The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1889-07-19

over the sea at the Craglevin, which had
settled little at the stern, and was roll
ing heavily, but she was still q magniG-
cent battle ship, with tho red cross OF
England hoating over her. He could
mystery should amount to nothing, there
was no reason why the Craglevin should
not DO towed into port, and be made
again tho grand war ship that she had
been.
Now the director gave the signal, and
tho captain, with his eyes fixed upon his
ship touched the button. A quick shock
ran through tho repeller, and a black
gray cloud, half a mile high, occupied
the place of the British ship.
The cloud rapidly settled down, cover
ing tie water with glittering scum
which spread far and wide, and which
had been the Cragleyin.
The British captain stood fora moment
motionless, and then he picked up
rammer and ran it into the muzZle Of
the cannon which had been discharged
The great gun was empty. The instan-
taneous motor bomb was not there.
Now he wns convinced that the syndi
cato had not mined the fortrcsses which
they had destroyed.
In twenty minutes the two British
officers were on board the transport,
which then steamed rapidly westward.
Tho crabs again took the repeler in tow,
and the syrdicate's fleet continued its
eastward course, passing through the
wide expanse Of shttering scum which
had spread itself upon tho sea. a..
They were not two-thirds Of their way
across the Atlantic when the transport
reached St. Johns, and the cable told the
world tnat the Craglcvin had been ami
iliatel
This news was received with amaze
mcnt, and even CONSERVATION. 1t came
from an officer in the Royal navy, and
how could it be doubted that great
man-of-vvar had been destroyed in mo-
ment by ono shot from the syndicate's
vessel! And yet, even now, there were
persons who did doubt, and who asserted
that the crabs might have placed a great
torpedo under the Craglcvin; that wire
attached to this torpedo ran out from the
repcllcr, and that the British captain had
merely fired the torpedo. But hour by
hour, as fuller news came across the
ocean, the number Of these doubters be-
came smaller and smaller. "
In the midst Of the great public excite
ment which now existed on both sides Of
the Atlantic-in tho midst of all the con
hicting opinions, fears and hopcs--the
dominant sentiment seemed 10 be, in
America as well as in Europe, one of
curiosity. Were these six crabs and one
rcpeller bound for the British Isles? And
if SO, what did they intend to do when
they got there:
1t was now generally admitted that
one of the syndicate's crabs could disable
man-of-war; that ono of the syndi-
Gates rcpellers could Withstand the
heaviest artillery fire, and that one Of the
gyndcate's motor bombs could destroy I.
vessel or fort. But these things had
been proved in isolated combats, where
the new methods Of attack and defense
had had almost undisturbed opportunity
for exhibiting their efficiency. But what
could repcllcr and half q dozen crabs
do against the combined force of the
Royal navy, a navy which had in the
last few years rcgained its supremacy
among tho nations, and which had made
Great Britain once moro the first mari
time power in the world?
The crabs might disable some men-of-
war, the rcpellcr might make her calcu-
lations and discharge her bomb at q ship
or a fort, but what would the main body
of the navy be doing meanwhile? Over
whclming, crushing and sinking to the
bottom crabs, repeller, motor guns and
everything that belonged to them. a
In England there was y feeling Of
strong resentment that such little fleet
should be allowed to sail with such in
tent into British waters. This resent
ment extended itself not only to the i'm
pudent syndicate, but toward the gov
crnment, and the opposition party gained
daily in strength. The opposition papers
had been loud and reckless in their de-
nunciations of tho slowness and made
quacy Of the naval preparations, and
loaded the government with the entire
responsibility, not only Of the damage
which had already been done to the forts,
the ships, and the prestige Of Great
Britain, but also for the threatened
danger Of a sudden descent of tho syndi-
Gates fleet upon some unprotected point
upon the coast. This fleet should never
have been allowed to approach within a
thousand miles of England. 1t should
have been sunk in m;rl-ocean, if its sink
ing had involved the loss of n dozen men
of-war.
In America very strong feeling of dis.
satisfaction showed itself. From the first
the syndicate contract had not been popll.
lar, but the quick, effective and business
like action of that body Of men. and the
marked success up to this time of thei,
inventions and their operations, had
caused u great reaction in their favor.
They had, SO far, successfully defended
the American coast, and when they hac
increased tho number Of their vessels
they would have been relied upon to con.
tinue that defense. Even if a British
armada had set out to cross the Atlantic
its movements must have L--- Low anf
culnbrous, and the swift and sudde1
strokes with which the syndicate wagee
war could have been given by night ane
by day over thousands Of miles Of ocean
Whether or not these strokes woult
have been quick enough or hard enough
to turn back an armada might be ques
ton, but there could be no question O
the suicidal policy of sending seven ship
and two cannon to conquer England. I
seemed as if the success OF the syndicate
had SO puffed up its members with prid
and confidence In their powers that the.
had come to believe that they had onl,
to show themselves to conquer, whateve
might be the conditions Of the contest.
The destruction of the syndicate's flee
would now be q heavy blow to tn
United States. 1t would produce an ute
want OF confidence in the councils an
judgments of the syndicate, which coul'
not be counteracted by the stronges
faith i'll the efficiency Of their engines Q
war, and it was feared that it might be
como necessary, even at this critica
iuncture, to annul the contract with tn
syndicate, and to depend upon til
American navy for the defense of tn
! American coast.
Even among the men on board the syn
disate's fleet there were signs of dout
and apprehensions of evil 1t had a
been very well 60 far, but fighting on
ship at time was very different lhln
from steaming into the midst of a hui
! ~, bao~J ,ooollor tha,