BertsawnothingthenofthesecondfleetoftheAsiatics，thoughprobablythatwascomingintosightoftheGermansatthetime，inthenorth—west。
Theairwasverystill，theskyalmostwithoutacloud，andtheGermanfleethadrisentoanimmenseheight，sothattheairshipsseemednolongerofanyconsiderablesize。Bothendsoftheircrescentshowedplainly。AstheybeatsouthwardtheypassedslowlybetweenBertandthesunlight，andbecameblackoutlinesofthemselves。ThedrachenfliegerappearedaslittleflecksofblackoneitherwingofthisaerialArmada。
Thetwofleetsseemedinnohurrytoengage。TheAsiaticswentfarawayintotheeast，quickeningtheirpaceandrisingastheydidso，andthentailedoutintoalongcolumnandcameflyingback，risingtowardstheGermanleft。Thesquadronsofthelattercameabout，facingthisobliqueadvance，andsuddenlylittleflickeringsandafaintcrepitatingsoundtoldthattheyhadopenedfire。Foratimenoeffectwasvisibletothewatcheronthebridge。Then，likeahandfulofsnowflakes，thedrachenfliegerswoopedtotheattack，andamultitudeofredspeckswhirleduptomeetthem。ItwastoBert’ssensenotonlyenormouslyremotebutsingularlyinhuman。Notfourhourssincehehadbeenononeofthoseveryairships，andyettheyseemedtohimnownotgas—bagscarryingmen，butstrangesentientcreaturesthatmovedaboutanddidthingswithapurposeoftheirown。TheflightoftheAsiaticandGermanflying—machinesjoinedanddroppedearthward，becamelikeahandfulofwhiteandredrosepetalsflungfromadistantwindow，grewlarger，untilBertcouldseetheoverturnedonesspinningthroughtheair，andwerehiddenbygreatvolumesofdarksmokethatwererisinginthedirectionofBuffalo。Foratimetheyallwerehidden，thentwoorthreewhiteandanumberofredones。roseagainintothesky，likeaswarmofbigbutterflies，andcircledfightinganddroveawayoutofsightagaintowardstheeast。
AheavyreportrecalledBert’seyestothezenith，andbehold，thegreatcrescenthadlostitsdressingandburstintoadisorderlylongcloudofairships！Onehaddroppedhalfwaydownthesky。Itwasflamingforeandaft，andevenasBertlookeditturnedoverandfell，spinningoverandoveritselfandvanishedintothesmokeofBuffalo。
Bert’smouthopenedandshut，andheclutchedtighterontherailofthebridge。Forsomemoments——theyseemedlongmoments——thetwofleetsremainedwithoutanyfurtherchangeflyingobliquelytowardseachother，andmakingwhatcametoBert’searsasamidgetuproar。Thensuddenlyfromeithersideairshipsbegandroppingoutofalignment，smittenbymissileshecouldneitherseenortrace。ThestringofAsiaticshipsswungroundandeitherchargedintoorover（itwasdifficulttosayfrombelow）