Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/125

Rh one of the sides, and three more guns were rendered useless, while the space outside was filled with clouds of vapour.

'The Lightning will be destroyed rather than surrender,' said Captain Mainton.

The guns still continued to fire feebly. The captain shouted into a telephone, and Alec's face blanched when he heard the reply that came back.

A swarm of torpedo-boats were settling down on the sides of the dying giant. The force of Ednogen was turned on to them, and two were rendered useless; a third was half melted by the anticohesion apparatus.

'The Lightning can still strike,' said the captain.

A minute later a huge first-class battleship bore down upon them, intending to annihilate what remained of the Lightning with its ram. A stern smile flitted over the captain's face.

'Not so fast,' he said as he turned a wheel. 8