ssel.

Every soul on board the Lenox was now filled with fiery ardour. The
ship was already in good fighting trim, but every possible preparation
was made for a contest which should show their country and the world
what American sailors were made of.

The Lenox had not proceeded more than a mile out to sea, when she
perceived Repeller No. 6 coming toward her from seaward, and in a
direction which indicated that it intended to run across her course.
The Lenox, however, went straight on, and in a short time the two
vessels were quite near each other. Upon the deck of the repeller now
appeared the director in charge, who, with a speaking-trumpet, hailed
the Lenox and requested her to lay to, as he had something to
communicate. The commander of the Lenox, through his trumpet, answered
that he wanted no communications, and advised the other vessel to keep
out of his way.

The Lenox now put on a greater head of steam, and as she was in any
case a much faster vessel than the repeller, she rapidly increased the
distance between herself and the Syndicate's vessel, so that in a few
moments hailing was impossible. Quick signals now shot up in jets of
black smoke from the repeller, and in a very short time afterward the
speed of the Lenox slackened so much that the repeller was able to come
up with her.

When the two vessels were abreast of each other, and at a safe hailing
distance apart, another signal went up from the repeller, and then both
vessels almost ceased to move through the water, although the engines
of the Lenox were working at high speed, with her propeller-blades
stirring up a whirlpool at her stern.

For a minute or two the officers of the Lenox could not comprehend what
had happened. It was first supposed that by mistake the engines had
been slackened, but almost at the same moment that it was found that
this was not the case, the discovery was made that the crab
accompanying the repeller had laid hold of the stern-post of the Lenox,
and with all the strength of her powerful engines was holding her back.

Now burst forth in the Lenox a storm of frenzied rage, such as was
never seen perhaps upon any vessel since vessels were first built.
From the commander to the stokers every heart was filled with fury at
the insult which was put upon them. The commander roared through his
trumpet that if that infernal sea-beetle were not immediately loosed
from his ship he would first sink her and then the repeller.