a glorious flight in this brave
little _Arrow_ of ours."

"Will you return to our original course?"

"I think we'd better not. The German flying men are out, and we might
have another fight, from which we would not emerge as well as we have
from this. No one must ever underestimate the Germans. They're organized
to the last detail in every department. I, a Frenchman, willingly say
this. I'll make our flight more southerly. We'll come down in
Switzerland. I'd like to go on to France, but we must make a descent
soon. We're both cold and overstrained, and it won't be a real violation
of neutrality just to touch Switzerland once."

The _Arrow_ now sank to a much lower level, and that planet, which they
had left came again into view. It was not much more than a dark shadow,
save for the sheen of high mountains in the south, but John was glad to
see it again. It was like the return of an old friend. It was the fine
Earth, not one of the great planets, but the only planet he knew.

He felt a great weakness, but they had descended so much that the
intense cold was going away. The thicker and warmer air lulled him, and
he sank into a sort of stupor from which he soon roused himself with
anger. He considered it a disgrace to him that he should sleep, while
Lannes still picked their way through the currents, and pockets and
flaws of the heavens.

"You might sleep if you feel like it," said Lannes. "You did all the
fighting, and I ought to do all the flying, especially as it's my
business and I've had lots of experience. Go ahead, old man. It'll be
all the better for us if you get back your strength."

Under Lannes' urging John leaned back a little more in his seat, and
closed his eyes. It was true that he was horribly tired, and his will
seemed to have weakened, too. Flying was new to him, and now the
collapse after so much tension and excitement had come. In a few minutes
he slept, but the _Arrow_ sailed swiftly on, mile after mile.

John's sleep was sound, but not long. When he awoke it was still night,
although the dark bore a suspicious tint of silver in the east. The
physical and mental weakness had departed, but he was singularly cold
and stiff. When he sought to move, something firm and unyielding about
his waist restrained him.

His eyes opened slowly and he looked around. On three sides space met
his vision, just dusky blue sky with floating banks and wisps of vapor.
But far off to the south, rising like mighty b