show itself in the Russian
ranks, and whole companies suddenly appeared with the red knot of
ribbon in their tunics, and instantly turned their weapons against
their comrades, shooting them down without warning or mercy. No
quarter had been given to those who did not show the ribbon. Most of
them died fighting, but those who had thrown away their arms were
shot down all the same.

Whoever commanded this strange army had manifestly given orders to
take no prisoners, and it was equally certain that its movements were
directed by the Terrorists, for everywhere the battle-cries had been,
"In the Master's name!" and "Slay, and spare not!"

The whole of the army, save the deserters, had been destroyed, and
the deserters had immediately assumed the grey uniforms of those of
the Terrorist army who had fallen. The Cossack captain and his forty
or fifty followers were the sole remains of a body of three thousand
men who had fought their way through the second army. The whole
country to the north and east seemed alive with the grey soldiery,
and it was only after a hundred hair-breadth escapes that they had
managed to reach the protection of the lines round London.

Such was the tale of the bringer of bad tidings to the Tsar at the
moment when he was looking forward to the crowning triumph of his
reign. Like the good soldier that he was, he wasted no time in
thinking at a moment when everything depended on instant action.

He at once despatched a war-balloon to the French and Italian
headquarters with a note containing the terrible news from Harwich,
and requesting Generals le Gallifet and Cosensz to lose no time in
communicating with the eastern and southern ports, and in throwing
out corps of observation supported by war-balloons. Evidently the
American Government had played the League false at the last moment,
and had allied herself with Britain.

As soon as he had sent off this message, the Tsar ordered a fleet of
forty aerostats to proceed to the north-eastward, in advance of a
force of infantry and cavalry numbering three hundred thousand men,
and supported by fifty batteries of field and machine guns, which he
detached to stop the progress of the Federation army towards London.
Before this force was in motion a reply came back from General le
Gallifet to the effect that all communication with the south and east
was stopped, and that an aerostat, which had been on scout duty
during the night, had returned with the news