utralized by the rays of the tiny
craft of the enemy, floated gently back toward the mass of its parent
and accompanied it in its headlong flight. Several more lifeboats made
the attempt, as the courageous officers of the _Arcturus_, some of
whom had apparently succeeded in eluding the vigilance of the captors,
launched the little shells from various ports; but as each boat issued,
its power was neutralized and it found itself dragged helplessly along
in the grip of one of those mysterious, brilliant rays of force. At
least one hidden officer must have been watching the fruitless efforts,
for the next lifeboat to issue made no attempt, either to talk or to
flee, but from it there flamed out into space a concentrated beam of
destruction--the terrible ray of annihilation, against which no known
substance could endure for a moment; the ray which had definitely
outlawed war. But even that frightful weapon was useless--it spent
its force harmlessly upon an impalpable, invisible barrier, a hundred
yards from its source, and the bold lifeboat disappeared in one blinding
explosion of incandescence as the captor showed its real power in
retaliation. Stevens, jaw hard-set, leaped from the screen, then brought
himself up so quickly that he skated across the smooth steel floor.
Shutting off the lookout plate, he led the half-fainting girl across
the room to a comfortable seat and sat down beside her--raging, but
thoughtful. Nadia soon recovered.

"Why are you acting so contrary to your nature--is it because of _me_?"
she demanded. "A dozen times I've seen you start to do something and
then change your mind. I _will not_ be a load on you nor hinder you in
anything you want to do."

"I told your father I'd look after you, and I'm going to do it," he
replied, indirectly. "I would do it anyway, of course--even if you are
ten or twelve years older than I thought you were."

"Yes, Dad never has realized that I'm more than eight years old. I
see--you were going out there and be slaughtered?" He flushed, but made
no reply. "In that case I'm glad I'm here--that would have been silly.
I think we'd better hold that council of war you mentioned a while ago,
don't you?"

"I need a smoke--do you indulge?"

"No thanks. I tried it a few times at school, but never liked it."

He searched his pockets, bringing to light an unopened package and a
tattered remnant which proved to contain one dilapidated cigarette.
He studied it thoughtfully. "I'