tween these two towns
is nearly twelve English miles, and yet the wings of the vast host
under the command of the Tsar spread for a couple of miles on either
side to north and south of each of them.

In spite of the colossal iniquity which it concealed, the spectacle
was one of indescribable grandeur. Almost as far as the eye could
reach the beams of the early morning sun were gleaming upon
innumerable white tents, and flashing over a sea of glittering metal,
of bare bayonets and sword scabbards, of spear points and helmets, of
gold-laced uniforms and the polished accoutrements of countless
batteries of field artillery.

Far away to the westward the stately city of Berlin could be seen
lying upon its intersecting waters, and encircled by its
fortifications bristling with guns, and in advance of it were the
long serried lines of its defenders gathered to do desperate battle
for home and fatherland.

As soon as the Russian army was fairly in sight the _Ithuriel_ shot
ahead, sank to the level of the flotilla, and then stopped until she
was overtaken by the _Orion_. Tremayne was on deck, and Arnold as
soon as he came alongside said--

"You must stop here for the present. I want the aerostat commanded by
Colonel Alexandrovitch to come with me; meanwhile you and the _Ariel_
will rise with the rest of the balloons to a height of four thousand
feet; you will keep strict guard over the balloons, and permit no
movement to be made until my return. We are going to bring his
Majesty the Tsar to book, or else make things pretty lively for him
if he won't listen to reason."

"Very well," replied Tremayne. "I will do as you say, and await
developments with considerable interest. If there is going to be a
fight, I hope you're not going to leave us out in the cold."

"Oh no," replied Arnold. "You needn't be afraid of that. If his
Majesty won't come to terms, you will smash up the war-balloons and
then come and join us in the general bombardment. I see, by the way,
that there are ten or a dozen more of these unwieldy monsters with
the Russian force moored to the ground yonder on the outskirts of
Cuestrin. It will be a little amusement for us if we have to come to
blows to knock them to pieces before we smash up the Tsar's
headquarters.

So saying, Arnold increased the speed of the _Ithuriel_, swept round
in front of the line, and communicated the same instructions to the
captain of the _Ariel_.

A few minutes later the _Ariel_