p into an arc. The two heads, each the exact image of the other,
came together. The four eyes glared half-dazzled into the conning-tower,
and the four fearful jaws snapped viciously together.

"Lenox, Lenox, for goodness' sake let us go up!" cried Zaidie, shrinking
still closer to him. "That thing's too horrible to look at."

"It is a beast, isn't it?" he said; "but I think we can cut him in two
without much trouble."

He signalled for full speed. The _Astronef_ ought to have sprung forward
and driven her ram through the huge, brick-red body of the hideous
creature which was now only a couple of hundred yards from them; but
instead of that a slow, jarring, grinding thrill seemed to run through
her, and she stopped. The next moment Murgatroyd put his head up through
the companion-way which led from the upper deck to the conning-tower,
and said, in a tone whose calm indicated, as usual, resignation to the
worst that could happen:

"My Lord, two of those beasts, fishes or live balloons, or whatever they
are, have come across the propellers. They're cut up a good bit, but
I've had to stop the engines, and they're clinging all round the after
part. We're going down, too. Shall I disconnect the propellers and turn
on the repulsion?"

"Yes, certainly, Andrew!" cried Zaidie, "and all of it, too. Look,
Lenox, that horrible thing is coming. Suppose it broke the glass, and we
couldn't breathe this atmosphere!"

As she spoke the enormous, double-headed body advanced until it
completely enveloped the forward part of the _Astronef_. The two hideous
heads came close to the sides of the conning-tower; the huge, palely
luminous eyes looked in upon them. Zaidie, in her terror, even thought
that she saw something like human curiosity in them.

[Illustration: _The huge palely luminous eyes looked in upon them._]

Then, as Murgatroyd disappeared to obey the orders which Redgrave had
sanctioned with a quick nod, the heads approached still closer, and she
heard the ends of the pointed jaws, which she now saw were armed with
shark-like teeth, striking against the thick glass walls of the
conning-tower.

"Don't be frightened, dear!" he said, putting his arm round her, just as
he had done when they thought they were falling into the fiery seas of
Jupiter. "You'll see something happen to this gentleman soon. Big and
all as he is there won't be much left of him in a few minutes. They are
like those monsters they found in the lowest depth