Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/157

Rh woods, and remained on the ground for some days repairing the more serious wounds they had received; others, more daring, took to plundering, and sailed away with their holds full of fresh provisions. This was soon noticed by the inhabitants of Neptune, and the Home Fleet was scattered all over the planet to search out and suppress the marauders. Soon the solitary woodlands and barren mountains rang with the roar of cannon and the shouts of the combatants. Great battleships lay among the trees or behind projecting rocks, firing shells at one another, that tore up giant trees by their roots and hurled them over the forest, or spattered jagged rocks far and wide. Then at night the searchlights shone among the trees like mimic suns, while the waves of Ednogen force flowed hither and thither, burning up trees and melting rocks like wax. But there were no hand-to-hand combats between the crews; they all preferred to keep behind their metal walls. 10