e _Ariel_. As she approached Mazanoff
swung his bow round and brought it level with the car of the
aerostat, at the same time training one of his guns full on it. Then,
with his arm resting on the breach of the gun, he said,--

"Come on board, Colonel, and bid your balloon follow me. No nonsense,
mind, or I'll blow you into eternity and all your squadron after
you."

The Russian did as he was bidden, and the _Ariel_, followed by the
aerostat, ascended to the _Ithuriel_, while the _Orion_ kept up her
patrol round the captive war-balloons.

"Colonel Alexandrovitch, in command of the Tsar's aerial squadron,
surrenders unconditionally, save for guarantee of personal safety to
himself and his men," reported Mazanoff, as he came within earshot of
the flagship.

"Very good," replied Arnold from the deck of the _Ithuriel_. You will
keep Colonel Alexandrovitch as hostage for the good behaviour of the
rest, and shoot him the moment one of the balloons attempts to
escape. After that destroy the rest without mercy. They will form in
line close together. The _Ariel_ and the _Orion_ will convoy them on
either flank, and you will follow me until you have the signal to
stop. On the first suspicion of any attempt to escape you will know
what to do. You have both handled your ships splendidly."

Mazanoff saluted formally, more for the sake of effect than anything
else, and descended again to carry out his orders. The captured
flotilla was formed in line, the balloons being closed up until there
was only a couple of yards or so between any of them and her next
neighbour, with the _Orion_ and the _Ariel_ to right and left, each
with two guns trained on them, and the _Ithuriel_ flying a couple of
hundred feet above them. In this order captors and captured made
their way at twenty miles an hour to the north-west towards the
headquarters of the Tsar.

CHAPTER XXIX.

AN EMBASSY FROM THE SKY.

By the time the captured war-balloons had been formed in order, and
the voyage fairly commenced, the eastern sky was bright with the
foreglow of the coming dawn, and, as the flotilla was only floating
between eight and nine hundred feet above the earth, it was not long
before the light was sufficiently strong to render the landscape
completely visible.

Far and wide it was a scene of desolation and destruction, of wasted,
blackened fields trampled into wildernesses by the tread of countless
feet, of forests of trees broken, scorched,