subs, every move of each one being at the same time visible and
audible to the Secret Agents in the Capitol's Secret Room.

The aero-subs which had submerged singled out their particular prey
among the floating ships, and the Secret Agents, trying to see how each
separate act of destruction was accomplished, watched the aero-sub in
the foreground, which happened to be concentrating on the dreadnought
which had led the ghost-march of the warships out to sea.

* * * * *

The aero-sub circled the swaying dreadnought as a shark circles a wreck,
and through the walls of the aero-sub the watchers in the Secret Room
could see the four-man crew of the thing. Grim faced men, men of the
Orient they plainly were, coldly concentrating on the work in hand.
Their faces were those of men who are merciless, even brutal, with
neither heart nor compassion of any kind for weaker ones. One man
maneuvered the aero-sub, while the other three concentrated on the
apparatus in the nose of the hybrid vessel.

"See," spoke Prester Kleig again, "if you can tell what manner of ray
they use, and how it is projected. That's your province, General
Munson!"

From the particular Secret Agent named, who was expert for war in the
membership of the Secret Room, came a short grunt of affirmation. A few
murmured words.

"I'll be able to tell more about it when I see how they operate when
they are flying. That black streak under water ... well, I must see it
out of the water, and then...."

But here General Munson ended, for the aero-sub which they were
especially watching had got into action against the dreadnought.

The aero-sub was motionless and submerged just off the port bow of the
dreadnought. The three men inside the aero-sub were working swiftly and
efficiently with the complicated but minute machinery in the nose of
their transport.

"It can be controlled, then, this ray," said Munson, interrupting
himself. "Watch!"

* * * * *

From the nose of the aero-sub leaped, like a streak of black lightning,
that ebon agency of death. It struck the prow of the battleship--and the
prow, as far aft as the well-deck, simply vanished from sight,
disintegrated! It was as though it had never been, and for a second, so
swiftly had it happened, the water of the ocean held the impression that
portion of the warship had made--as an explosive leaves a crater in the
soil of earth!

Then a drumm