ips went on, to be
whipped against the earth in passing and then to continue their swift
journey to destruction.

Unexpected Aid.

"Thank God, this saves us," suddenly cried Mr. Edison.

"What--what?"

"Why, the earth, of course. Do you not see that as the comet sweeps
close to the great planet the superior attraction of the latter will
snatch us from its grasp, and that thus we shall be able to escape?"

And it was indeed as Mr. Edison had predicted. In a blaze of falling
meteors the comet swept the outer limits of the earth's atmosphere and
passed on, while the swaying ships, having been instructed by signals
what to do, desperately applied their electrical machinery to reverse
the attraction and threw themselves into the arms of their mother earth.

Over the Atlantic.

In another instant we were all free, settling down through the quiet
atmosphere with the Atlantic Ocean sparkling in the morning sun far below.

We looked at one another in amazement. So this was the end of our
voyage! This was the completion of our warlike enterprise. We had started
out to conquer a world, and we had come back ignominiously dragged in
the train of a comet.

The earth which we were going to defend and protect had herself turned
protector, and reaching out her strong arm had snatched her foolish
children from the destruction which they had invited.

It would be impossible to describe the chagrin of every member of the
expedition.

A Feeling of Shame.

The electric ships rapidly assembled and hovered high in the air,
while their commanders consulted about what should be done. A universal
feeling of shame almost drove them to a decision not to land upon the
surface of the planet, and if possible not to let its inhabitants know
what had occurred.

But it was too late for that. Looking carefully beneath us, we saw
that fate had brought us back to our very starting point, and signals
displayed in the neighborhood of New York indicated that we had already
been recognized. There was nothing for us then but to drop down and
explain the situation.

I shall not delay my narrative by undertaking to describe the astonishment
and the disappointment of the inhabitants of the earth when, within a
fortnight from our departure, they saw us back again, with no laurels
of victory crowning our brows.

At first they had hoped that we were returning in triumph, and we were
overwhelmed with questions the moment we had dropped within