On and on the projectile sped. Mr. Roumann, who had taken charge of the steering wheel called the attention of the boys to a small, dark object off to the right. "What is it?" asked Jack. "It looks like a bright ball of fire." "One of the moons of Mars," was the answer. "That is Deimos, and we are now but ten thousand miles from the planet, for that is the moon distance from Mars." "How small it is!" commented Mark. "Yes, it isn't much like our moon, but I suppose it answers for the Martians." "But if we're only ten thousand miles away from Mars, and are traveling at two hundred miles a second, we'll be there in less than a minute!" cried Jack. "We would, only I have shut down the motor. We are now approaching only from the force of the attraction of gravitation, and that, I find, is much less than on our earth. At the proper time I will reverse the motor, to make our landing easy." The indicators showed that the Annihilator was now traveling along at about the rate of a fast automobile. "We're almost there!" cried Mark. Mr. Roumann adjusted the machinery. Sometimes he speeded it up, and again he slowed it down. He found he had the projectile under perfect control. Once again he set the motor in motion, approaching Mars at a fast rate. They shot past another shining body. "The second moon!" he called to the boys. "We are but sixteen hundred miles away now." "Get ready to land!" cried Jack. "All ashore that's going ashore!" "Maybe we'll land in the water," spoke Mark. "No, I can so regulate the projectile that such a thing won't happen," declared Mr. Roumann. "I will send it ahead for a few seconds, and then see what happens." They sped forward. Suddenly there loomed up before them a great mass. It seemed to be rushing to meet them. It looked something like the earth, as seen from a balloon at a great height. "Mars!" cried Mr. Roumann. "There is the planet we aimed for! Mars at last!" He reversed the motor. The motion of the projectile became less. Nearer and nearer it approached the wonderful planet on which all their thoughts were centered. "But it isn't red!" objected Jack. "Wait until night," said the German. "We are approaching it from the daylight side." "Am we goin' t' ram it hard?" asked Washington. "I trust not," was Mr. Roumann's reply. He reversed the atmospheric motor still more. They were so near the planet now that they could distinguish land and water, great buildings, patches of woodland and open spaces. "There are people there! I see people!" cried Jack. Indeed, there did seem to be a mass of beings looking up at the approaching projectile. Very gently the Annihilator came nearer and nearer. There was no doubt now but that Mars was inhabited--but by what a strange race! Before those in the projectile had time to wonder at the inhabitants, they felt a sudden jar. The Annihilator came to rest. It had landed in a soft bed of sand.