was a swift one, and in a few minutes Bevans had brought it close behind the aerial squadron.
"Straight up, now," ordered Roger, "and make it snappy."
As they began their assent the battle started with the rattle of machine guns and the boom of rapid fire turret guns. Then the globes, apparently unharmed by the gunfire, began systematically wiping out the defense squadron with their green rays. One by one, huge combat planes were crumpling and crashing to the ground, when Roger brought his degravitor to bear on the foremost globe. His invisible ray cut a round hole about four feet in diameter clear through the center of the lunar vehicle, with no apparent effect on its progress or lethal ray projectors. But be had only to lower, then slightly elevate his weapon, and the globe was divided as neatly as a knife divides an apple, both halves crashing instantly to the ground.
Swinging his degravitor into line on another globe, Roger proceeded to halve it as he had the first, but before he could turn it on the third globe, the latter, its commander apparently fearing the fate of the first two, elevated its forward disc and shot straight up into the air with such appalling speed that it disappeared completely in a moment.
Roger clapped his binoculars to his eyes, but even they failed to reveal the swiftly flying globe.
"No use to follow that bird, Bevans," he said. "He's well on his way to the moon by this time. Let's go and have a look at the ones we brought down."
They descended, but a half dozen of the government combat planes were ahead of them, and the men were dragging the bodies of stunned and dead Lunites from the wrecks when they arrived. Forty dazed prisoners, most of whom had fractured limbs, were taken from the wrecks, and twenty-six bodies.
Roger's great fear was that he might find the body of Professor Ederson in the wrecks, but there was no sign of it. Either he had been completely destroyed by the degravitor rays, or was in the globe which had escaped.
Only thirty of the squadron of fifty combat planes which had flown out to meet the foe accompanied Roger back to the Capitol. The others, together with their crews, had been utterly destroyed by the green rays.
Back in the President's office, Roger received the commendation of the chief executive with a deprecatory shrug.
"It was nothing," he said. "Easier than breaking clay pigeons with a trap gun."
"I don't believe the General will ask for any more demonstrations," smiled the President. "From now on, he'll be crying night and day for degravitors."
At this moment the President's radiovisiphone operator appeared in the disc and said:
"Chicago is calling Mr. Sanders, Sir."
"Tune them in," said the President.
There instantly appeared in the disc, the face of Ted's day operator, Miss Whitley.
"Mr. Stanley, in charge of the big radiovisiphone, thinks the moon people are trying to get in touch with us," she said.
"Tell him to hold them, if he can, until we can silence all broadcasting stations," replied Roger. "Then connect me with him."
XIII. FLYING REPTILES
DESPITE THE mighty bounds with which Ted Dustin pursued the hideous flying reptile which was carrying off Maza of the Moon, the star-like gleam of her head lamp quickly grew more dim, showing that he was being rapidly outdistanced.
Presently it twinkled and went out, but he continued his pace, unabated, in the same direction.
As he hurried on, huge herbivorous dinosaurs, disturbed at their feeding, raised their massive heads from time to time to contemptuously snort fiery vapor at the queer and insignificant creature that bounded past them. Mighty reptilian carnivores, their bloody feasts interrupted, were more hostile, snarling or roaring hideously when he passed close to them, but he paid no heed to either.
Once his path was barred by a great, quill covered creature resembling a tiger, with the exception of the tail, which was a short, thick, spine-covered stub. It was larger than a draft horse,
"Straight up, now," ordered Roger, "and make it snappy."
As they began their assent the battle started with the rattle of machine guns and the boom of rapid fire turret guns. Then the globes, apparently unharmed by the gunfire, began systematically wiping out the defense squadron with their green rays. One by one, huge combat planes were crumpling and crashing to the ground, when Roger brought his degravitor to bear on the foremost globe. His invisible ray cut a round hole about four feet in diameter clear through the center of the lunar vehicle, with no apparent effect on its progress or lethal ray projectors. But be had only to lower, then slightly elevate his weapon, and the globe was divided as neatly as a knife divides an apple, both halves crashing instantly to the ground.
Swinging his degravitor into line on another globe, Roger proceeded to halve it as he had the first, but before he could turn it on the third globe, the latter, its commander apparently fearing the fate of the first two, elevated its forward disc and shot straight up into the air with such appalling speed that it disappeared completely in a moment.
Roger clapped his binoculars to his eyes, but even they failed to reveal the swiftly flying globe.
"No use to follow that bird, Bevans," he said. "He's well on his way to the moon by this time. Let's go and have a look at the ones we brought down."
They descended, but a half dozen of the government combat planes were ahead of them, and the men were dragging the bodies of stunned and dead Lunites from the wrecks when they arrived. Forty dazed prisoners, most of whom had fractured limbs, were taken from the wrecks, and twenty-six bodies.
Roger's great fear was that he might find the body of Professor Ederson in the wrecks, but there was no sign of it. Either he had been completely destroyed by the degravitor rays, or was in the globe which had escaped.
Only thirty of the squadron of fifty combat planes which had flown out to meet the foe accompanied Roger back to the Capitol. The others, together with their crews, had been utterly destroyed by the green rays.
Back in the President's office, Roger received the commendation of the chief executive with a deprecatory shrug.
"It was nothing," he said. "Easier than breaking clay pigeons with a trap gun."
"I don't believe the General will ask for any more demonstrations," smiled the President. "From now on, he'll be crying night and day for degravitors."
At this moment the President's radiovisiphone operator appeared in the disc and said:
"Chicago is calling Mr. Sanders, Sir."
"Tune them in," said the President.
There instantly appeared in the disc, the face of Ted's day operator, Miss Whitley.
"Mr. Stanley, in charge of the big radiovisiphone, thinks the moon people are trying to get in touch with us," she said.
"Tell him to hold them, if he can, until we can silence all broadcasting stations," replied Roger. "Then connect me with him."
XIII. FLYING REPTILES
DESPITE THE mighty bounds with which Ted Dustin pursued the hideous flying reptile which was carrying off Maza of the Moon, the star-like gleam of her head lamp quickly grew more dim, showing that he was being rapidly outdistanced.
Presently it twinkled and went out, but he continued his pace, unabated, in the same direction.
As he hurried on, huge herbivorous dinosaurs, disturbed at their feeding, raised their massive heads from time to time to contemptuously snort fiery vapor at the queer and insignificant creature that bounded past them. Mighty reptilian carnivores, their bloody feasts interrupted, were more hostile, snarling or roaring hideously when he passed close to them, but he paid no heed to either.
Once his path was barred by a great, quill covered creature resembling a tiger, with the exception of the tail, which was a short, thick, spine-covered stub. It was larger than a draft horse,
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