The Great War Syndicate | Page 6

was taken,
a button was touched and the bomb was instantaneously placed on the
spot aimed at. The exactness with which the propelling force of the

bomb could be determined was an important factor in this method of
aiming.
As soon as three of the spring-armoured vessels and five "crabs" were
completed, the Syndicate felt itself ready to begin operations. It was
indeed time. The seas had been covered with American and British
merchantmen hastening homeward, or to friendly ports, before the
actual commencement of hostilities. But all had not been fortunate
enough to reach safety within the limits of time allowed, and several
American merchantmen had been already captured by fast British
cruisers.
The members of the Syndicate well understood that if a war was to be
carried on as they desired, they must strike the first real blow.
Comparatively speaking, a very short time had elapsed since the
declaration of war, and the opportunity to take the initiative was still
open.
It was in order to take this initiative that, in the early hours of a July
morning, two of the Syndicate's armoured vessels, each accompanied
by a crab, steamed out of a New England port, and headed for the point
on the Canadian coast where it had been decided to open the campaign.
The vessels of the Syndicate had no individual names. The
spring-armoured ships were termed "repellers," and were numbered,
and the crabs were known by the letters of the alphabet. Each repeller
was in charge of a Director of Naval Operations; and the whole naval
force of the Syndicate was under the command of a Director-in-chief.
On this momentous occasion this officer was on board of Repeller No.
1, and commanded the little fleet.
The repellers had never been vessels of great speed, and their present
armour of steel strips, the lower portion of which was frequently under
water, considerably retarded their progress; but each of them was taken
in tow by one of the swift and powerful crabs, and with this assistance
they made very good time, reaching their destination on the morning of
the second day.

It was on a breezy day, with a cloudy sky, and the sea moderately
smooth, that the little fleet of the Syndicate lay to off the harbour of
one of the principal Canadian seaports. About five miles away the
headlands on either side of the mouth of the harbour could be plainly
seen. It had been decided that Repeller No. 1 should begin operations.
Accordingly, that vessel steamed about a mile nearer the harbour,
accompanied by Crab A. The other repeller and crab remained in their
first position, ready to act in case they should be needed.
The approach of two vessels, evidently men-of-war, and carrying the
American flag, was perceived from the forts and redoubts at the mouth
of the harbour, and the news quickly spread to the city and to the
vessels in port. Intense excitement ensued on land and water, among
the citizens of the place as well as its defenders. Every man who had a
post of duty was instantly at it; and in less than half an hour the British
man-of-war Scarabaeus, which had been lying at anchor a short
distance outside the harbour, came steaming out to meet the enemy.
There were other naval vessels in port, but they required more time to
be put in readiness for action.
As soon as the approach of Scarabaeus was perceived by Repeller No.
1, a boat bearing a white flag was lowered from that vessel and was
rapidly rowed toward the British ship. When the latter saw the boat
coming she lay to, and waited its arrival. A note was delivered to the
captain of the Scarabaeus, in which it was stated that the Syndicate,
which had undertaken on the part of the United States the conduct of
the war between that country and Great Britain, was now prepared to
demand the surrender of this city with its forts and defences and all
vessels within its harbour, and, as a first step, the immediate surrender
of the vessel to the commander of which this note was delivered.
The overwhelming effrontery of this demand caused the commander of
the Scarabaeus to doubt whether he had to deal with a raving lunatic or
a blustering fool; but he informed the person in charge of the flag-of-
truce boat, that he would give him fifteen minutes in which to get back
to his vessel, and that he would then open fire upon that craft.
The men who rowed the little boat were not men-of- war's men, and

were unaccustomed to duties of this kind. In eight minutes they had
reached their vessel, and were safe on board.
Just seven minutes afterward the first shot came from the Scarabaeus. It