powerful part of the hosts of the air, the hosts that within a
generation had changed the ways of armies and battles. He opened his
eyes and found himself searching for aeroplanes, the most tangible
portion of those hosts of the air, with which man had to fight. He saw
several behind him, where the French and German lines almost met, but
there was no shape resembling the _Arrow_.

The aeroplanes and Zeppelins had been much less active since winter had
come in full tide. They were essentially birds of sunshine and fair
weather, liking but little clouds and storms. And as the skies still
looked very threatening John judged that they would not be abroad much
that day. The conditions were far from promising, as a heavy massing of
the clouds in the southwest indicated more snow.

"There is Chastel, sir," said Mallet, his chauffeur. "You can see the
steeple of the cathedral shining through the clouds."

John's eyes followed the pointing finger, and he caught a high gleam,
although all beneath was a mass of floating gray mist. But he knew it
was a few beams of the sun piercing through the clouds and striking upon
some solid object. He put the glasses to his eyes and then he was able
to discern an old, old town, standing on a cliff above a stream that he
would have called a creek at home. Some of the houses were of stone, and
others were of timber and concrete, but it was evident that war had
passed already over Chastel. As he rode nearer he beheld buildings
ruined by shells or fire. Many of them seemed to be razed almost level
with the ground. The evidences of battle were everywhere. He surmised
that it had been held for a while by the Germans on their retreat from
the Marne, and that the lighting there had been desperate.