"
For a moment I could not tell whether he contemplated acceding to
my demand or facing me with drawn sword. For an instant he stood
hesitating, and then throwing down his arms he turned and rushed
to the opposite side of the deck. Before I could overtake him he
had sprung to the rail and hurled himself headforemost into the
awful depths below.
And thus came Zat Arras, Jed of Zodanga, to his end.
On and on went that strange battle. The therns and blacks had not
combined against us. Wherever thern ship met ship of the First
Born was a battle royal, and in this I thought I saw our salvation.
Wherever messages could be passed between us that could not be
intercepted by our enemies I passed the word that all our vessels
were to withdraw from the fight as rapidly as possible, taking a
position to the west and south of the combatants. I also sent an
air scout to the fighting green men in the gardens below to re-embark,
and to the transports to join us.
My commanders were further instructed than when engaged with an enemy
to draw him as rapidly as possible toward a ship of his hereditary
foeman, and by careful manoeuvring to force the two to engage,
thus leaving him-self free to withdraw. This stratagem worked to
perfection, and just before the sun went down I had the satisfaction
of seeing all that was left of my once mighty fleet gathered nearly
twenty miles southwest of the still terrific battle between the
blacks and whites.
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