His eyes smiled in memory of the countless times he had watched such flights, had seen thousands of wild ducks hurrying down a valley, had watched a family of herons stretching away to some lonely water-home.

And then another sound greeted his ear.

It was shrill, sharp and insistent.

A great serpent was stealing out of the East and moving down upon Lebanon.

It gave out puffs of smoke from its ungainly head.