nd was hanging in the air
over Sydenham Hill, the headquarters of General le Gallifet, whence
could be plainly heard the roar of the tide of battle as it rolled
ever northward over the hills of Surrey.

An air-ship came speeding up from the southward as he reached the
deck. He signalled to it to come alongside. It proved to be the
_Mercury_ taking a message from Tremayne, who was personally
commanding the Army of the South in the _Ariel_, to the air-ships
operating with the Army of the North.

"What is the message?" asked Arnold.

"To engage and destroy the remaining Russian war-balloons, and then
come south at once," replied the captain of the _Mercury_. "I am
sorry to say both the _Lucifer_ and the _Azrael_ have been disabled
by chance shots striking their propellers. The _Lucifer_ was so badly
injured that she fell to the earth, and blew up with a perfectly
awful explosion; but the _Azrael_ can still use her fan-wheels and
stern propeller, though her air-planes are badly broken and twisted."

Arnold frowned at the bad news, but took no further notice of it
beyond saying--

"That is unfortunate; but, I suppose, some casualties were inevitable
under the circumstances." Then he added: "I have already destroyed
all that were left of the Tsar's war-balloons, but you can take the
other part of the message. Where is the _Ariel_ to be found?"

The captain of the _Mercury_ gave him the necessary directions, and
the two air-ships parted. Within an hour a council of war, consisting
of Natas, Arnold, and Tremayne, was being held in the saloon of the
_Ithuriel_, on the issue of which the lives of more than two millions
of men depended.

CHAPTER XLVI.

VICTORY.

It was a little after three o'clock in the afternoon when Natas,
Tremayne, and Arnold ended their deliberations in the saloon of the
_Ithuriel_. At the same hour a council of war was being held by
Generals le Gallifet and Cosensz at the Crystal Palace Hotel,
Sydenham, where the two commanders had taken up their quarters.

Since daybreak matters had assumed a very serious, if not desperate
aspect for the troops of the League to the south of London.
Communication had entirely ceased with the Tsar since the night
before, and this could only mean that his Majesty had lost the
command of the air, through the destruction or disablement of his
fleet of aerostats. News from the force which had descended upon
London told only of a fearful expenditure of life t