g the freedom of the outer sea. We rushed over the spot
where the ships had been anchored, and soon left the pursuing fleet
far behind.

The wing-jackets, re-enforced by the crews of the blockading fleet,
renewed their attack. Having learned the terrible power of our
magazine guns, they contented themselves with making attacks on
unguarded points. But fifty sailors were thus engaged, while the
remainder of the ship's crew, including the officers, worked the guns
with a will, The revolvers of the enemy disabled us considerably, but
by firing our magazine guns in every direction we kept the ranks of
the flying enemy pretty well thinned out.

Our tactics were to keep the foe divided, if possible, and destroy the
attacking force in detail. So long as the sailors could stand by their
guns we were safe. We could outstrip the fleet in speed, thus reducing
the chances of our immediate antagonists being re-enforced, for those
who at first attacked us melted rapidly before the withering fire of
our batteries.

Finding themselves unable to secure the ship, even with such enormous
sacrifice of life, the fletyemings suddenly retreated to the fleet,
leaving us free to rest ourselves and look after the wounded.

The terrible strain of the fight had utterly exhausted the sailors,
who had fought for fifty consecutive hours, without rest or
refreshment. We tumbled overboard the dead bodies of the enemy who had
fallen upon the deck, and buried eight of our own sailors who had been
also killed. Several men were wounded about the head and neck with
spear-thrusts that had failed to kill, but none seriously. Captain
Wallace got an ugly wound in his neck, but it was not sufficient to
keep him from duty. Flathootly, in slaying a fletyeming, received a
wound in the hand that required the attention of the doctor. Professor
Rackiron and Astronomer Starbottle passed through the fight unscathed,
while Professor Goldrock suffered from a broken leg. Our helmets,
provided originally for triumphal purposes, had proved of the greatest
possible value, and saved many a life on board the _Polar King_.

All this time we lay in full view of both the enemy's fleet and the
entire kingdom. It seemed to us a strange thing that the admiral did
not continue the fight with his reserve of fletyemings, who could
easily outstrip the ship in their flight. He still possessed thousands
of wing-jackets who had never been engaged in actual conflict, who
might have rel