“They’re immediately overhead and following us and they’ll give us elaborate calculations of our speed and distance travelled,” said Coombes, jerkily. “I’m sure they’re measuring every inch of ground.” “Ay!” agreed Gardner, “and then they’ll expect us to enthuse over it—steady there, mind my eye—” as an antler came very near his head. “I’ve been telepathing like mad, and they take no notice!” “So have I,” responded Reeve, disgustedly. “But who can concentrate on these blessed things! It takes us all our time to dodge their horns to prevent being impaled. They could get at us, though, and they won’t!” “Not likely!” ejaculated Coombes, “they’re enjoying it too much to think of our side of it;” and then suddenly,—“Hallo, what’s up now!” as all the horses left the ground and floated about a foot above it. The riders looked up, and from the outer deck Ross shouted, “Can you hear me?” “Yes,” was the reply. “We’ve been shouting to you, but the noise the horses made drowned our voices. Stand up on their backs, you cannot fall lower than you are. Take hold of the upright horns and mind you don’t get impaled on those following behind.” Too intent to speak, they obeyed, when the vessel swooped down and as the herd divided in fright, many hands snatched up the figures with a jerk, and in less time than it takes to tell, all three were safe aboard again, and the horses were restored to their previous weight by the simple withdrawal of all attraction. The ship then went to pick up Godfrey and his party, and Ingle was put under treatment, suffering very little inconvenience. When in the safety of the ship, the three riders forgot their momentary annoyance, though they felt very contrite about Ingle’s accident, but he protested he only was to blame, having first suggested the frolic, and that the enjoyment was worth what followed, especially considering the discovery of the strange water which, in all probability, would not have been made but for that. They took in a quantity of this water, which was sweet and pure, and although no thicker than Earth-water was wonderfully buoyant, and of the same specific gravity as the earth of the planet (taken from the average of twenty samples of different kinds of earth, rock, stone, etc. etc.).