laid hold of one of the
men-of-war, and Crab B of the other. The rudders of both were
shattered and torn away; and while the blades of one propeller were
crushed to pieces, the other, with nearly half its shaft, was drawn out
and dropped into the ocean. Helplessly the two men-of-war rose and
fell upon the waves.

In obedience to orders from the repeller, each crab took hold of one of
the disabled vessels, and towed it near the mouth of the harbour, where
it was left.

The city was now in a state of feverish excitement, which was
intensified by the fact that a majority of the people did not
understand what had happened, while those to whom this had been made
plain could not comprehend why such a thing should have been allowed to
happen. Three of Her Majesty's ships of war, equipped and ready for
action, had sailed out of the harbour, and an apparently insignificant
enemy, without firing a gun, had put them into such a condition that
they were utterly unfit for service, and must be towed into a dry dock.
How could the Government, the municipality, the army, or the navy
explain this?

The anxiety, the excitement, the nervous desire to know what had
happened, and what might be expected next, spread that evening to every
part of the Dominion reached by telegraph.

The military authorities in charge of the defences of the city were as
much disturbed and amazed by what had happened as any civilian could
possibly be, but they had no fears for the safety of the place, for the
enemy's vessels could not possibly enter, nor even approach, the
harbour. The fortifications on the heights mounted guns much heavier
than those on the men-of-war, and shots from these fired from an
elevation might sink even those "underwater devils." But, more than on
the forts, they relied upon their admirable system of torpedoes and
submarine batteries. With these in position and ready for action, as
they now were, it was impossible for an enemy's vessel, floating on the
water or under it, to enter the harbour without certain destruction.

Bulletins to this effect were posted in the city, and somewhat allayed
the popular anxiety, although many people, who were fearful of what
might happen next, left by the evening trains for the interior. That
night the news of this extraordinary affair was cabled to Europe, and
thence back to the United States, and all over the world. In many
quarters the account was disbelieved, and in no quarter was it