minister, who was not in his master's confidence, was shocked and astonished. He promised to take up the matter at once with the Minister of Marine. And after so long a time the Minister of Marine, who seemed to consider it altogether incredible that these ships should have anything to do with the Confederacy, promised to take it up with His Majesty. His Majesty was away on a fishing trip. Furious notes and thinly disguised threats heated the mails from Washington. The accepted channels of diplomacy were clogged with the debris of negotiations.
But meanwhile day and night the work on the ironclads proceeded furiously. It became evident that the crafty Emperor was going to win in the slow race and manage to be convinced just about fifteen minutes after the rams had safely cleared the harbour.
No hero was on hand so desperate and capable as to blow them up single-handed. And there were no boats afloat in America that could keep these dragons of the deep in har-
