Not that it really ended with tea. Tea was rather a
beginning, leading to all sorts of unexpected and surprising things.
The airship was out when I arrived, and a group of young officers was
watching it, a dot on the horizon near the front. They gave me the
glasses, and I saw it plainly--a long, yellowish, slowly moving object
that turned as I looked and headed back for the station.
The group watched the sky carefully. A German aeroplane could wreck
the airship easily. But although there were planes in sight none was
of the familiar German lines.
It came on. Now one could see the car below. A little closer and three
dots were the men in it. On the sandy plain which is the landing field
were waiting the men whose work it is to warp the great balloon into
its hangar. The wind had come up and made landing difficult. It was
necessary to make two complete revolutions over the field before
coming down. Then the blunt yellow nose dipped abruptly. The men below
caught the ropes, the engine was cut off, and His Majesty's airship,
in shape and colour not unlike a great pig, was safely at home again
and being led to the stable.
"Do you want to know the bravest man in all the world?" one of the
young officers said. "Because here he is. The funny thing about it is
he doesn't know he is brave.
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