“Yes,” answered Captain Mortimer, “and if they were supplied with means of offense, such as repeating rifles, they would be not only an aërial cruiser, but a very effective aërial man-of-war. Do you think there’s any vital part of their craft, so that I could disable them with a bullet?”
“Our craft could not be so disabled,” answered the Professor; “neither, so far as I can judge, could theirs be.”
“Then we must flank them,” said Captain Mortimer, “and try to bring them to terms in that way.”
“Very well,” answered the Professor; “I’ll see what I can do.”
He accordingly endeavored to navigate his craft to a position on their left quarter, but the pursued were wary and quickly shifted, keeping the protecting shield between themselves and the pursuers. At last, by clever manœuvering, the Professor had almost succeeded, when up went another shield, effectually protecting a large section of that quarter.
“It’s no use,” exclaimed Mortimer, laying down the rifle; “it’s a veritable armored cruiser. No matter what quarter we flank them on, they undoubtedly have enough shields to protect all sides. By heaven! they seem to be drawing away from us.”
“Yes; they’ve certainly increased the distance between us somewhat,” assented the Professor, “but they’re not as far away as they were a few minutes ago. I don’t understand it. They seem to gain and then we seem to creep up on them a little. Perhaps this may be due to certain effects of the air currents, but it is decidedly peculiar.”
Captain Mortimer made no reply. He sat watching the pursued craft, distinctly outlined in the rays of the flash-light. On and on they rushed at topmost speed through the yielding air, grown raw and chilly. The first streaks of light began to flicker in the east. The pursued now rose to still greater altitudes, until the air became uncomfortably rarified. The Professor manipulated his levers and the pursuers followed.
“What are they up to now?” asked Captain Mortimer. “Trying to dodge us?”
“Perhaps,” answered the Professor. “It looks more to me as if they were trying to keep out of sight of land as the daylight comes.”