The War in the Air

earing at least portions of a German uniform. It drove him into the trees again, and for a ti

aten and done for... Chines

c aeroplane had moved from its former position above the Suspension Bridge, was motionless now above Niagara city, shadowing all that district about the power-house which had been the scene of the land fight. The monster had an air of quiet and assured predominance, and from its stern it trailed, serene and or

"Beaten and ch

s and then German soldiers running. They disappeared among the houses, and then came two engineers in blue shirts and trousers hotly pursued by three Japanese swordsman. The foremost of the two fugitives was a shapely man, and ran lightly and well; the second was a sturdy lit

rides on him and was near enough to

e moo of an elfin cow as the fat little man fell forward. Slash went the swordsman and slash at something on the ground th

er runner. The hindmost swordsman stopped and turned back. He had perceived some move

shes and became very still. Presently came a sound of shots from th

ing undamaged aeroplanes upon their wheels as men might wheel bicycles, and sprang into the saddles and flapped into the air. A string of three airships appeared far

adian side. Meanwhile more and more airships appeared, and many more flying-machines, until at last it seemed to him nearly a third of the Asiatic fleet had re-assembled. He watched them from his bush, cramped but immovable, watched them gather and range themselves and signal and pick up men, until at last they sailed away t

, like one who rouses

tremity that flooded his soul. It seemed to him

estinies, had hurried him from point to point, and dropped him at last upon this little wedge of rock between the cataracts. It did not instantly occur to him that now it was his turn to play. He had a singular feeling that all must end as a dream ends, that presently surely he would be back in the world of Grubb and Edna and Bun Hill, that this roar, this glittering presence of incessant water, woul

ible that Tom and Jessica were also in some dire extremity? that the little green-grocer's shop was no longer stand

rd, the butcher, and to Butteridge and all those people on Dymchurch beach? Something, he knew, had happened to London-a bombardment. But who had bombarded? Were Tom and Jessica too being chased by strange brown

y hungry would

oppressed him was not so much anxiety and patri

little refreshment shed that stood near the en

pocket-knife, reinforced presently by a wooden stake he found conveniently n

marked, "anyh

ral water, two tins of biscuits and a crock of very stale cakes, cigarettes in great quantity but very dry, some rather dry oranges, nuts, some tins of canned meat and fr

at on the vendor's seat and regaled himself with bisc

ching and glancing about him rest

T a day! Oh

fellers! 'Eadlong! The airships-the fliers and all. I wonder what happened to the Zeppelin?

licitude floated through hi

ctical int

thing to open one of the

tative for a time. "Wonder where Grubb is?" he said; "I

nces. "Dessay I shall 'ave to st

s of the social animal in solitude distressed him. He began to want to look over h

d ship, and was contemplating the shattered bridge, that this dawned upon him. Even then it came with no sort of shock to his mind, a fact among a number of other extraordinary and unmanageable facts. He stared at the shattered cabins of the Hohenzollern and its widow's garment of dishevelled silk for a time

d. "Roaring. It keeps on roaring and sp

ecame personal. "Wonder

. "Not an id

and ruins of the greatest air fight in the world, and that in the interval he had been across France, Belgium, Germany, England, Ireland, and a number of other countries. It was

elieve I got myself in a bit of

Japanesy chaps. Wouldn't 'ave taken

ne of headlong destruction. Then he came back to the American side of the island, crossed close to the crumpled aluminium wreckage of the Hohenzollern to Green Islet, and scrutinised the hopeless breach in the further bridge and the water that boiled beneath it. Towards Buffalo there w

dle of the island he presently discovered the wreckage of the two Asiatic

found the wreckage

ngled weirdly head downward among the leaves and branches some yards away, and Bert only discovered him as he turned from the aeroplane. In the dusky evening light and stillness-for the sun had gone now and the wind had altogether fallen-this inverted yellow face w

stood very still, i

away from it, looking

open glade he

ke dead bodies some'ow! I'd alm

would rather not have trees round him any more, and that it would be more c

amaged at all. It looked as though it had floated down into a position of rest. It lay on its side with one wing in th

in the expectation of another Chinaman alive or dead. Then very cautiously he approached the machine and s

asn't there," he said. "I

ddy that spun within a projecting head of rock. As it we

could

Bert. "It's a

hing and push this rotating object out into the stream. That would leave him with only one dead body to worry about. Perhaps he might get along with one. He hesitated and then with a certain emotion forced himself to do this. H

again successfully as it came round, and as it went out into the st

of light for that. The stream took him and he seemed to compose himself in its swift grip as

wept out of sight towards the fall. "Kurt!" he cried, "Kurt!

