agnificence of the splendid halls, they stood for a
moment out on the terrace, watching the burning negro quarters and the
flaming embers of two planes which had fallen on the other side of the
lake. A solitary gun was still keeping up a sturdy popping, and the
attackers seemed timorous about descending lower, but sent their
thunderous fireworks in a circle around it, until any chance shot
might annihilate its Ethiopian crew.

John and the two sisters passed down the marble steps, turned sharply
to the left, and began to ascend a narrow path that wound like a
garter about the diamond mountain. Kismine knew a heavily wooded spot
half-way up where they could lie concealed and yet be able to observe
the wild night in the valley--finally to make an escape, when it
should be necessary, along a secret path laid in a rocky gully.

10

It was three o'clock when they attained their destination. The
obliging and phlegmatic Jasmine fell off to sleep immediately, leaning
against the trunk of a large tree, while John and Kismine sat, his arm
around her, and watched the desperate ebb and flow of the dying battle
among the ruins of a vista that had been a garden spot that morning.
Shortly after four o'clock the last remaining gun gave out a clanging
sound, and went out of action in a swift tongue of red smoke. Though
the moon was down, they saw that the flying bodies were circling
closer to the earth. When the planes had made certain that the
beleaguered possessed no further resources they would land and the
dark and glittering reign of the Washingtons would be over.

With the cessation of the firing the valley grew quiet. The embers of
the two aeroplanes glowed like the eyes of some monster crouching in
the grass. The chateau stood dark and silent, beautiful without light
as it had been beautiful in the sun, while the woody rattles of
Nemesis filled the air above with a growing and receding complaint.
Then John perceived that Kismine, like her sister, had fallen sound
asleep.

It was long after four when he became aware of footsteps along the
path they had lately followed, and he waited in breathless silence
until the persons to whom they belonged had passed the vantage-point
he occupied. There was a faint stir in the air now that was not of
human origin, and the dew was cold; he knew that the dawn would break
soon. John waited until the steps had gone a safe distance up the
mountain and were inaudible. Then he followed. Abou