I saw how little and
feeble is the life of man, a thing of chances, preposterously unable
to find the will to realise even the most timid of its dreams. And I
wondered if always it would be so, if man was a doomed animal who would
never to the last days of his time take hold of fate and change it to
his will. Always, it may be, he will remain kindly but jealous, desirous
but discursive, able and unwisely impulsive, until Saturn who begot him
shall devour him in his turn....
'I was roused from these thoughts by the sudden realisation of the
presence of a squadron of aeroplanes far away to the north-east and very
high. They looked like little black dashes against the midnight blue.
I remember that I looked up at them at first rather idly--as one might
notice a flight of birds. Then I perceived that they were only the
extreme wing of a great fleet that was advancing in a long line very
swiftly from the direction of the frontier and my attention tightened.
'Directly I saw that fleet I was astonished not to have seen it before.
'I stood up softly, undesirous of disturbing my companions, but with my
heart beating now rather more rapidly with surprise and excitement.
I strained my ears for any sound of guns along our front. Almost
instinctively I turned about for protection to the south and west, and
peered; and then I saw coming as fast and much nearer to me, as if they
had sprung out of the darkness, three banks of aeroplanes; a group
of squadrons very high, a main body at a height perhaps of one or two
thousand feet, and a doubtful number flying low and very indistinct.
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