The larger planetoids had a superb vegetation, and as the gravity on these bodies was only a fraction of that on the Earth, the trees and shrubs were gigantic, while colossal fruits and vegetables grew in abundance. These plants helped to create a dense atmosphere, in spite of the small gravity, and life, on one of these little planets, was, in many respects, far more comfortable and pleasant than on Earth or Mars. [Illustration: ---- ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF RALPH * WHERE RALPH OVERTOOK FERNAND -.-.-. NEW COURSE OF RALPH IN PURSUIT OF LLYSANORH' ® WHERE MARS WOULD BE AT END OF LLYSANORH'S JOURNEY --- COURSE OF LLYSANORH' O POSITION OF LLYSANORH' WHEN RALPH OVERTOOK FERNAND 1 WHERE VENUS WOULD HAVE BEEN MET IF FERNAND HAD CONTINUED HIS JOURNEY x WHERE LLYSANORH' ABDUCTED ALICE] Now began the hardest part of the chase for Ralph. There was nothing more to do than he had already done. From now on he must wait with what patience he could summon to his aid, until such time as his machine should catch up with that of the Martian. He could force his own no further, and he was very sure that Llysanorh' was also flying at his utmost speed. At work, he had not had much time for thought. Now, with time hanging heavily on his hands, his conjectures as to the fate of his sweetheart drove him, at times, nearly to madness. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 10: Up to 1911 over 650 Asteroids had been discovered.] 13 ALICE OBJECTS Alice, on being aroused to consciousness by the ministrations of Lylette, the maid, and Fernand, and finding herself a prisoner on board a space flyer at the mercy of the latter, was overwhelmed with fury. This cool abduction of herself provoked her to such a passionate outburst that Fernand had actually retreated before it. "You coward," she blazed, "how dare you keep me here! Turn around and take me back at once--at once, do you hear?" Fernand, in the act of opening her door and going back to his laboratory, paused smilingly. "My dear girl," he said mockingly, "ask of me anything and I will grant it--except that. You have a temper that delights me. Your smiles will be all the sweeter, later." Her answer was to fly at him with such passion that he involuntarily took a step backwards. In a flash she had run by him, was down the stairs and tugging at the fastening of the door that led outward. Fernand bounded after her calling to Lylette as he ran, and in a moment they were both struggling with the girl, who had indeed become a veritable wildcat. She had both hands fastened around the great bar that held the door and fought madly to unfasten it. Let that door be opened the fraction of an inch and all three would instantly have been blown to pieces. Fernand wrenched at her hands in real fear that she would succeed in her purpose, which was evidently their destruction.