Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/107

Rh to avoid being outflanked. Thus, both fleets became divided into two parts, the greater being actively engaged, while the other was occupied in manœuvring. The Sirian divisions that had been detached then began to make directly for Neptune, and the Anglo-Saxons pursued them vigorously, keeping up a running fight all the time, but little damage was done on either side. Soon the main body of the fleet was quite out of sight, and nothing could be seen of the fight but an occasional faint flash of light in the distance. The Anglo-Saxons still kept up a hot pursuit, firing continually, but, to their surprise, they noticed that they did no damage whatever to the enemy. Whenever one of their shells reached its mark, it appeared to go through the side of the ship as if it were made of some elastic substance, and did not do any damage at all. When the heavier guns were fired, the same effect was observed. The pursuit was kept up for some days; and then, mad with fury,