theenormouschainstheyheldcouldnotbeseveredbythegreatestpressure,andifbothcrabsbackedatoncetheywouldprobablydonomorethantowtheLlangaronsternforemost.