ors
who delivered her into your hands, I will restore the nine
war-balloons to you intact, and when I have recovered the
_Lucifer_ I will take no further part in the war unless either
you or your opponents proceed to unjustifiable extremities.

If you reject these terms, or if I do not receive an answer to
this letter within two hours of the time that the bearer of it
descends in the aerostat, I shall give orders for the immediate
destruction of the war-balloons now in my hands, and I shall then
proceed to destroy Cuestrin and the other aerostats which are
moored near the town. That done I shall, for the time being,
devote the force at my disposal to the defence of Berlin, and do
my utmost to bring about the defeat and dispersal of the army
which will then no longer be commanded by yourself.

In case you may doubt what I say as to the capture of the fleet
of war-balloons, Professor Volnow will be accompanied by Colonel
Alexei Alexandrovitch, late in command of the squadron, and now
my prisoner of war.

NATAS.

The ambassadors were at once transferred to the aerostat, and with a
white flag hoisted on the after stays of the balloon she began to
sink rapidly towards the earth, and at the same time Natas gave
orders for the _Ithuriel_ to ascend to a height of eight thousand
feet in order to frustrate any attempts that might be made, whether
with or without the orders of the Tsar, to injure her by means of a
volley from the earth.

Even from that elevation, those on board the _Ithuriel_ were able
with the aid of their field-glasses to see with perfect ease the
commotion which the appearance of the air-ship with the captured
aerostat had produced in the Russian camp. The whole of the vast
host, numbering more than four millions of men, turned out into the
open to watch their aerial visitors, and everywhere throughout the
whole extent of the huge camp the plainest signs of the utmost
excitement were visible.

In less than half an hour they saw the aerostat touch the earth near
to a large building, above which floated the imperial standard of
Russia. An hour had been allowed for the interview and for the Tsar
to give his decision, and half an hour for the aerostat to return and
meet the air-ship.

In all the history of the world there had probably never been an hour
so pregnant with tremendous consequences, not only to Europe, but to
the whole