that had no heat; and then beyond these
again more plains and forests, that stretched away southward until
they merged in the all-surrounding sea.

[Illustration: "You have seen the Field of Armageddon."

_See page 149._]

Then he seemed to be carried forward towards the scene until he could
distinguish the smallest objects upon the earth, and he saw, swarming
southward and westward, vast hordes of men, that divided into long
streams, and poured through mountain passes and defiles, and spread
themselves again over fertile lands, like locusts over green fields
of young corn. And wherever those hordes swept forward, a long line
of fire and smoke went in front of them, and where they had passed
the earth was a blackened wilderness.

Then, too, from the coasts and islands vast fleets of war-ships put
out, pouring their clouds of smoke to the sky, and making swiftly for
the southward and westward, where from other coasts and islands other
vessels put out to meet them, and, meeting them, were lost with them
under great clouds of grey smoke, through which flashed incessantly
long livid tongues of flame.

Then, like a panorama rolled away from him, the mighty picture
receded and new lands came into view, familiar lands which he had
traversed often. They too were black and wasted with the tempest of
war from east to west, but nevertheless those swarming streams came
on, countless and undiminished, up out of the south and east, while
on the western verge vast armies and fleets battled desperately with
each other on sea and land, as though they heeded not those locust
swarms of dusky millions coming ever nearer and nearer.

Once more the scene rolled backwards, and he saw a mighty city
closely beleaguered by two vast hosts of men, who slowly pushed their
batteries forward until they planted them on all the surrounding
heights, and poured a hail of shot and shell upon the swarming,
helpless millions that were crowded within the impassable ring of
fire and smoke. Above the devoted city swam in mid-air strange shapes
like monstrous birds of prey, and beneath where they floated the
earth seemed ever and anon to open and belch forth smoke and flame
into which the crumbling houses fell and burnt in heaps of shapeless
ruins. Then----

He felt a cool hand laid almost caressingly on his brow, and the
voice of Natas said beside him--

"That is enough. You have seen the Field of Armageddon, and when the
day of battle comes you sh