longer and narrower, above and below, which seemed to be
used mainly for steering purposes.

They moved with equal ease in either direction, and they appeared to
rise or fall by inflating or deflating the middle portions of their
bodies, somewhat as fish do with their swimming bladders.

The light in the lower regions of this strange ocean was dimmer than
earthly twilight, although the _Astronef_ was steadily making her way
beneath the arch of the rings towards the sunlit hemisphere.

"I wonder what the effect of the searchlight would be on these fellows!"
said Redgrave. "Those huge eyes of theirs are evidently only suited to
dim light. Let's try and dazzle some of them."

"I hope it won't be a case of the moths and the candle!" said Zaidie.
"They don't seem to have taken much interest in us so far. Perhaps they
haven't been able to see properly, but suppose they were attracted by
the light and began crowding round us and fastening on to us, as the
horrible things do with each other. What should we do then? They might
drag us down and perhaps keep us there; but there's one thing, they'd
never eat us, because we could keep closed up and die respectably
together."

"Not much fear of that, little woman," he said, "we're too strong for
them. Hardened steel and toughened glass ought to be more than a match
for a lot of exaggerated jelly-fish like these," said Redgrave, as he
switched on the head searchlight. "We've come here to see strange things
and we may as well see them. Ah, would you, my friend. No, this is not
one of your sort, and it isn't meant to eat."

An enormous double-headed monster, apparently some four hundred feet
long, came floating towards them as the searchlight flashed out, and
others began instantly to crowd about them, just as Zaidie had feared.

"Lenox, for Heaven's sake be careful!" cried Zaidie, shrinking up beside
him as the huge, hideous head, with its saucer eyes and enormous
beak-like jaws wide open, came towards them. "And look! there are more
coming. Can't we go up and get away from them?"

"Wait a minute, little woman," replied Redgrave, who was beginning to
feel the passion of adventure thrilling along his nerves. "If we fought
the Martian air fleet and licked it I think we can manage these things.
Let's see how he likes the light."

As he spoke he flashed the full glare of the five thousand candle-power
lamp full on to the creature's great cat-like eyes. Instantly it bent
itself u