her Attack.

Suddenly a repetition of the quick movement by the Martians, which had
been the forerunner of the former coup, was observed; again a blinding
flash burst from their war engine and instantaneously a shiver ran through
the frame of the flagship; the air within quivered with strange pulsations
and seemed suddenly to have assumed the temperature of a blast furnace.

We all gasped for breath. Our throats and lungs seemed scorched in the
act of breathing. Some fell unconscious upon the floor. The marksmen,
carrying the disintegrators ready for use, staggered, and one of them
dropped his instrument.

But we had not been destroyed like our comrades before us. In a moment the
wave of heat passed; those who had fallen recovered from their momentary
stupor and staggered to their feet.

The electrical steersman stood hesitating at his post.

"Move on," said Mr. Edison sternly, his features set with determination
and his eyes afire. "We are still beyond their effective range. Let us
get closer in order to make sure work when we strike."

The ship moved on. One could hear the heartbeats of its inmates. The
other members of the squadron, thinking for the moment that disaster
had overtaken the flagship, had paused and seemed to be meditating flight.

"Signal them to move on," said Mr. Edison.

The Battle Commences.

The signal was given, and the circle of electrical ships closed in upon
the asteroid.

In the meantime Mr. Edison had been donning his air-tight suit. Before
we could clearly comprehend his intention he had passed through the
double-trapped door which gave access to the exterior of the car without
permitting the loss of air, and was standing upon what served as the
deck of the ship.

In his hand he carried a disintegrator. With a quick motion he sighted it.

As quickly as possible I sprang to his side. I was just in time to note
the familiar blue gleam about the instrument, which indicated that its
terrific energies were at work. The whirring sound was absent, because
here, in open space, where there was no atmosphere, there could be
no sound.

The Disintegrator's Power.

My eyes were fixed upon the Martians' engine, which had just dealt us a
staggering, but not fatal, blow, and particularly I noticed a polished
knob projecting from it, which seemed to have been the focus from which
its destructive bolt emanated.

A moment later the knob disappeared. The irresistible vibrations
darted fro