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One Enemy v. Twenty-Five Millions of Friends
Nichollcouldnotcontainhimselfatthisreply;threwouthintsofcowardice;thatamanwhorefusedtofireacannon-shotwasprettynearbeingafraidofit;thatartilleristswhofightatsixmilesdistancearesubstitutingmathematicalformulaeforindividualcourage.
TotheseinsinuationsBarbicanereturnednoanswer;perhapsheneverheardofthem,soabsorbedwasheinthecalculationsforhisgreatenterprise.
WhenhisfamouscommunicationwasmadetotheGunClub,thecaptain’swrathpassedallbounds;withhisintensejealousywasmingledafeelingofabsoluteimpotence.Howwashetoinventanythingtobeatthis900-feetColumbiad?Whatarmor-platecouldeverresistaprojectileof30,000poundsweight?Overwhelmedatfirstunderthisviolentshock,hebyandbyrecoveredhimself,andresolvedtocrushtheproposalbyweightofhisarguments.
HethenviolentlyattackedthelaborsoftheGunClub,publishedanumberoflettersinthenewspapers,endeavoredtoproveBarbicaneignorantofthefirstprinciplesofgunnery.Hemaintainedthatitwasabsolutelyimpossibletoimpressuponanybodywhateveravelocityof12,000yardspersecond;thatevenwithsuchavelocityaprojectileofsuchaweightcouldnottranscendthelimitsoftheearth’satmosphere.
