His preparations had been simple in the extreme. Four light strong grappling-irons hung downwards from the _Ithuriel_, two at the bow and two at the stern, by thin steel-wire rope; two similar ones hung from the starboard side of the _Orion_, which was on his left hand, and two from the port side of the _Ariel_, which was on his right hand. As they gained the desired position, a man was stationed at each of the ropes, with instructions how to act when the word was given. Then the fan-wheels were slowed down, and the three vessels sank swiftly through the cloud. Through the mist and darkness underneath they saw the white shape of the _Lucifer_ almost immediately below them, so accurately had the position been determined. They sank a hundred feet farther, and then Arnold shouted-- "Now is your time. Cast!" Instantly the eight grappling-irons dropped and swung towards the _Lucifer_, hooking themselves in the stays of her masts and the railing that ran completely round her deck. "Now, up again, and ahead!" shouted Arnold once more, and the fan-wheels of the three ships revolved at their utmost speed; the air-planes had already been inclined to the full, the nine propellers whirled round, and the recaptured _Lucifer_ was dragged forward and upwards through the mist and darkness of the thunder-cloud into the bright sunshine above. [Illustration: "Now is your time, cast!" _See page 242._] So suddenly had the strange manœuvre been executed that those on board her had not time to grasp what had really happened to them before they found themselves captured and utterly helpless. As she hung below her three captors it was impossible to bring one of the _Lucifer's_ guns to bear upon them, while four guns, two from the _Ariel_ and two from the _Orion_, grinned down upon her ready to blow her into fragments at the least sign of resistance. Added to this, a dozen magazine rifles covered her deck, threatening sudden death to the six bewildered men who were still staring helplessly about them in wonderment at the strange thing that had happened to them. "Who are the Russian officers in command of that air-ship?" hailed Mazanoff from the _Ariel_. Two men in Russian uniform raised their hands in reply, and Mazanoff hailed again-- "Which will you have--surrender or death? If you surrender your lives are safe, and we will put you on to the land as soon as possible; if not you will be shot." "We surrender!" exclaimed one of the officers, drawing his sword and dropping it on the deck. The other followed suit, and Mazanoff continued-- "Very good. Remain where you are. The first man that moves will be shot down." Almost before the last words had left his lips half a dozen men had slid down the wire ropes and landed on the deck of the _Lucifer_. The moment their feet had touched the deck each whipped a magazine pistol out of his belt and covered his man.