Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/155

 CHAPTER XI

soon as the Sirian fleets had broken down the first line of defence of the Anglo-Saxons in the depths of space, they steered for the orbit of Neptune. While they were cruising about in these regions, they fell in with the outposts of the second line of defence, and vigorous fighting soon commenced. More ships joined in, until the combat extended over a very wide area. But the main body of the enemy kept hovering about in the rear, invisible to the Anglo-Saxons, and sending aid to their own fleets whenever it was required. Sometimes the tide of battle rolled almost within the atmosphere of Neptune, and the affrighted inhabitants could see the