d thus
it was that the vengeful Earthmen flashed immediately along the Nevians'
line of flight. Inertialess now, pausing briefly from time to time to
enable the crew to accustom themselves to the new sensations,
Triplanetary's super-ship pursued the invader; hurtling through the void
with a velocity unthinkable.

"He was easier to take than I thought he would be," Cleveland grunted,
staring into the plate.

"I thought he had more stuff, too," Rodebush assented, "but I guess
Costigan got almost everything they had. If so, with all our own stuff
and most of theirs besides, we should be able to take them. Conway's
data indicated that they have only partial neutralization of inertia--if
it's one hundred percent we'll never catch them--but it isn't--there
they are!"

"And this time I'm going to hold her or burn out all our generators
trying," Cleveland declared, grimly. "Are you fellows down there able to
handle yourselves yet? Fine! Start throwing out your cans!"

Space-hardened veterans, all, the other Tellurian officers had fought
off the horrible nausea of inertialessness, just as Rodebush and
Cleveland had done. Again the ravening green macro-beams tore at the
flying cruiser, again the mighty frames of the two space-ships shuddered
sickeningly as Cleveland clamped on his tractor rod, again the highly
dirigible torpedoes dashed out with their freights of death and
destruction. And again the Nevian shear-plane of force slashed at the
_Boise's_ tractor beam; but this time the mighty puller did not give
way. Sparkling and spitting high-tension sparks, the plane bit deeply
into the stubborn rod of energy. Brighter, thicker, and longer grew the
discharges as the gnawing plane drew more and more power; but in direct
ratio to that power the rod grew larger, denser, and ever harder to cut.
More and more vivid became the pyrotechnic display, until suddenly the
entire tractor rod disappeared. At the same instant a blast of
intolerable flame erupted from the _Boise's_ flank and the whole
enormous fabric of her shook and quivered under the force of a terrific
detonation.

"Randolph! I don't see them! Are they attacking or running?" Rodebush
demanded. He was the first to realize what had happened.

"Running--fast!"

"Just as well, perhaps, but get their line. Adlington!"

"Here!"

"Good! Was afraid you were gone--that was one of your bombs, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Well launched, just inside the screens. Don't see how it could