weeping and wailing passionately like a child. It was as though some link that had held him to al

ls oftenest in dreams. "O God! I carn' stand this," he said, and crept back from the rocks to the grass and crouched down, and suddenly wild sorrow for the death of Kurt

ed, "this blarsted

Lieuten

nt. The world's all rot, and there ain't no sense in it. The night'

me, I'll fro' mysel

talking again i

ay from everything they belonged to-everywhere. Exactly like what 'e said.... 'Ere I am cast away-thousands of miles from Edna or Grubb or any of my lot-like a plant tore up by the roots.... And every war's been like thi

it of all right-she was. That ti

gain yet. Won't be my

hrough the grass. Something was creeping and halting and creeping again towards him through the dim dark grass. The night

e meawling cry and tail erect. It rubbed its head again

ed me!" said Bert, with drops

ng the kitten in his arms. His mind was tired, and he talk

he kitten slept warmly and reassuringly inside his jac

ssive fondness and purring. "You want some milk," said Bert. "

der, and stared about him, recalling the circumstanc

something

companionably against his neck. The body was horrible, but not nearly so horrible as it had been at twili

ert, and looked helplessly at the rocky soil ab

" stroking the kitten on his shoulder. She rubbed his cheek affectionately with her furry little face and presently

night, and he found also some dirty plates he had not noticed before on the bench. He discovered that the

pparently as an ice-chest, but it contained nothing now but the remains of half-dozen boiled chickens, some ambiguou

of milk unopened and one opened, sixty bottles of mineral water and a large stock of syrups, about two thousand cigarettes and upwards of a hundred cigars, nine oranges, two uno

ht happen in

then went down with the little creature running after him, tail er

to the shattered bridge and then across to the still desolation of Niagara city. Nothing moved over there but a number of

itty," he said. "That milk won't last

sluice-like fl

he said. "Won't be

ep old wooden staircase leading down the face of the cliff amidst a vast and increasing uproar of waters. He left the kitten above and descended these, a

een solid rock and nearly as solid waterfall, he decided that this was after all no practicable route to Canada and retraced his steps. As he reascended the Biddle Stairs, he

ss, to a staircase that led to a lump of projecting rock that enfiladed the hug

rin' and splashin', it gets on one's nerves at last.... Sounds like people t

shall keep on goin' round this blessed island,"

amaged Asiatic aeroplane again. He stared at

with a conv

wathed in white, but the foremost one still carried himself as a Prince should do, for all that his left arm was in a sling and one side of his face scalded a livid crimson.

or an instant these two were terrible, then they seemed sweet and desirable as brothers. They too were in this scrape with him, marooned and puzzled. He wanted extremely to hear exactly what had happened to them. What mattered it if one was a Prince and b

said the bird-faced officer in German, and then in a tone of h

breath. He stared and saluted awkwardly and became at once a

a beautiful object, but in some inexplicable way he looked resistant. He wore his cheap suit of serge, now showing many signs of wear, and its loose fit made him seem sturdier than he was; above his disengaging face was a white German cap that

something in broken English that Bert took for Ger

e bird-faced officer f

h his undamaged hand. "You v

the Asiatic machine. The habits of Bun Hill returned

lted. "You are an exp

" said Bert, in the e

s vocabulary. "Is dat,"

ek slowly. "I got to look at it," he

awned on him that there were possibilities in this machine. It was evident that the wing that lay on the ground was badly damaged. The three stays that held it rigid had snapped across a ridge of rock and there was also a strong possibility of the engine being badly damaged. The

ey substituted bits of other machines. A machine that was too utterly and obviously done for even to proffer for hire, had nevertheless still capital value. It became a sort of quarry for nuts and s

sed Bert's airsh

henflieger," s

ruck by a new thought, "none of

it," said

your neck," said

d officer with some remark in German. The officer answered and the Prince responded with a sweeping gesture towards the sky. Then he sp

