to try his guns on the spring armour of the repeller, it would
probably result in the repeller turning her fire up on the transport.

With a disabled ship, and the lives of so many men in his charge, the
captain of the Craglevin saw that it would be wrong for him to attempt
to fight, and he did not fire a gun. With as much calmness as the
circumstances would permit, he awaited the progress of events.

In a very short time a message came to him from Repeller No. 11, which
stated that in two hours his ship would be destroyed by instantaneous
motor-bombs. Every opportunity, however, would be given for the
transfer to the mail steamer of all the officers and men on board the
Craglevin, together with such of their possessions as they could take
with them in that time. When this had been done the transport would be
allowed to proceed on her way.

To this demand nothing but acquiescence was possible. Whether or not
there was such a thing as an instantaneous motor-bomb the Craglevin's
officers did not know; but they knew that if left to herself their ship
would soon attend to her own sinking, for there was a terrible rent in
her stern, owing to a pitch of the vessel while one of the
propeller-shafts was being extracted.

Preparations for leaving the ship were, therefore,
immediately begun. The crab was ordered to release the mail steamer,
which, in obedience to signals from the Craglevin, steamed as near that
vessel as safety would permit. Boats were lowered from both ships, and
the work of transfer went on with great activity.

There was no lowering of flags on board the Craglevin, for the
Syndicate attached no importance to such outward signs and formalities.
If the captain of the British ship chose to haul down his colours he
could do so; but if he preferred to leave them still bravely floating
above his vessel he was equally welcome to do that.

When nearly every one had left the Craglevin, a boat was sent from the
repeller, which lay near by, with a note requesting the captain and
first officer of the British ship to come on board Repeller No. 11 and
witness the method of discharging the instantaneous motor-bomb, after
which they would be put on board the transport. This invitation struck
the captain of the Craglevin with surprise, but a little reflection
showed him that it would be wise to accept it. In the first place, it
was in the nature of a command, which, in the presence of six crabs and
a repeller,