e. He came straight for Thomson, breathing heavily.

"Hands up!" Thomson cried.

The man aimed a furious blow at him. Thomson, who quite unconsciously
had drawn a revolver from his pocket, shot him through the heart,
watched him jump up and fall, a senseless, shapeless heap upon the
bottom of the steps, and, with a queer instinct of bloodthirstiness,
ran down the line of the wrecked Zeppelin, seeking for more victims. The
soldiers were coming up in force now, however, and detachments of them
were marching away their prisoners. Another company was stationed all
around the huge craft, keeping guard. Thomson walked back once more
towards the Admiralty. The sky was still lurid with the reflection of
many fires but the roar of the guns had diminished, and for several
minutes no bomb had been thrown. With the revolver in his hand still
smoking, he ran into a man whom he knew slightly at the Admiralty.

"Thomson, by God!" the man exclaimed. "What are you doing with that
revolver?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I've just shot one of those fellows from
the Zeppelin. How are things going?"

"There are six Zeppelins down in different parts, and a couple of dozen
aeroplanes," the other replied. "Woolwich is safe, and the Houses
of Parliament and Whitehall. Heaps of reports to come in but I don't
believe they've done much damage."

Thomson passed on. It was lighter now and the streets were thronged with
people. He turned once more towards the Strand and stood for a moment
in Trafalgar Square. One wing of the National Gallery was gone, and the
Golden Cross Hotel was in flames. Leaning against the Union Club was
another fallen aeroplane. Men and women were rushing everywhere in wild
excitement. He made his way down to the War Office. It seemed queer to
find men at work still in their rooms. He sent Ambrose for an orderly
and received a message from headquarters.

"Damage to public buildings and property not yet estimated. All
dockyards and arsenals safe, principal public buildings untouched. Only
seventeen dead and forty injured reported up to five minutes ago.
Great damage done to enemy fleet; remainder in full retreat, many badly
damaged. Zeppelin just down in Essex, four aeroplanes between here and
Romford."

Thomson threw down his revolver.

"Well," he muttered to himself, "perhaps London will believe now that we
are at war!"

CHAPTER XXXVI

"London, too, has its scars, and London is proud of them," a great
mor