when the sleeper wakes-第54节

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deliberately。　What　was　it？　The　man　in　yellow　was

pointing　to　two　aeropiles　driving　upward　in　the　

southern　sky。　No　doubt　they　were　looking　for　the　coming

aeroplanes。　Thatpresentlythe　thing　to　do　now

was　to　start。　Things　were　being　shouted　at　him；　

questions；　warnings。　They　bothered　him。　He　wanted　to

think　about　the　aeropile；　to　recall　every　item　of　his

previous　experience。　He　waved　the　people　from　him；

saw　the　man　in　yellow　dropping　off　through　the　ribs；

saw　the　crowd　cleft　down　the　line　of　the　girders　by　his

gesture。



For　a　moment　he　was　motionless；　staring　at　the

levers；　the　wheel　by　which　the　engine　shifted；　and　all

the　delicate　appliances　of　which　he　knew　so　little。　His

eye　caught　a　spirit　level　with　the　bubble　towards　him；

and　he　remembered　something；　spent　a　dozen　seconds

in　swinging　the　engine　forward　until　the　bubble　floated

in　the　centre　of　the　tube。　He　noted　that　the　people

were　not　shouting；　knew　they　watched　his　deliberation。

A　bullet　smashed　on　the　bar　above　his　head。　Who

fired？　Was　the　line　clear　of　people？　He　stood　up　to

see　and　sat　down　again。



In　another　second　the　propeller　was　spinning；　and

he　was　rushing　down　the　guides。　He　gripped　the

wheel　and　swung　the　engine　back　to　lift　the　stem。

Then　it　was　the　people　shouted。　In　a　moment　he　was

throbbing　with　the　quiver　of　the　engine；　and　the　shouts

dwindled　swiftly　behind；　rushed　down　to　silence。

The　wind　whistled　over　the　edges　of　the　screen；　and

the　world　sank　away　from　him　very　swiftly。



Throb；　throb；　throbthrob；　throb；　throb；　up　he

drove。　He　fancied　himself　free　of　all　excitement；　felt

cool　and　deliberate。　He　lifted　the　stem　still　more；

opened　one　valve　on　his　left　wing　and　swept　round　and

up。　He　looked　down　with　a　steady　head；　and　up。　One

of　the　Ostrogite　aeropiles　was　driving　across　his　course；

so　that　he　drove　obliquely　towards　it　and　would　pass

below　it　at　a　steep　angle。　Its　little　aeronauts　were

peering　down　at　him。　What　did　they　mean　to　do？

His　mind　became　active。　One；　he　saw　held　a　weapon

pointing；　seemed　prepared　to　fire。　What　did　they

think　he　meant　to　do？　In　a　moment　he　understood

their　tactics；　and　his　resolution　was　taken。　His

momentary　lethargy　was　past。　He　opened　two　more

valves　to　his　left；　swung　round；　end　on　to　this　hostile

machine；　closed　his　valves；　and　shot　straight　at　it；　stem

and　wind…screen　shielding　him　from　the　shot。　They

tilted　a　little　as　if　to　clear　him。　He　flung　up　his　stem。



Throb；　throb；　throbpausethrob；　throb

he　set　his　teeth；　his　face　into　an　involuntary　grimace；

and　crash！　He　struck　it！　He　struck　upward　beneath

the　nearer　wing。



Very　slowly　the　wing　of　his　antagonist　seemed　to

broaden　as　the　impetus　of　his　blow　turned　it　up。　He

saw　the　full　breadth　of　it　and　then　it　slid　downward　out

of　his　sight。



He　felt　his　stem　going　down；　his　hands　tightened　on

the　levers；　whirled　and　rammed　the　engine　back。　He

felt　the　jerk　of　a　clearance；　the　nose　of　the　machine

jerked　upward　steeply；　and　for　a　moment　he　seemed

to　be　Iying　on　his　back。　The　machine　was　reeling　and

staggering；　it　seemed　to　be　dancing　on　its　screw。　He

made　a　huge　effort；　hung　for　a　moment　on　the　levers；

and　slowly　the　engine　came　forward　again。　He

was　driving　upward　but　no　longer　so　steeply。　He

gasped　for　a　moment　and　flung　himself　at　the

levers　again。　The　wind　whistled　about　him。　One

further　effort　and　he　was　almost　level。　He　could

breathe。　He　turned　his　head　for　the　first　time　to　see

what　had　become　of　his　antagonists。　Turned　back　to

the　levers　for　a　moment　and　looked　again。　For　a

moment　he　could　have　believed　they　were　annihilated。

And　then　he　saw　between　the　two　stages　to　the　east

was　a　chasm；　and　down　this　something；　a　slender　edge；

fell　swiftly　and　vanished；　as　a　sixpence　falls　down　a

crack。



At　first　he　did　not　understand；　and　then　a　wild　joy

possessed　him。　He　shouted　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　an

