“My friends,” he began, addressing the friendly passengers, “before going further into the matter we are discussing, I am sure you will be interested to hear what these eight objectors have to say, in order to come to a proper decision—No, Holt! it is not necessary for either you or any of your party to speak yet,” he remarked, as Edgar Holt stepped forward, “we have something here that will explain everything;” saying which he motioned to his companions, and Ross and Gilbert, who had brought out the recorder from the sanctum, set it working and the machine spoke out loudly as the films travelled through it. For a moment the offenders seemed struck dumb with amazement and when Holt understood what was happening, he made a dart forward, instantly to become rigid, for within a few feet of where the party stood the floor had been electrified and he could not pass. As soon as the others saw this and that all was going to be disclosed, they became furious, and one, losing his self-control, pulled out a revolver which shot electric pellets, but before he could use it, Gilbert, who had left Ross to the machine, whilst he went to the switch-board to prepare for such an emergency, instantly put the whole of that portion of the steel floor in circuit with the roof, and the men, being between the two metallic surfaces, were brought into electric field and became immovable. Still the machine talked on, reproducing their very voices, tones, and expressions, disclosing the whole scheme, clearly and exactly as when the words were uttered, all that had been said and done, both when in the saloon and in conversations together in the privacy of their own cabins; even their breathings and talks during sleep were equally distinct, as Ross put through such of the films taken by the various instruments as would give a general idea of their proceedings and plots. When these were finished Dennis resumed, “This is no time for sentiment. You have heard their schemes as from their own lips, and we should be justified in destroying them; with you all as witnesses, the law would uphold our action in so doing, for they have not only mutinied but attempted murder. We must not, however, take life except in dire necessity, and yet these people cannot stay here. As they say they do not intend going to the sun, they shall not do so. Last night we went through most of the films you have just heard, and we decided that these men should leave us, for their presence here would be a constant source of danger and suspicion, and at the very least, they would disturb that harmony which our association together renders necessary to ensure a happy and successful voyage. At the same time, we cannot land them on Venus, they are not good enough; so we have arranged to seek, out of the numerous planetoids around us, one with an atmosphere similar to that of our own world and leave them there till we return, they running the risk of our not finding them; and you