A strange and eager look came into the eyes of Dastral at the word Zeppelin. Tim noted it at once, and wondered what his colleague was thinking about, for, though his gaze was eager and keen, there was a far away look in his eyes. At the end of a minute he half uttered the word: "Zeppelin!" Then he rose to his feet, but recalling himself almost with a jerk to the fact of Tim's presence, he said apologetically, "I say, old fellow, we've had a jolly time, but I think I must leave you, though it almost breaks my heart to do so." "Go? Where to, Dastral? I thought you were going to spend the night at my rooms, and it's barely nine o'clock yet. Sit down, old man. You haven't got the Zeppelin fright as well, have you? If you have, here are my smelling salts--here, take a sniff now." For answer Dastral burst into a roar of laughter. Then subsiding quickly, he said, in a more serious tone, bending low to whisper his words in Burkitt's ears: "I have never yet fought a Zeppelin, except the lame duck we brought down near Brussels. I would give all I possess to go up and fight one. And during the last minute I have been wondering how it can be done." "Well, how can you do it?" "That's the trouble. I'm not attached to any Wing or Squadron in England. But a friend of mine has just recently returned from France, and has been appointed Commanding Officer of the --th Squadron, with its aerodrome about fifteen miles away from here. I must get into touch with him, if possible." The next moment Dastral was engaged on the 'phone, trying in the dark to find his friend somewhere at the other end of the wires. After some ten minutes he managed it. "Hullo! Hullo! Are you there?" he asked. "Yes, who are you?" came the reply. "I want the O.C. of your Squadron at once, please." "He is busily engaged, and I cannot disturb him now, unless it is something of the highest importance. Hurry up, please, and tell me who you are, and give me your message. The wires are urgently wanted to-night." "I am Dastral, Flight-Commander Dastral of the --th Squadron, --th Wing, and I have just come from France." "What! Beg pardon, sir. Dastral. Not the pilot who fought with Himmelman?" "Yes." "Hold the line a minute, sir." Twenty seconds later the O.C. of the Squadron himself was at the end of that line. "Hullo! Is that you, Dastral?" "Yes. How are you, Garner, old man?" "But hang it, how came you to ring me up? I should dearly love to see you, but I've my hands full to-night. We received '_Air Raid Action_' half an hour ago. Several hostile airships have crossed the east coast, and are making for the metropolis, so I cannot stay now. Come and see me in the morning, do, old man. Eh, what's that you say?" "Haven't you a spare machine you could let me try if I came over there by fast motor at once?"