s no human agency visible in it at all. There was no Homeric
struggle of man with man, although many a gallant deed was done that
night which never was seen nor heard of, and many a hero went to his
death without so much as leaving behind him the memory of how he died.

It was a conflict of mechanical giants--giant ships, giant engines,
giant guns, and explosives of something more than giant strength. These
were the monsters which poor, deluded Humanity, like another
Frankenstein, had thought out with infinite care and craft, and
fashioned for its own mutual destruction. Men had made a hell out of
their own passions and greed and jealousies, and now that hell had
opened and mankind was about to descend into it.

The sea-defence of Dover itself consisted of the Home Fleet in three
divisions, composed respectively of the _England_, _London_, _Bulwark_
and _Venerable_, _Queen_ and _Prince of Wales_ battleships, and ten
first-class armoured cruisers, the _Duncan_, _Cornwallis_, _Exmouth_ and
_Russell_ battleships, with twelve armoured cruisers, and thirdly, the
reconstructed and re-armed _Empress of India_, _Revenge_, _Repulse_ and
_Resolution_, with eight armoured cruisers. To the north between Dover
and the North Foreland lay the Southern Division of the North Sea
Squadron.

When the battle had commenced these three divisions were lying in their
respective stations, in column of line ahead about six miles from the
English shore. Behind them lay a swarm of destroyers and torpedo boats,
ready to dart out and do their deadly work between the ships, and ten
submarines were attached to each division. The harbour and approaches
were, of course, plentifully strewn with mines.

"It's an awful sight," said Castellan, with a note of awe in his voice,
when they had taken in the situation with the rapidity and precision of
the professional eye. "And to me the worst of it is that it won't be
safe for us to take a share in the row."

"What!" exclaimed Erskine, almost angrily. "Do you mean to tell me we
sha'n't be able to help our fellows? Then what on earth have we come
here for?"

"Just look there, now!" said Castellan, pointing ahead to where huge
shapes, enveloped in a mist of flame and smoke, were circling round each
other, vomiting their thunderbolts, like leviathans engaged in a
veritable dance of death.

"D'ye see that!" continued Denis. "What good would we be among that lot?
The _Ithuriel_ hasn't eyes on her that can se