st temperature consistent with
safety. Now beyond measurable atmospheric pressure, the shell cooled
rapidly and he applied full touring acceleration. At an appalling and
constantly increasing speed the miniature space-ship shot away from the
strange, red planet; and smaller and smaller upon the plate became its
picture. The great vessel of the void had long since plunged beneath the
surface of the sea, to come more closely to grips with the vessel of the
fishes; for a long time nothing of the battle had been visible save
immense clouds of steam, blanketing hundreds of square miles of the
ocean's surface. But just before the picture became too small to reveal
details a few tiny dark spots appeared above the banks of cloud, now
brilliantly illuminated by the rays of the rising sun--dots which might
have been fragments of either vessel, blown bodily from the depths of
the ocean and, riven asunder, hurled high into the air by the incredible
forces at the command of the other.

Nevia a tiny moon and the fierce blue sun rapidly growing smaller in the
distance, Costigan swung his visiray beam into the line of travel and
turned to his companions.

"Well, we're off," he said, scowling. "I hope it was Nerado that got
blown up back there, but I'm afraid it wasn't. He whipped two of those
submarines that we know of, and probably half their fleet besides.
There's no particular reason why that one should be able to take him, so
it's my idea that we should get ready for great gobs of trouble. They'll
chase us, of course; and I'm afraid that with their power, they'll catch
us."

"But what can we do, Conway?" asked Clio.

"Several things," he grinned. "I managed to get quite a lot of dope on
that paralyzing ray and some of their other stuff, and we can install
the necessary equipment in our suits easily enough."

They removed their armor, and Costigan explained in detail the changes
which must be made in the Triplanetary field generators. All three set
vigorously to work--the two officers deftly and surely; Clio uncertainly
and with many questions, but with undaunted spirit. Finally, having done
everything they could do to strengthen their position, they settled down
to the watchful routine of the flight, with every possible instrument
set to detect any sign of the pursuit they so feared.

CHAPTER 13

THE HILL

The heavy cruiser Chicago hung motionless in space, thousands of miles
distant from the warring fleets of spa