Now let us see how fast you can fly." Another signal went down to Murgatroyd, the whirling propellers became two intersecting circles of light.

The speed of the _Astronef_ increased to a hundred-and-fifty miles an hour, and the Martian fleet began to drop behind and trail out into a triangle like a flock of huge birds.
"That's lovely; we're leaving them!" exclaimed Zaidie, leaning forward with the glasses to her eyes and tapping the floor of the conning-tower with her foot as if she wanted to dance, "and their wings are working faster than ever.

They don't seem to have any screws." "Probably because they've solved the problem of bird's flight," said Redgrave.

"They're not gaining on us, are they ?" "No, they're at about the same distance." "Then we'll see how they can soar." Another signal went down the tube.

The _Astronef's_ propellers slowed down and stopped, and the vessel began to rise swiftly towards the zenith, which the sun was now approaching.