inarticulate　shout；　and　drove　higher　and　higher　up　the

sky。　Throb；　throb；　throb；　pause；　throb；　throb；　throb。

〃Where　was　the　other　aeropile？〃　he　thought。　〃They

too。〃　As　he　looked　round　the　empty　heavens　he

had　a　momentary　fear　that　this　machine　had　risen

above　him；　and　then　he　saw　it　alighting　on　the　

Norwood　stage。　They　had　meant　shooting。　To　risk　being

rammed　headlong　two　thousand　feet　in　the　air　was

beyond　their　latter…day　courage。　The　combat　was

declined。



For　a　little　while　he　circled；　then　swooped　in　a　steep

descent　towards　the　westward　stage。　Throb　throb

throb；　throb　throb　throb。　The　twilight　was　creeping

on　apace；　the　smoke　from　the　Streatham　stage　that　had

been　so　dense　and　dark；　was　now　a　pillar　of　fire；　and

all　the　laced　curves　of　the　moving　ways　and　the　

translucent　roofs　and　domes　and　the　chasms　between　the

buildings　were　glowing　softly　now；　lit　by　the　tempered

radiance　of　the　electric　light　that　the　glare　of　the

way　overpowered。　The　three　efficient　stages　that　the

Ostrogites　heldfor　Wimbledon　Park　was　useless

because　of　the　fire　from　Roehampton；　and　Streatham

was　a　furnacewere　glowing　with　guide　lights　for

the　coming　aeroplanes。　As　he　swept　over　the　Roehampton　

stage　he　saw　the　dark　masses　of　the　people

thereon。　He　heard　a　clap　of　frantic　cheering；　heard　a

bullet　from　the　Wimbledon　Park　stage　tweet　through

the　air；　and　went　beating　up　above　the　Surrey　wastes。

He　felt　a　breath　of　wind　from　the　south…west；　and

lifted　his　westward　wing　as　he　had　learnt　to　do；　and

so　drove　upward　heeling　into　the　rare　swift　upper　air。

Throb　throb　throbthrob　throb　throb。



Up　he　drove　and　up；　to　that　pulsating　rhythm；　until

the　country　beneath　was　blue　and　indistinct；　and　London　

spread　like　a　little　map　traced　in　light；　like　the

mere　model　of　a　city　near　the　brim　of　the　horizon。

The　south…west　was　a　sky　of　sapphire　over　the　

shadowy　rim　of　the　world；　and　ever　as　he　drove　upward　the

multitude　of　stars　increased。



And　behold！　In　the　southward；　low　down　and

glittering　swiftly　nearer；　were　two　little　patches　of

nebulous　light。　And　then　two　more；　and　then　a　nebulous　

glow　of　swiftly　driving　shapes。　Presently　he

could　count　them。　There　were　four　and　twenty。　The

first　fleet　of　aeroplanes　had　come！　Beyond　appeared

a　yet　greater　glow。



He　swept　round　in　a　half　circle；　staring　at　this　advancing　

fleet。　It　flew　in　a　wedge…like　shape；　a　triangular　flight　

of　gigantic　phosphorescent　shapes　sweeping

nearer　through　the　lower　air。　He　made　a　swift　calculation　

of　their　pace；　and　spun　the　little　wheel

that　brought　the　engine　forward。　He　touched

a　lever　and　the　throbbing　effort　of　the　engine

ceased。　He　began　to　fall；　fell　swifter　and　swifter。　He

aimed　at　the　apex　of　the　wedge。　He　dropped　like　a

stone　through　the　whistling　air。　It　seemed　scarce　a

second　from　that　soaring　moment　before　he　struck　the

foremost　aeroplane。



No　man　of　all　that　black　multitude　saw　the　coming

of　his　fate；　no　man　among　them　dreamt　of　the　hawk

that　struck　downward　upon　him　out　of　the　sky。　Those

who　were　not　limp　in　the　agonies　of　air…sickness；　were

craning　their　black　necks　and　staring　to　see　the　filmy

city　that　was　rising　out　of　the　haze；　the　rich　and

splendid　city　to　which　〃Massa　Boss〃　had　brought

their　obedient　muscles。　Bright　teeth　gleamed　and　the

glossy　faces　shone。　They　had　heard　of　Paris。　They

knew　they　were　to　have　lordly　times　among　the　〃poor

white〃　trash。　And　suddenly　Graham　struck　them。



He　had　aimed　at　the　body　of　the　aeroplane；　but　at

the　very　last　instant　a　better　idea　had　flashed　into　his

mind。　He　twisted　about　and　struck　near　the　edge　of

the　starboard　wing　with　all　his　accumulated　weight。

He　was　jerked　back　as　he　struck。　His　prow　went

gliding　across　its　smooth　expanse　towards　the　rim。

He　felt　the　forward　rush　of　the　huge　fabric　sweeping

him　and　his　aeropile　along　with　it；　and　for　a　moment

that　seemed　an　age　he　could　not　tell　what　was　happening。　

He　heard　a　thousand　throats　yelling；　and

perceived　that　his　machine　was　balanced　on　the　edge

of　the　gigantic　float；　and　driving　down；　down；　glanced

over　his　shoulder　and　saw　the　backbone　of　the

aeroplane　and　the　opposite　float　swaying　up。　He　had

a　vision　through　the　ribs　of　sliding　chairs；　staring

faces；　and　hands　clutching　at　the　tilting　guide　bars。

The　fenestrations　in　the　further　float　flashed　open　as

the　aeronaut　tried　to　right　her。　Beyond；　he　saw　a

second　aeroplane　leaping　steeply　to　escape　the　whirl

of　its　heeling　fellow。　The　broad　area　of　swaying

wings　seemed　to　jerk　upward。　He　felt　his　aeropile

had　dropped　clear；　that　the　monstrous　fabric；　clean

overturned；　hung　like　a　sloping　wall　above　him。



He　did　not　clearly　understand　that　he　had　struck

the　side　float　of　the　aeroplane　and　slipped　off；　but　he

perceived　that　he　was　flying　free　on　the　down　glide

and　rapidly　nearing　earth。　What　had　he　done？　His

heart　throbbed　like　a　noisy　engine　in　his　throat　and

for　a　perilous　instant　he　could　not　move　his　levers

because　of　the　para