Before the clouds had swallowed up the hateful visitant the noise of its attack had aroused the military guards across Epping Forest, in Chingford village, and, aided by a search-light, the anti-aircraft-gun opened its unavailing fire on the Zeppelin--ineffective, except that its returning shrapnel smashed up several roofs and battered some innocent heads. The Germans had gauged their skyward path to London along which, apparently, they felt reasonably safe from gun-reach. But they had barely headed homeward before a flock of army aeroplanes, rising from all points of the compass, were in hot pursuit. One of the Britishers was shot down by the men aboard the Zeppelin. Neither speed nor daring counts for much in an encounter between flying-machines and swift dirigibles of the latest types. The advantage lies solely with the one that can overfly his adversary. This can be achieved by a biplane or monoplane pilot only if he has a long start from the ground and time enough to surmount his opponent. This is difficult even in daylight with a cloudless sky. Given darkness and clouds, the chances for success are tremendously against the smaller craft. [Sidenote: The old switchman a victim.] Eight bombs in all were launched on Walthamstow--two of them ineffectual. The sixth bomb fell into a field close beside the railway line and worked a hideous wonder. It blew into never-to-be-gathered fragments all that was mortal of old Tom Cumbers, the signalman. They found only his left hand plastered gruesomely against the grassy bank of the railway cut--not a hair nor button else. * * * * * The great series of attacks by the massed German Army against the mighty forces of Verdun began in February, 1917, and continued throughout the following months. Taken as a whole, it was the most dramatic effort in all its phases which took place between the German and French forces. The French showed during these terrible months, the spirit of devotion and sacrifice which was never excelled during the war. * * * * * Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Page 5, "Liege" changed to "Liege" (The Defense of Liege) Page 11, "again" changed to "against" (against the anarchist) Page 24, "Petersberg" changed to "Petersburg" (and St. Petersburg Cabinets) Page 28, "thave" changed to "have" (must have rejoiced) Page 35, "neighbor" changed to "neighbour" to match rest of text (her western neighbour) Page 41, "Liege" changed to "Liege" (strong fortress of Liege) Page 41, "LIEGE" changed to "LIEGE" Page 57, Sidenote: "centimeter" changed to "centimetre" to match text (Forty-two centimetre) Page 74, Sidenote: "Compiegne" changed to "Compiegne" (towards Compiegne-Soissons) Page 77, "Ferte" changed to "Ferte" (Changis, La Ferte, Nogent) Page 83, "betweeen" changed to "between" (right between the Vosges) Page 85, "Liege" changed to "Liege" (weeks at Liege Namur)