Thus, seeming to have reached a certain finality of decision, he dismissed her again from his mind—­for perhaps the twentieth time—­and with new care once more began studying the gold-edged, shining clouds where now a dull, broad arc of molten metal had burned its way out of the mists.

The Master slid colored ray-filters over his binoculars, to shield his eyes from the direct dazzle of the rising sun, and swept that incandescent arc.  Suddenly he drew a sharp intake of breath.

“Sighted something, eh?” demanded the major, already recovered from the snub administered.

“See for yourself, Major, what you make of it!  Right in the sun’s eye, and off to southward—­all along that fantastic, crimson cloud-castle.”

Bohannan’s gaze narrowed through his own glasses.  Bracing his powerful legs against the quivering jar of the aileron, he brushed the horizon into his eager vision.  The glasses steadied.  There, of a truth, black midges had appeared, coming up over the world’s rim like a startled covey of quail.

CHAPTER XV

THE BATTLE OF VIBRATIONS

Two, five, a dozen, now a score of tiny specks dotted the mist, some moving right across the broadening face of the sun itself.  As Nissr’s flight stormed eastward, and these gnats drove to the west, their total rate of approach must have been tremendous; for even as the men watched, they seemed to find the attackers growing in bulk.  And now more and ever more appeared, transpiring from the bleeding vapors of dawn.

“Looks like business, sir!” exclaimed the Celt, his jaw hard.

“Business, yes.”

“Bad business for us, eh?”

“It might be, if we had only the usual means of defense.  Under ordinary circumstances, our only game would be to turn tail and run for it, or cut away far to the south—­or else break out a white flag and surrender.  But—­”

“That must be the Azores air-fleet,” judged Bohannan.  “The others couldn’t have made so much westing, in this time.  Faith, what a buzzing swarm of mosquitoes!  I had no idea there were that many planes on the Azores International Air Board station!”

“There are many things you have no idea of, Major,” replied the Master, sharply.  “That, however, is immaterial.  Yes, here come the fringes of attack, all right enough.  I estimate forty or fifty in sight, already; and there must be a few hundred back of those, between here and land, north and south.  Technically, we’re pirates, you know.”

“Pirates?” demanded the major, lowering his glass.

The Master nodded.

“Yes,” he answered.  “That’s what the wireless tells us.  We’ll get short shrift if—­my apparatus fails.”

“How do they make us out pirates?” Bohannan ejaculated.  It was not fear that looked from his blue eyes, but a vast astonishment.  His ruddy face, amazed under the now strengthening light of day, brought a smile to the Master’s lips.