As the quartette entered the atmosphere of the planet, they again tried to ‘wave’ and telepath without result, and it was only when they were actually amongst the people that they could interchange thought, though even then with great difficulty. Alighting from the ship and making all secure, as was their custom, they stepped forward to welcome and be welcomed by the friendly Martians, who had assembled to the number of about thirty, accompanied by the chief of the city in which the _Regina_ had settled. Imagine their surprise, therefore, on being immediately surrounded and suddenly made prisoners, and their property at once taken over by the chief on behalf of the people. Powerless in such deep treachery they were marched off to a prison to be put to death, whilst some dozen or more scientists rushed to the ladder to enter the vessel. The first to touch the ladder vanished into air before their eyes; so did the second, then the third. By this time the others saw that the matter was not quite the simple thing it appeared, and the next, determining to be very cautious, stretched out his hand to grasp the rail of the ladder, when, with a yell of agony, he saw his hand volatilised to the wrist. In the suddenness of the pain he let fall an electric lamp he was carrying in the other hand, and it rolled towards the foot of the ladder, but when it came near, there was a crackling flash, and that too was gone. The silent suddenness with which their comrades had vanished proved too eerie for the Martian scientists, and they conferred together, agreeing that the prisoners should not be executed till they had explained the matter, when they should share the fate of the Martians. A messenger was therefore despatched in great haste to the captives, offering them their lives if they would explain the secret of entrance and control of their ship, but this they refused to do, and all four were taken to Maraban, the chief town of that district, to be tried as Earth-spies. The trial was a mere matter of form and all were found guilty; few knew what the trial was about, but that was an unnecessary detail, so that the prisoners were condemned to death. Dennis, Ross and Gilbert all swore Godfrey knew nothing of the working of the ship and was there merely as an entomologist, whilst he—resolutely determined not to part from them—as firmly swore he knew all about it and was in reality the chief expert on board.