tugs
which had been sent for to tow her into harbour, the Llangaron was well
on her way across the channel. A foggy night came on, and the next
morning she was ashore on the coast of France, with a mile of water
between her and dry land. Fast-rooted in a great sand-bank, she lay
week after week, with the storms that came in from the Atlantic, and
the storms that came in from the German Ocean, beating upon her tall
side of solid iron, with no more effect than if it had been a precipice
of rock. Against waves and winds she formed a massive breakwater, with
a wide stretch of smooth sea between her and the land. There she lay,
proof against all the artillery of Europe, and all the artillery of the
sea and the storm, until a fleet of small vessels had taken from her
her ponderous armament, her coal and stores, and she had been lightened
enough to float upon a high tide, and to follow three tugs to
Portsmouth.

When night came on, Repeller No. 11 and the crabs dropped down with the
tide, and lay to some miles west of the scene of battle. The fog shut
them in fairly well, but, fearful that torpedoes might be sent out
against them, they showed no lights. There was little danger, of
collision with passing merchantmen, for the English Channel, at
present, was deserted by this class of vessels.

The next morning the repeller, preceded by two crabs, bearing between
them a submerged net similar to that used at the Canadian port,
appeared off the eastern end of the Isle of Wight. The anchors of the
net were dropped, and behind it the repeller took her place, and
shortly afterward she sent a flag-of-truce boat to Portsmouth harbour.
This boat carried a note from the American War Syndicate to the British
Government.

In this note it was stated that it was now the intention of the
Syndicate to utterly destroy, by means of the instantaneous motor, a
fortified post upon the British coast. As this would be done solely
for the purpose of demonstrating the irresistible destructive power of
the motor-bombs, it was immaterial to the Syndicate what fortified post
should be destroyed, provided it should answer the requirements of the
proposed demonstration. Consequently the British Government was
offered the opportunity of naming the fortified place which should be
destroyed. If said Government should decline to do this, or delay the
selection for twenty-four hours, the Syndicate would itself decide upon
the place to be operated u