Henry was an expert swordsman and was regarded among the men of the camp as an invincible champion with this weapon. He attacked with all the confidence of one who holds victory certain. He little dreamed, however, of the skill against which he was now matched--a skill which in bygone days had held wild Kurd horsemen and fiery Cossacks alike successfully at bay and had given its owner the reputation of the crack swordsman of the American ranks. Mortimer fenced smartly, as one on parade, and the smile still hovered about his lips as he parried his opponent’s fierce attacks. It was soon over. There was a quick parry, a sharp feint and Mortimer’s arm shot out in a lightning-like lunge. Back reeled Henry and dropped heavily to earth. Mortimer’s sword had passed beneath his opponent’s black beard and had penetrated deep into the throat. He lay gasping--dying; choked with the blood which ebbed from the great wound and gushed in a gory tide over his neck and breast. Mortimer shook the blood from his sword. “That’s what the swordsmen of the French school call ‘_le coup de cochon_,’” he said. “It’s a very neat stroke--when properly delivered.” And he turned coolly toward Dean. But the latter stood leaning for support against the side of one of the air-ships, looking with strained eyes and blanched face at the form upon the ground. “Ah, I forgot,” exclaimed Mortimer, “you’re not accustomed to scenes of this kind. It’s astonishing, though, how soon one does get used to them in war.” “Can we lend him no aid,” asked Dean and, overcoming his feelings, he advanced and knelt beside the wounded man. “He’s beyond human assistance, I assure you,” said Mortimer. “I have never known a recovery from that stroke.” And he was right, for as Dean bent down he saw a great shiver pass over the frame of the prostrate man and a moment later all was over; the “Black Hawk” lay dead. “Come; there is no time to lose!” exclaimed Mortimer, and seizing Dean under the arm he half led, half carried him to where their air-ship lay. A hasty scramble on board; an equally hasty inspection of the apparatus to ascertain that all was in order; a quick working of the levers by the Professor and they were away. Steadily and gracefully they rose until they were above the mountain tops and the country lay well beneath them. Away in the distance they perceived a number of men, apparently engaged in the execution of certain manœuvers. These were evidently the men referred to by Valerie as drilling on Minden Plain. From a sudden commotion among the men it was evident the air-ship had been seen. “We seem to be creating some excitement!” exclaimed Mortimer, referring to this circumstance. “I wonder if they will attempt a pursuit.” “It will be a very useless effort if they do,” replied Dean. “Well,” remarked Mortimer, “you know their craft is a good deal faster than ours.”