. For the first rule in the art of repairing, as it was known to the firm of Grubb and Smallways, was to get your hands and face thoroughly and co

something of the authoritative way of the expert with common men. And at last they went away. Thereupon he went straight to the second aeroplane, got the aeronaut's gun and ammunition and hid them in a clump of nettles close at hand. "That's all right," said Be

knobs and screws and levers with an expression of profound sagacity. When the bird-faced offic

ck there wants burying," he said,

d of three people, a minute human world that nevertheless filled his brain with eager speculations and schemes and cunning ideas. What were they thinking of? What did they think

f fate that these two men were alive and that Kurt was dead. All the crew of the Hohenzollern were

min' Star," he muttered, and found

the two men. They were standi

advanced towards them, wrench in hand. It occurred to him as he did so that the Prince was really a very b

n intervened with

said Bert to

g of the body by dragging it to the water's edge. There was some heated gesticulation, and at last the bird-faced officer abased himself to help. Together they dragged the limp and now swollen Asiatic through the trees, and after a rest or so-for he trail

ing be

uld happen when the flying-machine,

fork of a tree. "Right O," he said, as he jumped down after the last of these precautions. The Prince and his companion reappeared as he returned to the machine by the water's edge. The Prince surveyed his

th a helping ges

nd all the food had vanished except one measu

is with open e

's seat with an ingratiating purr. "Of co

nd the biscuits in another, and went in search of the Prince, breathing vile

fiercely. "Whad

Prince, having made an estimate of Bert's quality and physique, suddenly hectored. He gripped Bert by the shoulder and shook him, making his pockets rattle, shouted something to him, and flung him struggling back. He h

go?" and then catching the heroic

rvened, saying something in

s grew rank. There they all squatted within six yards of one another. They sat in this place for a long time, up to their necks in the grass and watching through the branches for the airship. Bert had dropped some of his corned beef, but he found the biscuits in his hand and ate them quiet

s of what they understood or failed to understand. But h

," he said first, "you bett

ded that and

u and your war and your Empire and all the rot of it. Rot it is! It's you Germans made all the trouble in Europe first and last. And all for nothin'. Jest silly prancing! Jest because you've got the uniforms and flags! 'Ere I was-I didn't want to 'ave anything to d

way you smashed up New York-the people you k

uddenly in a tone of concentrated malign

who wasn't a dressed-up silly fool of a Prince could 'ave told all this was goin' to 'appen. There was us in Europe all at sixes and sevens with our silly flags and our silly newspapers raggin' us up against each other and keepin' us apart, and there was China, solid as a cheese, with millions and millions of men only wantin' a bit of science and a bi

o him to be quiet, and then bega

"You ain't obliged to listen,

was certainly merely repeating abusive terms, "prancin' nincompoops" and the like, old terms and new. Then suddenly he remembered his essential grievance

ated his question. They disregarded him. He asked

ince eyed Bert steadfastly, and Bert quailed under his eye. Slowly the Prince rose

t," said

his was no momen

m as he crouched there. Dea

y and the two of them went

buse. He sat crouched together for perhaps three minutes, then he sprang to h

k out the cartridges carefully and then tried the trigger and fittings until he felt sure he had the use of it. He reloaded carefully. Then he remembered he was hungry and went off, gun under his arm, to hunt in and about the refreshment shed. He had the sense to perceive that he must not show himself with the gun to the Prince and his companion. So long as they thought him unarmed they would leave

of hunger. He began to talk as he hunted about, and presently stood still, shouting insults. He talked of w

going ever and again amidst the clamour of the

t then it occurred to him that so he might get them both at close quarters. He

turned it over in his mind its possibilities increased and

em both, he might n

dly security in his mind, but what if they saw the gun and decided to ambush h

nd murder th

, dismissing that. "I

er his costume and threw his collar and the tell-tale aeronaut's white cap into the water far below. He turned his coat collar up to hide any gleam of his dirty shirt. The tools and nuts in his pockets were disposed to clank, but he rearranged them and wrapped some letters and his pocket-handkerchief about them. He started off circumspectly and noiselessly, listening and peering at every step. As he drew near his antagonists, much grunting and creaking served to locate them. He

iate want of the nuts and tools he carried. Then they would come after him. They would certainly conclude he had them or had hidden them. Should he hide his gun and do a deal for food with these

he saw, though the Germans did not, an Asiatic ai

ds the refreshment shed, the Prince leading. Bert became active in pursuit; but he found it impossible to stalk them quickly enough and silently enough to discover the hiding-place of the food. He found them, when he came into sight of them again, seated with their backs against the shed, plates

said in a hard,

went two pairs of hands. The gun h

id Bert.... "D

beyed

mself. "'Orf stage, I suppos

he head of the clearing, he said something quickly to the bir

with an exaspera

e vexation. "Why! I ought to

each mouthful on the Prince's plate of corned beef. He had finished that up and handed its gleanings to the kitten and he was falling-to on the second plateful, when the plate broke in his hand! He stared, with the fact slowly creeping upon him that an instant before he had hea

him a strongly defensible position near Luna Island.

