Part 18 (1/2)

John took a long look. The pa.s.sage of the storm had purified the air which was now of dazzling clearness, a deep, silky blue, with a sun of pure red gold that seemed to hang wonderfully near. Lannes permitted the _Arrow_ to drop lower and lower, until the earth itself sprang up into the light.

John saw again the green hills, the blue lakes and the streams, neat villages and splendid country houses. It was his planet, and he was glad to come once more where he could see it.

”It was fine up there above the clouds,” he said to Lannes, ”but after all I've got a very kindly feeling for the earth. It's like meeting an old friend again.”

”Comes of use and habit, I suppose if we lived on Venus or Mars we'd have the same kind of attachment. But like you, John, I'm glad to see the earth again. The scenery is more varied than it is up in the heavens. What do you see through the gla.s.ses, John? Don't miss anything if it's there. It's too important.”

”I see in the north just under the horizon four black specks. It's too far away for me to tell anything about 'em, but they move just as those two Taubes did before their shape became clear.”

”More Taubes. That's certain. And it's time for us to get away. We're almost on the border John and the German aeroplanes and dirigibles are sure to have gathered.”

”There's a forest a little to the right of us. Suppose we go down there.”

Lannes examined the forest.

”It seems fairly large,” he said, ”and I think it will make a good covert. But whether good or bad we must drop into it. The German airs.h.i.+ps are abroad and we can take no chances.”

The _Arrow_ descended with increased speed. John still used the gla.s.ses, and he searched every nook of the forest, which like most of those of Europe had little undergrowth. It contained no houses at all, but he picked out an open s.p.a.ce near the center, large enough for the landing of the Arrow, which he pointed out to Lannes.

”I suppose you'd call it a respectable forest,” said John. ”I see some trees which are at least a foot through, near the ground. Luckily it's summer yet and the foliage is thick. If I were one of you Europeans I'd never boast about my trees.”

”Some day I'm going to run over to that America of yours, and see whether all you tell me about it is true. Steady now, John, I'm about to make the landing, and it's my pride to land more gently every time than I did the time before.”

They slid down softly and alighted on the gra.s.s. Lannes' triumph was complete, and his wonderful eyes sparkled.

”The best I've done yet,” he said, ”but not the best I will do. John, what time is it?”

”Half-past five.”

”With our long evenings that makes considerable daylight yet. Suppose you take your automatic, and examine the woods a little. I'd go with you, but I'm afraid to leave the _Arrow_ here alone. Leave the gla.s.ses with me though.”

John, after regaining his land legs, walked away among the woods, which evidently had been tended with care like a park, bearing little resemblance, as he somewhat scornfully reminded himself to the mighty forests of his own country. Still, these Europeans, he reflected were doing the best they could.

The region was hilly and he soon lost sight of Lannes, but he threshed up the wood, thoroughly. There was no sign of occupancy. He did not know whether it lay in Germany or France, but it was evident that all the foresters were gone. A clear brook ran through a corner of it, and he knelt and drank. Then he went back to Lannes who was sitting placidly beside the Arrow.

”Nothing doing,” said John in the terse phrase of his own country. ”At imminent risk from the huge wild animals that inhabit it I've searched all this vast forest of yours. I've forded a river three feet wide, and six inches deep, I've climbed steep mountains, twenty feet high, I've gone to the uttermost rim of the forest, a full half-mile away on every side, and I beg to report to you, General, that the wilderness contains no human being, not a sign of any save ourselves. Strain my eyes as I would I could not find man anywhere.”

Lannes smiled.

”You've done well as far as you've gone,” he said.

”I could go no farther.”

”You said you saw no sign of man.”

”None whatever.”

”But I do.”