,"
exclaimed Sydney Phillips. But a moment afterward I saw that he
regretted what he had said, for Aina's eyes were fixed upon him.
Perhaps, however, she did not understand his remark, and perhaps if she
did it gave her no offence.

After this episode we pursued our way rapidly until we arrived at the
shore of the Southern Ocean. There, as we had expected, was to be seen a
narrow strip of land with the ocean on one side and the raging flood
seeking to destroy it on the other. In some places it had already broken
through, so that the ocean was flowing in to assist in the drowning of
Thaumasia.

But some parts of the coast were evidently so elevated that no matter
how high the flood might rise it would not completely cover them. Here
the fugitives had gathered in dense throngs and above them hovered most
of the airships, loaded down with others who were unable to find room
upon the dry land.

On one of the loftiest and broadest of these elevations we noticed
indications of military order in the alignment of the crowds and the
shore all around was guarded by gigantic pickets, who mercilessly shoved
back into the flood all the later comers, and thus prevented too great
crowding upon the land. In the center of this elevation rose a palatial
structure of red metal which Aina informed us was one of the residences
of the Emperor, and we concluded that the monarch himself was now
present there.

The absence of any signs of resistance on the part of the airships, and
the complete drowning of all of the formidable fortifications on the
surface of the planet, convinced us that all we had to do in order to
complete our conquest was to get possession of the person of the chief
ruler.

The fleet was, accordingly, concentrated, and we rapidly approached the
great Martian palace. As we came down within a hundred feet of them and
boldly made our way among their airships, which retreated at our
approach, the Martians gazed at us with mingled fear and astonishment.

We were their conquerors and they knew it. We were coming to demand
their surrender, and they evidently understood that also. As we
approached the palace signals were made from it with brilliant colored
banners which Aina informed us were intended as a token of truce.

"We shall have to go down and have a confab with them, I suppose," said
Mr. Edison. "We can't kill them off now that they are helpless, but we
must manage somehow to make them understand that uncondition