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Mazanoff had undertaken this delicate and dangerous task, and so, as
soon as the Ithuriel and the Orion came to a standstill, and hung
motionless in the air, with all their guns ready trained on different
parts of the building, the Ariel sank suddenly and swiftly down, and
stopped within forty feet of the heads of a crowd of soldiers and
mechanics, who had rushed pell-mell out of the building, under the
impression that it was about to be destroyed.
The bold manoeuvre of the Ariel took officers and men completely by
surprise. So intense was the terror in which these mysterious air-ships
were held, and so absolute was the belief that they were armed with
perfectly irresistible means of destruction, that the sight of one of
them at such close quarters paralysed all thought and action for the
time being. The first shock over, the majority of the crowd took to
their heels and fled incontinently. Of the remainder a few of the bolder
spirits handled their rifles and looked inquiringly at their officers.
Mazanoff saw this, and at once raised his hand towards the sky and
shouted--
"Ground arms! If a shot is fired the Arsenal will be destroyed as
Kronstadt was, and then we shall attack Petersburg."
The threat was sufficient. A grey-haired officer in undress uniform
glanced up at the Ithuriel and her consort, and then at the guns of the
Ariel, all four of which had been swung round and brought to bear on the
side of the building near which she had descended. He was no coward, but
he saw that Mazanoff had the power to do what he said, and that even if
this air-ship were captured or destroyed, the other two would take a
frightful vengeance. He thought of Kronstadt, and decided to parley. The
rifle butts had come to the ground before Mazanoff had done speaking
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