the German Emperor and his Allies give in, the war
will be over in about six days."

"And when you come back to dinner to-night, Admiral Hingeston, you will
have my orders to bring it to an end within that time."

"I sincerely hope so, sir," replied Admiral Hingeston, as he raised his
right hand to the peak of his cap. "I can assure you, that nothing would
please me better."

As the lifting-fans began to spin round and the _Auriole_ rose from the
gravelled courtyard, Lord Kitchener looked up with a twinkle in his
brilliant blue eyes and said:

"I wonder what His Majesty of Germany will think of that thing when he
sees it. I suppose that means the end of fighting on land and sea--at
least, it looks like it."

"I hope to be able to convince your lordship that it does before
to-morrow morning," said Lennard, as they went towards the dining-room.

Then came half an hour's hard work, which resulted in the allotment of
the aerial fleet to positions from which the vessels could co-operate
with the constantly increasing army of British citizen-soldiers who were
now passing southward, eastward and westward, as fast as the crowded
trains could carry them. Every position was worked out to half a mile.
The details of the newly-created fleet in British waters and of those
ships which were arriving from the West Indies and the Mediterranean
were all settled, and, as the clock in the drawing-room chimed half-past
eleven, the _Auriole_ swung down in a spiral curve round the
chimney-pots and came to rest on the gravel.

"There she is; time's up!" said Lord Kitchener, rising from his seat. "I
suppose it will only take us half an hour or so to run down to
Aldershot. I wonder what His Majesty of Germany will say to us this
time. I suppose if he kicks seriously we have your Royal Highness's
permission to haul down the flag of truce?"

"Certainly," replied the Duke. "If he does that, of course, you will
just use your own discretion."

CHAPTER XXXVI

A PARLEY AT ALDERSHOT

Lord Kitchener had probably never had so bitter an experience as he had
when the _Auriole_ began to slow down over the plain of Aldershot. Never
could he, or any other British soldier, have dreamt six months ago that
the German, Austrian, French and Russian flags would have been seen
flying side by side over the headquarters of the great camp, or that the
vast rolling plains would be covered, as they were now, by hosts of
horse, foot and artillery bel