Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 27, 2025
He was no coward, but he saw that Mazanoff had the power to do what he said, and that even if this one air-ship were captured or destroyed, the other two would take a frightful vengeance. He thought of Kronstadt, and decided to parley. The rifle butts had come to the ground before Mazanoff had done speaking.
The answering hail came from one of the aerostats in the centre of the squadron. Mazanoff at once replied "Unconditional surrender for the present, under guarantee of safety to every one who surrenders. Who are you?" "Colonel Alexei Alexandrovitch, in command of the squadron. I surrender on those terms. Who are you?" "The captain of the Terrorist air-ship Ariel.
When you have heard what is further necessary for you to hear, you will take the midnight express from Euston. Have you any preparations to make?" "No," replied Mazanoff, or Colston, to call him by a name more familiar to the reader. "I can start in half an hour if necessary, and on such an errand you may, of course, depend on me not to lose much time. I presume there are full instructions here?"
Mazanoff had undertaken this delicate and dangerous task, and so, as soon as the Ithuriel and the Orion came to a standstill, and hung motionless in the air, with all their guns ready trained on different parts of the building, the Ariel sank suddenly and swiftly down, and stopped within forty feet of the heads of a crowd of soldiers and mechanics, who had rushed pell-mell out of the building, under the impression that it was about to be destroyed.
I see no signs of the Lucifer at present, but from what we have learnt she will be on the deck of one of the large cruisers. What are your orders?" "Recover the air-ship if you can," replied Natas. "Send Mazanoff with Professor Volnow to convey the Tsar's letter to the Admiral, and demand the surrender of the Lucifer. If he refuses, let the Ariel return at once, and we will decide what to do.
By the time he got on deck the three air-ships had slowed down considerably, and the two consorts of the Ithuriel were within easy speaking distance. Mazanoff and Tremayne were both on deck, and to them he explained his plans as follows "There are a dozen of the Tsar's war-balloons coming up yonder to the southward, and I am going to head them off and capture the lot if I can.
As Mazanoff said this the Ariel dropped to within ten feet of the ground, and a rope-ladder fell over the side. "Come, Professor, there is no time to be lost. I shall give the order to fire in one minute from now." He took out his watch, and began to count the seconds. Ten, twenty, thirty passed and the Professor stood irresolute.
Mazanoff came to himself about ten minutes later, lying on one of the seats in the after saloon, and all that he saw when he first opened his eyes was the white anxious face of Radna bending over him. "What is the matter? What has happened? Where am I?" he asked, as soon as his tongue obeyed his will.
The Tsar has as good servants as I am! Colonel, tell his Majesty that I gave myself up to save the lives of better men." Then the Professor mounted the ladder amidst a murmur of relief and applause from the crowd, and, gaining the deck of the Ariel, bowed coldly to Mazanoff and said "I am your prisoner, sir!" The captain of the Ariel bowed in reply, and stamped thrice on the deck.
Two of the Ariel's guns pointed at the gables of the Arsenal, and two swept the crowded space in front. Konstantin Volnow knew enough to see clearly the frightful slaughter and destruction that twenty seconds more would bring if he refused to give himself up. As Mazanoff counted "forty" he threw up his hands with a gesture of despair, and cried "Stop! I will come.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking