n his
allotropic-iron atomic bombs, Spencer his indestructible armor-piercing
projectiles, and Dutton his shatterable flasks of the quintessence of
corrosion--a sticky, tacky liquid of such dire potency that only one
rare Solarian element could contain it. Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred
were thrown as fast as the automatic machinery could launch them; and
the Nevians found them adversaries not to be despised. Size for size,
their screens were quite as capable as those of the _Boise_. The
Nevians' destructive rays glanced harmlessly from their shields, and the
Nevians' elaborate screens, neutralized at impact by those of the
torpedoes, were impotent to impede their progress. Each projectile must
needs be caught and crushed individually by beams of the most prodigious
power; and while one was being annihilated dozens more were rushing to
the attack. Then while the twisting, dodging invader was busiest with
the tiny but relentless destroyers, Rodebush launched his heaviest
weapon.

The macro-beams! Prodigious streamers of bluish-green flame which tore
savagely through course after course of Nevian screen! Malevolent fangs,
driven with such power and velocity that they were biting into the very
walls of the enemy vessel before the amphibians knew that their
defensive shells of force had been punctured! And the emergency screens
of the invaders were equally futile. Course after course was sent out,
only to flare viciously through the spectrum and to go black.

Outfought at every turn, the now frantically dodging Nevian leaped away
in headlong flight, only to be brought to a staggering, crashing halt as
Cleveland nailed her with a tractor beam. But the Tellurians were to
learn that the Nevians held in reserve a means of retreat. The tractor
snapped--sheared off squarely by a sizzling plane of force--and the
fish-shaped cruiser faded from Cleveland's sight, just as the _Boise_
had disappeared from the communicator plates of Radio Center, back in
the Hill, when she was launched. But though the plates in the control
room could not hold the Nevian, she did not vanish beyond the ken of
Randolph, now Communications Officer in the super-ship. For, warned and
humiliated by his losing one speeding vessel from his plates in Radio
Center, he was now ready for any emergency. Therefore as the Nevian fled
Randolph's spy-ray held her, automatically behind it as there was the
full output of twelve special banks of iron-driven power tubes; an