ld-war and all its horrors were
forgotten, and they allowed their thoughts to turn without restraint
to the promise of the days when the work of the Brotherhood should be
accomplished, and there should be peace on earth at last.

It had been decided that three of the air-ships would be sufficient
for the chase and capture or destruction, as the case might be, of
the deserters. These were the _Ithuriel_, under the command of
Arnold; the _Ariel_, commanded by Mazanoff, who, of course, did not
sail alone; and the _Orion_, in charge of Tremayne, who had already
mastered the details of aerial navigation under Arnold's tuition.

To the unspeakable satisfaction of the latter, Natas had signified
his intention of accompanying him in the _Ithuriel_. As Natasha
utterly refused to be parted so soon from her father again, one of
his attendants was dispensed with and she took his place. This fact
had, of course, something to do with the Admiral's satisfaction with
the arrangement.

By nine o'clock the moon was high in the heavens. At that hour the
fan-wheels of the little squadron rose from the decks, and at a
signal from Arnold began to revolve. The three vessels ascended
quietly into the air amidst the cheers and farewells of the
colonists, and in single file passed slowly down the beautiful valley
bathed in the brilliant moonlight. One by one they disappeared
through the defile that led to the outer world, and, once clear of
the mountains, the _Ithuriel_, with one of her consorts on either
side, headed away due north at the speed of a hundred miles an hour.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ON THE TRACK OF TREASON.

The _Ithuriel_ and her consorts crossed the northern coast of Africa
soon after daybreak on the 27th, in the longitude of Alexandria, at
an elevation of nearly 4000 feet. From thence they pursued almost the
same course as that steered by the deserters, as Natas had rightly
judged that they would first make for Russia, probably St.
Petersburg, and there hand the air-ship over to the representatives
of the Tsar.

There was, of course, another alternative, and that was the
supposition that they had stolen the _Lucifer_--the "fallen Angel,"
as Natasha had now re-named her--for purposes of piracy and private
revenge; but that was negatived by the fact that Tamboff knew that he
only had a certain supply of motive power which he could not renew,
and which, once exhausted, left his air-ship as useless as a steamer
without co