eller No. 7 hoped that now the British captain would
see the uselessness of continued resistance.

But the British captain saw nothing of the kind,
and shot after shot from his guns were hurled high into the air, in
hopes that the great curves described would bring some of them down on
the deck of the repeller. If this beastly store-ship, which could
stand fire but never returned it, could be sunk, the Adamant's captain
would be happy. With the exception of the loss of her motive power,
his vessel was intact, and if the stupid crab would only continue to
keep the Adamant's head to the sea until the noise of her cannonade
should attract some other British vessel to the scene, the condition of
affairs might be altered.

All that day the great guns of the Adamant continued to roar. The next
morning, however, the firing was not resumed, and the officers of the
repeller were greatly surprised to see approaching from the British
ship a boat carrying a white flag. This was a very welcome sight, and
the arrival of the boat was awaited with eager interest.

During the night a council had been held on board the Adamant. Her
cannonading had had no effect, either in bringing assistance or in
injuring the enemy; she was being towed steadily southward farther and
farther from the probable neighbourhood of a British man-of-war; and it
was agreed that it would be the part of wisdom to come to terms with
the Syndicate's vessel.

Therefore the captain of the Adamant sent a letter to the repeller, in
which he stated to the persons in charge of that ship, that although
his vessel had been injured in a manner totally at variance with the
rules of naval warfare, he would overlook this fact and would agree to
cease firing upon the Syndicate's vessels, provided that the submerged
craft which was now made fast to his vessel should attach itself to the
Adamant's bow, and by means of a suitable cable which she would
furnish, would tow her into British waters. If this were done he would
guarantee that the towing craft should have six hours in which to get
away.

When this letter was read on board the repeller it created considerable
merriment, and an answer was sent back that no conditions but those of
absolute surrender could be received from the British ship.

In three minutes after this answer had been received by the captain of
the Adamant, two shells went whirring and shrieking through the air
toward Repeller No. 7, and after th