ieved their exhausted comrades and in time have forced
us to surrender.

Was the supine conduct of the admiral caused by a panic at our power
of havoc or, did he think my retreat to sea really an effort to escape
the country?

If his truce was caused by a belief that he was unable to cope with us
he might have called the wayleals of the king to his assistance, but
possibly the pride of the service prevented an alliance with the army
for naval conquest, more particularly where the naval forces
outnumbered the enemy two hundred to one.

The scene of battle lay in full view of the entire nation, just as the
kingdom lay in full view of ourselves. The nearer inhabitants could
see the movements of the ships and the sailors, and the progress of
the battle, so far, was known to every one. If the impression was
favorable to the _Polar King_, doubtless there would be a
demonstration in favor of the goddess; if not, it would be because the
capture of our ship was considered certain.

We lay to, at a distance of ten miles from the enemy's fleet, awaiting
the renewal of hostilities.

CHAPTER XLIII.

VICTORY.

The enemy, finding we were not disposed to leave Atvatabar, began to
move down upon us once more in battle array. The royal fleet consisted
of seventy ships, the former thirty having been either sunk or
disabled by us. As for ourselves, the hurricane-deck, masts and
rigging had been hammered to pieces, but the hull was sound, the
sailors enthusiastic, and the terrorite guns unharmed and our spears
invincible.

As the enemy approached us their ships began to move wider apart, with
a view no doubt of circumnavigating us, and then close in upon the
_Polar King_ as before. Another squeeze of this kind might prove
fatal, consequently our plan was to keep the enemy at a safe distance
and on one side of us, and destroy his ships one by one with our guns
while out of range of his fire, if possible.

The admiral did us the favor of keeping around his ship half a dozen
vessels by way of protection, and in this manner drew near. We were
determined to bring the engagement to a close as soon as possible by
striking the enemy a terrible blow. As soon as their vessels drew
within range we struck the central group with a shell from the giant
gun. The explosion worked a tremendous havoc among the congregated
vessels, but without waiting to learn its full effect I ordered twenty
shells to be fired into the central mass in qu