"Just then the machine-eagle played a trick. It flew back towards its home. We did not wish to go into the enemy's line flying over its tail in order to be sniped by sharp-shooters. Now that we were half way to our own home and in sight of our line, we gave up being careful; we turned away from the machine-eagle and flew at our highest speed rising higher every few wing-beats. No sooner had we done that than the miserable beast turned and followed. Fortunately it took him a little time. There was no doubt now that we were flying over our own lines. Just the same that plane rose to our level and kept on pouring fire on us--puff puff popa! Now we were forced to duck and dive. I made Hira fly under me. That protected him. So we flew, but fate is fate. From nowhere came an eagle and fired at the enemy. We felt so safe now that Hira and I flew abreast of each other. Just then a bullet buzzed by me and broke his wings. Poor wounded Hira! He circled and fell through the air like a silver leaf, fortunately in our line. Seeing that he was dead, I flew at lightning speed, never turning back to see the duel of the two eagles. "When I got home I was taken to the Commander-in-Chief. He patted my back. Then for the first time I realized what an important message I had brought, for as soon as the old man had read the piece of paper he touched some queer ticking things, and he lifted a piece of horn and growled into it. Now Ghond took me to my nest. There as I perched, thinking of Hira, I felt the very earth shake under me. Machine-eagles flew in the air thick as locusts. They howled, whirred and barked. Below from the ground boomed and groaned innumerable metal dogs. Then came the deep-toned howl of the big spit-fires like a whole forest of tigers gone mad. Ghond patted my head and said: 'You have saved the day.' But there was no day in sight. It was a darkening grey sky under which death coiled and screamed like a dragon, and crushed all in its grip. How bad it was you may gauge from this: when I flew near our base for exercise next morning I found that hardly a mile from my nest the ground was ploughed up by shells. And even rats and field mice did not manage to escape: dozens of them had been slaughtered and cut to pieces. Oh! it was terrible. I felt so melancholy. Now that Hira was dead I was alone, and so weary!" CHAPTER VI GHOND GOES RECONNOITRING