re
under these, and all day she accompanied the Adamant on her voyage
south, dashing to this side and that, and looking for the chance that
did not come, for all day the cannon of the battle-ship roared at her
wherever she might be.

The inmates of Crab K were now very restive and
uneasy, for they were on short rations, both of food and water. They
would have been glad enough to cast loose from the Adamant, and leave
the spiteful ship to roll to her heart's content, broadside to the sea.
They did not fear to run their vessel, with its thick roofplates
protected by spring armour, through the heaviest cannonade.

But signals from the repeller commanded them to stay by the Adamant as
long as they could hold out, and they were obliged to content
themselves with a hope that when night fell the other crab would be
able to get in under the stern of the Adamant, and make the desired
exchange.

But to the great discomfiture of the Syndicate's forces, darkness had
scarcely come on before four enormous electric lights blazed high up on
the single lofty mast of the Adamant, lighting up the ocean for a mile
on every side of the ship. It was of no more use for Crab C to try to
get in now than in broad daylight; and all night the great guns roared,
and the little crab manoeuvred.

The next morning a heavy fog fell upon the sea, and the battle-ship and
Crab C were completely shut out of sight of each other. Now the cannon
of the Adamant were silent, for the only result of firing would be to
indicate to the crab the location of the British ship. The
smoke-signals of the towing crab could not be seen through the fog by
her consorts, and she seemed to be incapable of making signals by
sound. Therefore the commander of the Adamant thought it likely that
until the fog rose the crab could not find his ship.

What that other crab intended to do could be, of course, on board the
Adamant, only a surmise; but it was believed that she would bring with
her a torpedo to be exploded under the British ship. That one crab
should tow her away from possible aid until another should bring a
torpedo to fasten to her stern-post seemed a reasonable explanation of
the action of the Syndicate's vessels.

The officers of the Adamant little understood the resources and
intentions of their opponents. Every vessel of the Syndicate carried a
magnetic indicator, which was designed to prevent collisions with iron
vessels. This little instrument was