know that the glass blocks under the
armour-plates of the crabs, which were placed in rubber frames to
protect them from concussion above, were also guarded by steel netting
from injury by small balls.

Valiantly the boats beset the crabs, keeping up a constant fusillade,
and endeavouring to throw grapnels over them. If one of these should
catch under an overlapping armour-plate it could be connected with the
steam windlass of the Adamant, and a plate might be ripped off or a
crab overturned.

But the crabs proved to be much more lively fish than their enemies had
supposed. Turning, as if on a pivot, and darting from side to side,
they seemed to be playing with the boats, and not trying to get away
from them. The spring armour of Crab K interfered somewhat with its
movements, and also put it in danger from attacks by grapnels, and it
therefore left most of the work to its consort.

Crab J, after darting swiftly in and out among her antagonists for some
time, suddenly made a turn, and dashing at one of the boats, ran under
it, and raising it on its glistening back, rolled it, bottom upward,
into the sea. In a moment the crew of the boat were swimming for their
lives. They were quickly picked up by two of the other boats, which
then deemed it prudent to return to the ship.

But the second officer of the Adamant, who commanded the fourth boat,
did not give up the fight. Having noted the spring armour of Crab K,
he believed that if he could get a grapnel between its steel ribs he
yet might capture the sea-monster. For some minutes Crab K contented
itself with eluding him; but, tired of this, it turned, and raising its
huge nippers almost out of the water, it seized the bow of the boat,
and gave it a gentle crunch, after which it released its hold and
retired. The boat, leaking rapidly through two ragged holes, was rowed
back to the ship, which it reached half full of water.

The great battle-ship, totally bereft of the power of moving herself,
was now rolling in the trough of the sea, and a signal came from the
repeller for Crab K to make fast to her and put her head to the wind.
This was quickly done, the crab attaching itself to the stern-post of
the Adamant by a pair of towing nippers. These were projected from the
stern of the crab, and were so constructed that the larger vessel did
not communicate all its motion to the smaller one, and could not run
down upon it.

As soon as the Adamant was brought up w