general bombardment from all points
of the compass. The balls that struck us were of different kinds of
metal--lead, zinc, iron, and even gold. Although the range of their
guns was accurate, yet, owing to the loss of gravity, the shots had
but little effect on the plating of the vessel. Some of the sailors
were severely wounded by being struck in the limbs with the large
missiles hurled upon us, and I saw that if the enemy couldn't sink the
_Polar King_ they could at least kill us, which was even worse.

I gave orders to Professor Rackiron to train the giant gun on the
admiral's vessel. The discharge was accompanied by a slight flash,
without smoke, and we saw the deadly messenger make its aerial flight
straight toward the admiral's vessel. It entered the water right in
front of the ship, and in another instant an extraordinary scene was
witnessed. The ship, in company with a vast volume of water, sprang
into the air to a great height, with an immense hole blown in the
bottom of the hull. Falling again, she sank with all of the crew who
did not manage to fly clear of her rigging. After the vessel
disappeared, the last of the waterspout fell upon the boiling sea.

It was a great surprise to the enemy to see their best ship destroyed
at a single blow. The effect of our shot completely paralyzed the foe
for the moment, for every vessel ceased firing at us. At first it was
thought that the admiral had gone down with his vessel, and until a
new admiral was in command the battle would be suspended.

During the confusion we ran the _Polar King_ through the breach made
in the circle of the enemy, keeping his ships on one side of us. I
determined to try the tactics of rapid movement, with the steady
discharge of the terrorite gun, hoping to destroy a ship at every
blow.

[Illustration: THE SHIP IN COMPANY WITH A VAST VOLUME OF WATER SPRANG
INTO THE AIR TO A GREAT HEIGHT.]

It soon appeared that Admiral Jolar was still alive, he having escaped
from his ship in mid air, with his staff and a number of fletyemings,
by means of their electric wings. He had alighted on the ship of the
rear admiral, where he hoisted the pennant of the admiral.

The enemy was now thoroughly alive to the necessity of destroying or
capturing us. I saw it was a mistake in allowing ourselves to be
surrounded in a bay only fifty miles wide. To fight so many ships
required ample sea-room, to avoid the possibility of being captured.

The admiral sent