A little before six (Earth time) on the fourth morning after they had cleared the confines of the Saturnian System, Redgrave went as usual into the conning-tower to examine the instruments, and to see that everything was in order.

To his intense surprise he found, on looking at the gravitational compass, which was to the _Astronef_ what the ordinary compass is to a ship at sea, that the vessel was a long way out of her course.
Such a thing had never yet occurred.

Up to now the _Astronef_ had obeyed the laws of gravitation and repulsion with absolute exactness.

He made another examination of the instruments; but no, all were in perfect order.
"I wonder what the deuce is the matter," he said, after he had looked for a few moments with frowning eyes at the multitude of orbs ahead.

"By Jove, we're swinging more.