At the time of the Russo-Japanese War the _Protector_ was being tried out in Long Island Sound, and representatives of both warring countries sent officers to witness her perform and to make propositions for her purchase. Russia secured her, however, and it then became a problem to get her out of the country without evading the neutrality laws. We discovered that we were being watched by spies, and had reason to believe that if it became known that Russia had purchased her, and that we were planning to take her out of the country, an injunction would be secured against us. We had secured high legal advice that if she were shipped incomplete we would not be evading the United States laws, but that she might, notwithstanding this precaution, be captured on the high seas or held in this country by injunction as contraband. We therefore removed her battery and sent it to New York, ostensibly for repairs; from there it was later shipped to Russia _via_ steamer. The agents of the Russian Government then chartered the steamer _Fortuna_ to carry a cargo of coal from Norfolk, Va., to Libau, Russia. While loading coal, heavy timbers to form a cradle on the deck were also shipped on board, and while coming up the coast this cradle was assembled and the _Fortuna's_ decks strengthened sufficiently to carry the _Protector_, which had been stripped down to about one hundred and thirty tons by the removal of her battery. The plan was that the _Fortuna_ should come into Sandy Hook at midnight on Saturday and proceed to Prince's Bay, a cove back of Staten Island. There the _Protector_ was to be picked up by the powerful floating derrick, the _Monarch_, and the _Fortuna_, with the _Protector_ on her deck, was then to get outside of Sandy Hook before daylight and pass the three-mile limit on Sunday morning. None of my crew was in the secret that an effort was to be made to get the _Protector_ out of the country before legal proceedings could be taken to prevent her going; and, as she had no batteries on board, they were much surprised to be informed on Saturday--the morning of the day set to make the attempt--that they were to bring their suitcases and a change of clothing with them, as I was going to give the _Protector_ a trial under her engines alone and we might be away a day or two. When we left Bridgeport I headed the _Protector_ away from New York, and our men thought we were bound for Newport, but as soon as we got out of sight of the shore, in which we were assisted by a fog, I ran over under the Long Island shore and headed for New York. We remained in hiding during the day and passed through Hell Gate, the entrance into the East River, at about nine o'clock, and reached Prince's Bay according to schedule; but the _Fortuna_ did not appear until eight o'clock on Sunday morning. Fortunately for the enterprise, a very heavy rainstorm came up and shut out all view of us from the shore until the _Protector_ had been loaded and was out to sea.