【】tered
theranksotion,orfavor;but
silyfrosenseofdutytotheuntrytoother
belonged,andinhwewerebo.
”therebattlefoughtnearorleans,
shortly;andishouldliketobepresent,ifpossibleandpercy
ostlyfor
yourkindness,hergoout.”
”veryhegeneralsaid,”itshallbeasyouhereis
certainlyreceofyourseeingstirringservithe
field,thaninhere.idonotblayouforyoure.iwill
sendaooeclierhe
balloontosaythatyoupanyhi
”goodbye,lads,goodbye;youarefineyoungfellows,andyour
fatherhaseveryrighttobeproudofyou.tellhio,froe.”
theboysrose,andbothegeneralheldouthishand,and
shooktheirsly.
uponleaviheyfoundseveraloftheofficersofthe
stafftostay,andhaveachat
.ralphatoneptedtheinvitation;uponthe
nditionthatpercyshouldhaveasofauponoliedown,for
hisbrotherostly
received,inalargedra,inhwereoveradozen
offiebottlesofchaagnewereopened,
cigarsand,lyuponthesofa,ralph
chattedhtheofficers;relating,attheireaestrequest,
severaloftheiradvehevosges,ashestoryof
theirenteringintoparis.
hisnelypressedtheostopanddi
ralphpleadedthattheballoonoing,
andthatheoliedoagoodnightssleep
beforestarting.thecarriagehadbeendischarged,hourssi
oheofficersorderedacarriageofgerochustothe
doorand,afteraheartyleavetaking,theboysretuedtotheir
hotel.
”acuriousseitis,percy,”ralphsaid.”whohink
thatuchas
usual:theshopsareopen;peopleoke,
anddrinktheirffeeorabsinthe,justasusual.theonly
differeofuniforrother.
oseeasingleablebodiednaltogetherincivilian
dress;andatnightthestreetsareverydisl,oothere
beingnogas.”
”houtoexpecttoholdout,ralph”
”aonths,anyhoore.there
seetobealargestockofeverything,andeveryoneisputonto
aregularalloore.”
”iseeohaveeverythingi,ralph;lotsofbeeftea,and
soup,andjelly,andsoon.”
”yes,perthehospital.thehotel
uldnotfuishanythingofthekind,itellyou.
”hereondgettosleep.iwill
e.”
attennutesbeforetheappoii,theboysarrivedatthe
northerailation;edaverydifferentappearance
tothatotives,or
ruleofheavytrains,disturbedthesilenell
ofvaishpervadedtheptyballoonshung
froheroof,undergoingtheprocess.theofficialwho
hadreceivedthettheentranductedtheutsidethestation;
andthere,inthelightofsotorches,agreatblackssuldbe
seen,soandfro.theaeronautandingbesideit.
”herearethegentlenpanyyou,”theoffi.
”hoen”hesaid,cheerily.”,
orrathering;theherly.isupposethisisyour
firstast”
”yes,indeed,”ralphsaid,”andiohelast.
havethedispatchesarrived”
”no;ihavetheilbags,butnotthedispatcheshushtherearea
horseshoofs.”
afeieranote,h
hedeliveredtoeclier.
”bah”hesaid,inanaoheybepunctual”
”isit,sir”ralphasked.
”aneneral,tosaythatthedispatchesbe
readyforanhour.thatansanhourandahalf;andbythatti
itenoughtobeseen,andorunthe
gau.hootbehelped.
”thebestthingeascheerfullyasan;
andthatcertainlybeiningouthere,inthisbitter
ld.ihave,fortunately,afetlesofexcellenthe
en,thatoafire,haveaglass
ofokeacigar,tranquilly.”
ecliergaveafeioheballoon;and
theythenadjouedtoaas
blazing,fortheuseoftheneloyedinfillingtheballoon.
herethehourandahalfofingpassedpleasantly.
ataquartertoseven,thedispatchesarrived.theyily
plathecar,inhingelsehadalreadybeen
packed.thebarclaystooktheirplace,thego
all”and,inanotherinstant,theearthseedtosinka
uheaopsofthehouses.
thedaain.lightcloudswere
floatingoverhead.fortinutes,notawordoken.
theseheeffectsoextraordinary,tothe
boysthattheyoutteraant,the
earthseedtosinkatheeveryinstant,theirview
extendedfartherandfarther;aantfields,villages,and
hillsseedactuallytintosight.
”itislast.
”gnifit”percyresponded.
”ihertheyseeus”ralphsaid.
”he
river,aheinutes,we
shallbeovertheirlines.”
there
upontheiensepanorabelo.
”diatelybehus”ralphasked.
”thatisvahevillageyouseethereischatillon.lookout
noayexpeinute.”
hehadhardlyspokenbeforetheyhear**intsound,followedby
otherssilar.
”thatissketry,”ecliersaid.”listen.”
theydidlisten,andheardapeculiared
belo.
”thatisaistakingthe”ralph
said.
”oolooecliersaid.”throthatbundleof
le.”
ralphdidso.
”hensequence
...