at it when
it gets here!"

"You're right, Mr. Scott. There the monster comes. It can't be anything
but a Zeppelin! They must have one of their big sheds not far east of
us."

"We'll hear its rattling soon. Like the others it will surely see our
flag and make for it. But if they take a notion to shoot up the wood, as
the men on that biplane did, we'd better hunt holes. A Zeppelin can
carry a lot of soldiers."

The Zeppelin was not moving fast. It had none of the quick graceful
movements of the aeroplanes, but came on slowly like some huge monster
of the air, looking about for prey. It turned southeast for a moment or
two, then some one on board saw the flag and coming back it lumbered
toward the tree.

"Ugly things," said John. "Lannes and I blew up one once, and I wish I
had the same chance against that fellow up there. But they're in the
same puzzled state that the other fellows were. Men on both platforms
are examining the flag through glasses, and the flag doesn't give a rap
for them. It's standing out in the wind, now, straight and stiff. It
seems to know that old Noah's ark can't make it out."

The huge Zeppelin drew its length along the grove, coming as close to
the trees as it dared, then passed above, and after some circling
lumbered away to the south.

"Good-bye, old Mr. Curiosity," exclaimed John. "You weren't invited
here, and I don't care whether you ever come again. Besides, you're
nothing but a big bluff, anyway. There's our flag, still standing
straight out in the wind, so you can see every stripe on it, and yet you
haven't, despite your visit, the remotest idea why it was put there!"

Weber smiled.

"They've all gone away as ignorant as they were when they came," he
said, "but we must be due for a French visitor or two. After so long a
run of Germans we should have Frenchmen soon."

"I begin to believe with you that Lannes will arrive some time or other.
He flies fast and far and in time he must see our signal."

"I've never doubted it. Meanwhile I think I'll take a little luncheon,
and I'd advise you to do the same. We haven't had such a bad time here,
saving those random rifle shots from the biplane."

"Not at all. It's like watching a play, and you certainly have a clear
field for observation, when you look up at the heavens. The stage is
always in full view."

John was feeling uncommonly good. Their concealment while they watched
the scouts and messengers from the skies coming to see