om the conning-tower.

"A tenth."

And then--"Stand by steering-gear."

The next moment there was another tinkle in the engine-room.

Redgrave, standing with Zaidie in the conning-tower, moved the
power-wheel through ten degrees, and then to the amazement of tens of
thousands of spectators, the hull of the _Astronef_ rose perpendicularly
from the waters of the Bay. The British Squadron and a detachment of the
Chilian fleet thundered out a salute which was answered a few moments
later by the shore batteries, Redgrave went down into the deck-chamber
and fired twenty-one shots from one of the Maxim-Nordenfelts--the same
with which he had mown down the crowds of Martians in the square of
their great city a hundred and thirty million miles away, and while he
was doing this Zaidie in the conning-tower ran the White Ensign up to
the top of the flagstaff.

Then the glass doors were closed again, the propellers began to revolve
at their utmost speed, and the Space-Navigator with one tremendous leap
cleared the double chain of the Andes and vanished to the
north-eastward.

To describe the reception of Lord and Lady Redgrave when the _Astronef_
dropped a few hours later, on to the very spot in front of the steps of
the Capitol at Washington from which she had risen just four months
before, would only be to repeat what has already been told in the Press
of the world, and especially of the United States, with a far more
luxuriant wealth of detail than could possibly be emulated here. Suffice
it to say that the first human form that Zaidie embraced after her long
wanderings was that of Mrs. Van Stuyler, whom the President of the
United States had escorted to the gangway.

The most marvellous of human adventures become commonplace by
repetition, and Mrs. Van Stuyler had already spent nearly a fortnight
devouring every item, whether of fact or fancy, with which the American
Press had embroidered the adventures of the _Astronef_ and her crew. And
so when the first embracings and emotions were over, all she could find
to say was:

"Well, Zaidie dear, and how did you enjoy it, after all?"

"It was just gorgeous, Mrs. Van, and if there was a more gorgeous word
than that in the American language I'd use it," replied Zaidie, with
another hug, "Why didn't you come? You'd have been--well no, perhaps I'd
better not say what you would have been. But just think of it, or try
to--A honeymoon trip of over two thousand million miles, and