Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/405

 him, threw him upon the sand, and continued his headlong course.

A simultaneous shout from the Arabs rent the air, but, occupied in their pursuit, they had not observed the "Victoria" 500 paces behind them, and only thirty feet above the ground. They were now within twenty lengths of the fugitive.

One of them nearly approached Joe, and was about to thrust his lance into his body, when Kennedy, with firm eye and steady hand, stopped him neatly with a bullet, and he rolled on the plain.

Joe did not even turn round at the report.

A portion of the troop halted, and fell on their faces in the dust before the "Victoria," the remainder continued the pursuit.

"But what is Joe about? why doesn't he stop?"

"He knows better than to do that, Dick. I understand him. He keeps going in the same direction as the balloon. He depends upon us. Brave lad! We will take him out of the very jaws of these Arabs. We are only fifty paces off."

"What must be done?" asked Kennedy.

"Put your gun aside."

"There it is," said the Scot, as he laid it down.

"Can you hold 500 lbs. of ballast in your arms?"

"More than that."

"No, that will be sufficient."

And the bags of sand were then piled up by the doctor upon Kennedy's arms.

"Now wait at the back of the car, and be ready to throw all that ballast out at once. But, for your very life, do not do so till I tell you."

"All right."

"Without that we cannot help Joe, and he will be lost."

"You may depend upon me."

The "Victoria" was flying almost above the troop of horsemen who were riding with loose reins after Joe. The doctor in the front of the car held the ladder extended, ready to launch it at the proper moment. Joe still kept about fifty feet ahead of his pursuers. The "Victoria" passed them.

"Attention!" cried Samuel to Kennedy.