Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/389

 "I have been thinking," said he, "what we must do to recover our companion."

"What is your suggestion, Samuel? I agree to everything. Speak."

"First of all, it is important that Joe should have knowledge of our whereabouts."

"Certainly, or he will think we mean to leave him to his fate."

"He! He knows us too well to think that; he would never think of such a thing; but he must be told where we are."

"How?"

"We must take our places in the car and ascend again."

"But if the wind carry us away?"

"Fortunately it will do nothing of the kind. Look, Dick; the wind will bring us back again over the lake, and this, which would have been annoying yesterday, is to-day most propitious. We must therefore direct all our efforts to maintain ourselves above the lake all day. Joe will not fail to see us up there, where he will be anxiously looking for us. Perhaps he will be able to tell us where he is."

"If he be alone, and at liberty, he will certainly do so."

"And if he be a prisoner," replied the doctor, "as the natives do not incarcerate their prisoners, he will see us, and understand the object of our maneuvers."

"But if, after all," said Kennedy, "for we must be prepared for every contingency, if he has left no trace, what can we do?"

"We must endeavor to regain the northern side of the lake, keeping ourselves in view as much as possible. There we will wait, explore the banks, search the edges of the lake, which Joe would certainly endeavor to reach; and we will not leave the neighborhood without making every effort to find him."

"Let us go, then," said Kennedy.

The doctor took the exact bearings of the piece of dry ground they were about to leave; he estimated that, according to the map and his observations, they were to the north of Lake Tchad, between the town of Lari and the village of Ingernini, both of which had been visited by Major Denham. Meantime Kennedy completed the pro-