Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/205

Rh boat, and an abundant supply of Ednogen stored away in the reservoirs. The outside of the hulls was painted white, so that they would be almost invisible when high up in the air.

Meanwhile, James Tarrant took possession of a torpedo-boat named the Scorpion, and, accompanied by two others, set out to test the efficacy of his invention on the Sirian ships. They went very slowly and carefully, so as to avoid getting too close to their antagonists, the inventor standing on the outer deck by the great cone-shaped tube, with his hand on the wheel that turned on the force. After some time they saw a great battleship drifting along some thousands of feet below them, with the Sirian flag dangling at its stern.

'Now we shall see if the Scorpion can sting,' said Tarrant, as he aimed the tube at the ship and turned the wheel round.

Nothing occurred; there was no smoke, no explosion. The eager looks of the 13