l boat. Companies of Amazons crouched behind the high bulwarks of
their warship, loosing their arrows in stinging flights. Explosive
bullets crackled around them as the Scaly Ones replied with their
gas-guns. The boat was equipped with a big charging-tank, for reloading
the gas-guns, equipment too heavy to be carried by land raiders but
possible here. The tide of battle was definitely setting against the
Amazons. The bodies of many of the golden-haired feminine warriors lay
sprawled in the scuppers or scattered on the riven decks.

Closana's fists were clenched as she peered down at the battle on the
seas below. The decks of the Savissan craft were beginning to smolder,
and her arrow fire was weakening. Closana threw Gerry an agonized
glance, and he turned to the pilot beside him.

"Is there any way we can strike at that raider below?" he asked. The
Moornian pilot smiled faintly, and then handed Gerry a long metal rod
that was equipped with gun-sights and had a sort of rubber stock. A wire
trailed away from it and was attached to the car's power plant beneath
the control boar. It looked like an odd form of rifle, but the metal rod
was solid instead of hollow.

"Aim--then press the button!" the taciturn Moornian said.

Gerry brought the strange-looking weapon to his shoulder and sighted
through a line of rings set in the top. He centered the cross-hairs
amidships on the black-hulled Reptilian craft, then gently pressed the
switch button set in the stock.

There was a blinding flash of lightning. An instant later came the
crashing roar of thunder. Momentarily the flying car rocked under the
buffeting of the disturbed air masses, then it steadied down again. On
the sea below, the battle had come to an abrupt end. That single blow
was enough.

The lightning bolt struck the sea raider amidships, with a blinding
flash. The metal hull glowed red hot. Water steamed about it. The dark
shapes of Scaly warriors went spinning off into the sea. Then the tank
of gas amidships exploded, sending a sheet of blue flame high into the
air.

The Savissan war-craft rocked violently on the waves created by the
lightning bolt and the explosion. The surviving Amazons clung
frantically to bullwarks and rigging to avoid being washed overboard by
the sheet of foam-flecked water that spread over the decks. Then as
their craft steadied down again, they looked up into the sky. All they
could see was a flock of small birds speeding rapidly inl