bloodthirsty wayleals
were flying about the metropolis, shouting "Death to the foreigners!"
Mounted on a magnificent, majestic steed of great power, I led my
little band at a furious pace. The bockhockids with each stride of the
leg covered a distance of sixty feet, and could travel easily seventy
miles an hour without appearing to run very quickly.

About an hour's travelling brought us abreast of Calnogor, and soon
afterward I heard shots fired and the noise of a conflict. Making an
aerial _detour_, I discovered a combat between a dozen wayleals on the
one side and a crowd of wayleals on the other. I noticed that as fast
as the individuals of the larger body were fired at by a weapon in the
hands of the smaller company they at once became lifeless, either
falling to the ground or hanging limp in the air supported by their
still vibrating wings. Being intensely curious to see the wayleals
using revolvers, I ventured with my men nearer the _melee_, and coming
near the flying warriors, I discovered to my surprise and horror that
the smaller band of flying men was a company of my own sailors, led by
Flathootly, fighting back to back a swarming mass of wayleals.

The brave fellows fought like lions. No sooner did a wayleal approach
a sailor with his deadly spear than he was shot. My men, fighting such
fearful odds, for the enemy numbered several hundreds, could not long
maintain so unequal a combat, notwithstanding the superiority of their
weapons. It was only a question of time when their ammunition would be
exhausted, and their spears would then be their only weapon, and I had
evidently arrived in time to relieve them. Flathootly was shouting to
the enemy, "Shtand back, or Oi'll shoot yez!" when I approached. The
sailors cheered to see me flying to their relief, and at that moment
the enemy, recognizing in me the very man they wanted, swarmed around
to prevent my escape. My bockhockids drew their spears, and the
sailors used their revolvers freely, and forming a flying ring,
effectually protected me from the onslaught of the king's wayleals. I
rallied my entire company, who received the rush of the wayleals with
a discharge of revolvers and magnic spears, by means of which we
killed several. Again and again the enemy fell upon us with renewed
fury, shouting their war-cry of "Bhoolmakar!" They evidently meant to
harass us until re-enforced by a detachment of the royal troops strong
enough to capture us.

A wayleal, in