ad Moyen bidden them turn their attention to these shells of
erstwhile naval grandeur?

This time no gasps broke from the lips of the Secret Agents. Not even
the sound of breathing could be heard. Just the sighing of wind through
the superstructures of a hundred ships, the whispering of waves against
rusted bulkheads.

Almost imperceptibly at first the towering dreadnought in the foreground
began to move! Slowly, the water swirling about her, she backed away
from her anchor, tightening the curve of the anchor chain! Water
quivered about the point of the chain's contact with the waves!

Quickly the eyes of the Secret Agents swept along the street of ships.
The same backward motion, of dragging against their anchor chains, was
visible at the bow of each warship!

With not a soul aboard them, the ships were waking into strange and
awesome life, dragging at their anchors, like hounds pulling at leashes
to be free and away!

"How are they doing it?" It was almost a whisper from the President.

"Some electro-magnetic force, sir!" stated Prester Kleig. "Professor
Blaine, that is your province! Please note what is happening, and advise
us at once if you see how they are doing it!"

A grunt of affirmation from surly, obese Professor Blaine.

* * * * *

All eyes turned back again to the miracle of the moving ships. One by
one, with crashes which echoed and re-echoed through the Secret Room,
the anchor chains of the dreadnoughts parted. The ends of them swung
from the prows of the warships, while the severed portions splashed into
the Roads, and the waters hid them from view.

The great dreadnought in the foreground swung slowly about until her
prow was pointed in the direction of the open sea, and though no sea was
running, no smoke rose from her funnels, she got slowly, ponderously
under way, and started out the Roads. Behind her, in formation, the
other ships swung into line.

In a matter of seconds, faster than any of these vessels had ever
traveled before, they were racing in column for the open Atlantic. And
from the sound apparatus came wails and shrieks of terror, the
lamentations of men and women frightened as they had never been
frightened before.

The shores behind the moving column of ships was moment by moment
growing blacker with people--a black sea of people, whose faces were
white as chalk with terror.

But on, out to sea, moved the column of brave ships.

A new note