Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/176

164 was 'More! More!' The Admiral-in-Chief turned pale as he thought of the hundreds of ships that were being sent to disappear for ever in those terrible valleys of death, where smoke rolled and guns flashed night and day without ceasing. Then he almost despaired of ultimate victory as he thought of the amount of resistance he would probably yet meet with when he had advanced as far as the earth.

The contest continued night and day. Ramming from above was impossible, and it was difficult to fire straight on account of the movements of the moon, so both fleets crawled along over the ground, fighting desperately behind whatever shelter might be afforded. The Anglo-Saxons were being slowly driven from position to position. As soon as one ridge was rendered untenable they hastily moved their ships to the next, and only left the enemy the bare ground covered with shot and fragments of rock. Slowly