ruiser of the void was revealed upon their lookout
plates in the awful emptiness of interstellar space.

"This is our sister-ship going to your Solarian system for a cargo of
the iron which is so plentiful there," Nerado explained to his
involuntary guests.

"I hope the gang has got the bugs worked out of our super-ship!"
Costigan muttered savagely to his companions as Nerado turned away. "If
they have, that outfit will get something more than a load of iron when
they get there!"

More time passed, during which a blue-white star separated itself from
the infinitely distant firmament and began to show a perceptible disk.
Larger and larger it grew, becoming bluer and bluer as the flying
space-ship approached it, until finally Nevia could be seen, apparently
close beside her parent orb.

Heavily laden though the vessel was, such was her power that she was
soon dropping vertically downward toward a large lagoon in the middle of
the Nevian city. That bit of open water was devoid of life, for this was
to be no ordinary landing. Under the terrific power of the beams braking
the descent of that unimaginable load of allotropic iron the water
seethed and boiled; and instead of floating gracefully upon the surface
of the sea, this time the huge ship of space sank like a plummet to the
bottom. Having accomplished the delicate feat of docking the vessel
safely in the immense cradle prepared for her, Nerado turned to the
Tellurians, who, now under guard, had been brought before him.

"While our cargo of iron is being discharged, I am to take you three
specimens to the College of Science, where you are to undergo a thorough
physical and psychological examination. Follow me."

"Wait a minute!" protested Costigan, with a quick and furtive wink at
his companions. "Do you expect us to go through _water_, and at this
frightful depth?"

"Certainly," replied the Nevian, in surprise. "You are air-breathers, of
course, but you must be able to swim a little, and this slight
depth--but little more than thirty of your meters--will not trouble
you."

"You are wrong, twice," declared the Terrestrial, convincingly. "If by
'swimming' you mean propelling yourself in or through the water, we know
nothing of it. In water over our heads we drown helplessly in a minute
or two, and the pressure at this depth would kill us instantly."

"Well, I could take a lifeboat, of course, but that ..." the Nevian
Captain began, doubtfully, but broke off at