Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/110

98 human beings drift slowly past the windows, the limbs and flesh being torn into horrid shapes and blackened by the flames of battle. But they could find no war-ship with living beings on board; either one or both of the fleets must have been totally annihilated. They remained for days wandering hither and thither, endeavouring to find out what had happened to their compatriots; but they were disappointed: not a living being could they see. Then sadly and reluctantly the admiral gave the order for the ships to concentrate and give up the search, for it seemed useless to waste any more valuable time. There was not enough ammunition left to make it safe for them to proceed to Kairet, so they turned about and steered for Neptune. When they arrived at that planet, they found out what had happened to the rest of the fleet. It was a tale that filled every man in the fleet with horror and awe.