Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/412

 was very summarily prepared. He sent up a most appetizing little supper of frochette of snipe. The wind being favorable, the doctor resolved to continue his journey by night, as the full moon was shining brightly. The "Victoria" rose to 500 feet, and during this night journey of about 60 miles, an infant's slumber would not have been disturbed.

On Sunday there was another change in the wind, viz., to the northwest. Some ravens were perceived, and further off a flock of vultures, who fortunately kept aloof.

The sight of these birds induced Joe to compliment his master upon his idea of two balloons.

"Where should we be now," said he, "if we had had but one envelope? This second balloon is like a ship's launch; in case of shipwreck, one can always take to it for safety."

"You are right, my friend, only my launch makes me a little nervous, it is not like the ship."

"What do you mean?" asked Kennedy.

"I say that the new 'Victoria' is not up to the old one. Whether the tissues have been stretched, or whether the gutta-percha is melted with heat of the serpentine, I am aware of a certain escape of gas. This is not much matter at present, but it is appreciable; we have a tendency to fall, and to keep us up I am obliged to dilate the hydrogen to a greater extent."

"Whew!" cried Kennedy, "I don't see any remedy for that!"

"There is none, my dear Dick. That is the reason we are pressing on, and even at night."

"Are we far from the coast?" asked Joe.

"What coast, my lad? We cannot tell where chance may lead us; all I can say is, that Timbuctoo is 400 miles to the west."

"And what time shall we take to get there?"

"If the wind do not drop, I expect to see the town on Tuesday afternoon."

"Then," said Joe, pointing out a long train of men and beasts on the plain, we shall arrive before that caravan!"

Ferguson and Kennedy leaned over, and saw a vast multitude; there were more than 150 camels of the kind which, for twelve golden "mutkals," march from Timbuctoo to Tafilet, with a load of 500 lbs.