olver after all

ot two? If they '

hin' up that corned beef,

o kill these two men if he could, and that if they could, they would kill him. The prize was first food and then the flying-machine and the doubtful privilege of trying' to ride it. If one failed, one would certainly be killed; if one succ

," said Bert. "No way o

enses were very alert. The uproar of the Falls was very confusing, and it mixed in

Bert. "There ain't no sense

now! What were

d hidden in a tree! He had hidden the things well, of course, but they MIGHT find them. One wasn't sure, of course-one wasn't sure. He tried to remember just exactly how he had hidden those tools. H

? Up went an expectant muzzle. No! Where was the kitt

ff more removable parts of the flying-machine and then lie up for him? No, they wouldn't do that, because they were two to one; they would have no apprehension of his getting off in the flying-machine, and no sound reason for supposing he would approach it, and so they would do nothing to damage o

ad just grasped the real weakness of

suggestion of that idea, before he

soporific effect of the American sun, of the American air, the drowsy, sleep-compel

n it so fast, he would not be so hea

mself with a

etter, he told himself, to take even the risks of attacking than that. This sleep trouble, he felt, was going to beat him, must beat him in the end. They were all right; one could sleep and the other could watch. Tha

had been to throw his cap away. It would have

led that for a time by putting a pebble in hi

impediment to mobility. At last he decided to put the beef loose in his pocket and abandon the tin. It was not perhaps an ideal arrangement, but on

in relief. He was doing his best to contrive the death of two better men than himself. Al

n them suddenly and

ous alertness. Bert never knew how near he got to them nor how far he kept from them. Night found him no longer sleepy, but athirst, and near the American Fall. He was inspired by the idea that his antagonists might be in the wreckage of the Hohenzollern cabins that was jammed against Green Island. He became enterprising, broke from any attempt to conceal himself, and went acros

could not s

cided, settle this business forthwith, one way or the other. He was tired of all this crawling. He set out in the morning sunshine, gun in hand, scarcely troubling to walk softly. He went round the refreshment shed without find

t. The great man became visible, leaning up against the trunk, pistol in one hand and sword in the other, and yawning-yawning. You can't shoot a yawning man Bert found. He advanced upon his antagonist with his gun

ehind the tree. Instead, he gave vent to a shout, and raised pist

a blinding flare, and there came a thud like the firing of a gun. Something hot and wet struck Bert's face. The

rief ineffectual pursuit, but he had no stomach for further killing. He returned to the mangled, scattered thing that had so recently been the great Prince Karl Albert. He surveyed the scorched and splashed vegetation about it. He made some specu

said, "this ain't

aptured the kitten neatly, and went his way towards

seem to min

the roof. "Seems 'ard," he said, as he administered a saucerful of milk, "when you get three men

en 'is picture, 'eard 'is name since I was a kid in frocks. Prince Karl Albert! And if any one

ve tole me about it. All 'e tole

going to do much. Wonder wh

shook 'ands.... Now 'ere's that other chap, dodging about! 'E's got 'is 'ead 'urt already, and there's something wrong with his leg. And burns. Golly! it isn't three weeks ago I first set eyes on 'im, and then 'e was smart and set up-'ands full of 'air-brushes and things,

sword, of

osophising after he

hat 'as 'e made of it? Smeshin' and blunderin' and destroyin', and there 'e 'is! Jest a mess of blood and boots and things! Jest an 'orrid splash! Prince Karl Albert! And all the men 'e led and the ships '

her chap. I suppose I must. But it ain'

ome bushes near the head of Biddle Stairs. But as he saw the bent and bandaged figure in limping flight before him, he found his Cockney softn

eps towards the

in vain. He slept in a good defensible position at the extremity of the rocky point that runs out to the Canadian Fall, and in the night he woke in panic terror and fired his

"I'd 'oller. It's jest not knowing

with a bolt attached had been flung across and had caught in a fenestration of a projecti

Never had that great gathering place, that incessant, aimless, unprogressive hurry of waste and battered things, been so crowded with strange and melancholy derelicts. Round they went and round, and every day brought its new contributions, luckless brutes, sh