that huge morass of battle! And yet
he had a wonderful, almost an unreasoning faith in Philip, and, as
always when he thought of him, he looked up at the heavens.

It was an average night, one in which large objects should be visible in
the skies, and he saw several aeroplanes almost over their heads, while
the rattle of a dirigible came from a point further toward the east.

The aeroplane was bound to be German, but as John looked he saw a sleek
shape darting high over them all and flying eastward. Intuition, or
perhaps it was something in the motion and shape of the machine, made
him believe it was the _Arrow_. It must be the _Arrow_! And Lannes must
be in it! High over the army and high over the German planes it darted
forward like a swallow and disappeared in a cloud of white mist. His
hair lifted a little, and a thrill ran down his spine.

He still looked up as he walked along, and there was the sleek shape
again! It had come back out of the white mist, and was circling over the
German planes, flying with the speed and certainty of an eagle. He saw
three of the German machines whirl about and begin to mount as if they
would examine the stranger. But the solitary plane began to rise again
in a series of dazzling circles. Up, up it went, as if it would
penetrate the last and thinnest layer of air, until it reached the dark
and empty void beyond.

The _Arrow_--he was sure it could be no other--was quickly lost in the
infinite heights, and then the German planes were lost, too, but they
soon came back, although the _Arrow_ did not. It had probably returned
to some point over the French line or had gone eastward beyond the
Germans.

John felt that he had again seen a sign. He remembered how he and Lannes
had drawn hope from omens when they were looking at the Arc de Triomphe,
and a similar hope sprang up now. Weber was right! Lannes would come to
his rescue. Some thought or impulse yet unknown would guide him.

Light clouds now drifted up from the southwest, and all the aeroplanes
were hidden, but the heavy murmur of the marching army went on. The
puffing and clashing of innumerable automobiles came from the roads
also, though John soon ceased to pay attention to them. As the hours
passed, he felt an increased weariness. He had sat still almost the
whole day, but the strain of the watching and waiting had been as great
as that of the walking now was. He wondered if the guards would ever let
them stop.

They wade