’You ’ve broke my back atween ye!’ Bob spluttered, as he rolled over. ’This settles it! No more flyin’ fur me!’ ’I’ve had enough for to-day too!’ Jack laughingly owned, as he proceeded to divest himself of his flying outfit. ’It’s a mistake for beginners to practise on a windy day.’ ’I doan’t practise no more—wind or no wind,’ Bob declared in a tone of conviction. ’All I wants now be some limbrokation—an’ plenty on it!’ ’I think you only require a little more practice,’ Alondra afterwards assured the two chums, as they were walking home towards his yacht, leaving their outfits to be brought after them by the two sailors. ’I don’t know,’ said Jack doubtfully. ’We’ve been trying it for a good while now, and we don’t seem to make much progress. I begin to doubt if we ever shall. It’s different with you, you see. Your people have learnt it more or less for generations, and it’s in the blood, I fancy. I think we shall have to be content with motor-wings.’ Jack referred to the smallest form of flying-machine in use. It consisted merely of a pair of wings worked by a small motor, a balancing tail, and a saddle-seat on which the aeronaut perched himself. In many respects it might be described as the aerial counterpart of our motor-bicycle. From the incidents just related it will be gathered that the visitors had not made much progress in learning the use of artificial wings. Whether there was something different in their physical constitution, or whether it was, as Jack was inclined to think, that the knack of flying was becoming hereditary amongst the Martians, it is certain that neither the youthful aspirants nor the two elderly sailors had so far been able to master the tantalising secret of soaring into the air at will with artificial wings alone. They could come down—from a height; but then, as Tom Clinch remarked, ’Most people can do that wi’out any l’arnin’.’ When, an hour or two later, Alondra’s yacht landed them again at Karendia, as the king’s palace was called (the name meant literally ’the palace in the clouds’), they found Monck awaiting them. ’I have some news for you young people,’ said he. ’Our royal master has honoured me by entrusting me with a special mission to Sedenia (King Agrando’s country); and he will let you accompany me, so that you may see something of another part of our world.’ ’I ’m willing, if you others are going, of course,’ Gerald answered readily, but without enthusiasm. He glanced at Alondra as he spoke. ’I shall like very much to go with you,’ said Alondra. ’It is a country well worth visiting. There are many curious natural wonders to be seen there. Moreover, we shall be able to visit other countries on our way.’ That night, as the two chums were retiring to rest, Gerald said, with a shiver, ’Do you know, Jack, I would give a good deal if we could get out of this trip. I’ve got a feeling—a sort of presentiment’——