Sure enough—there it was, gigantic and dull gray, directly ahead of them. But strange to say, while it kept moving along in the same direction as the Flyer, it did not soon dissolve into thin air. Instead of that it took vast tangible form. Other vapor forms began to appear transparent beside it. The vague outlines of complicated rigging extending down from the sausage became easily apparent. Then a suspended metal body, punctured with many windows, appeared.
By this time the speeding Ocean Flyer was almost upon it, and only Ned’s presence of mind in veering the huge right side planes abruptly averted a sure collision. The Flyer swept down past the other huge voyager of the sky at an acute angle and did not right itself until a considerable distance below.
“Holy smoke!” gasped Bob. “What is that curious looking thing?”
Ned was deadly pale, but his lips were pressed grimly together.
“That, boys,” said he, “is one of the famous German armored Zeppelins. Look up there to the left—three more of them sailing close together. See over there to the right—two more of them. I can see more flitting along down below us, and I think that there are more ahead. We have descended into the very midst of them. Look out for trouble now, because I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that this is the long-dreaded aerial raid upon England!”
CHAPTER XXIX
THE BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS
Almost before the words had passed Ned’s lips, an ugly black muzzle was protruded from a window in the hanging body of the nearest Zeppelin. Then came a puff of bluish smoke, a dull roar and flash of flame:
BZZ—Zz—z—z—z—z—z—z....
A huge shell had passed athwart the Ocean Flyer’s bows in stern warning for her to stop and await inspection.