They surrounded him in a body, and under their coercion Agrando sullenly sent out another messenger bearing the white flag. The result was that, less than an hour later, he and his principal officers were prisoners on board the _Ivenia_. Then an unpleasant discovery was made. Kazzaro was not among the captives, and inquiry elicited the fact that, when he had perceived the day was lost, he had slipped off in one of the fastest of Agrando’s airships. Further, it appeared that he had declared his intention of returning to Agrando’s palace. Thereupon, Ivanta decided to leave the completion of the arrangements on the spot to Fumenta and his lieutenants, in whose charge he also left the yachts. Taking Alondra and his companions on board the _Ivenia_, he started at once in pursuit of the runaway—the cunning, cruel, crafty old ’Ogre.’ Fortunately, the airship in which Kazzaro had gone off broke down before she reached her destination, and thus the chase did not prove a very long one. Doubtless, the ’Ogre,’ in his fear of pursuit, and his impatience to wreak a last vengeance upon the hapless prisoners Agrando had left behind, had overstrained the machinery. But the chase, if short, was certainly an exciting one, and afforded the visitors from Earth an experience they had not had before—that of seeing the _Ivenia_ put to her utmost speed through the air. Ivanta, in his righteous anger and his determination to rescue the prisoners, sent her rushing along almost like a comet. Had it been night, indeed, she would certainly have seemed to leave a fiery, comet-like tail behind her, for the tremendous, almost appalling, rate at which she tore through the dense air caused an amount of friction which sent forth showers of electric sparks. To a structure built of any other metal than the marvellous ivantium it would have meant utter destruction. Before night the prisoners—including Mr Armeath, Aveena, and others of Alondra’s friends—had been rescued; and the ’Ogre’ was safely locked up in one of his own dungeons. *CHAPTER XL.* *CONCLUSION.* With the defeat and capture of Agrando and his chief confederates, the rebellion which they had fomented ignominiously collapsed. None of their allies in other parts of King Ivanta’s empire made any serious attempt to continue the struggle. The mere appearance of the great _Ivenia_ was sufficient to enforce submission, as she visited in turn each disaffected country or district.