Cinq semaines en ballon. English

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIRST.

  The Approaches to Senegal.--The Balloon sinks lower and lower.--Theykeep throwing out, throwing out.--The Marabout Al-Hadji.--Messrs.Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert.--A Rival of Mohammed.--The DifficultMountains.--Kennedy's Weapons.--One of Joe's Manoeuvres.--A Halt over aForest.

  On the 27th of May, at nine o'clock in the morning, the countrypresented an entirely different aspect. The slopes, extending far away,changed to hills that gave evidence of mountains soon to follow. Theywould have to cross the chain which separates the basin of the Nigerfrom the basin of the Senegal, and determines the course of thewater-shed, whether to the Gulf of Guinea on the one hand, or to the bayof Cape Verde on the other.

  As far as Senegal, this part of Africa is marked down as dangerous.Dr. Ferguson knew it through the recitals of his predecessors. They hadsuffered a thousand privations and been exposed to a thousand dangersin the midst of these barbarous negro tribes. It was this fatal climatethat had devoured most of the companions of Mungo Park. Ferguson,therefore, was more than ever decided not to set foot in thisinhospitable region.

  But he had not enjoyed one moment of repose. The Victoria was descendingvery perceptibly, so much so that he had to throw overboard a numbermore of useless articles, especially when there was a mountain-top topass. Things went on thus for more than one hundred and twenty miles;they were worn out with ascending and falling again; the balloon, likeanother rock of Sisyphus, kept continually sinking back toward theground. The rotundity of the covering, which was now but littleinflated, was collapsing already. It assumed an elongated shape, and thewind hollowed large cavities in the silken surface.

  Kennedy could not help observing this.

  "Is there a crack or a tear in the balloon?" he asked.

  "No, but the gutta percha has evidently softened or melted in the heat,and the hydrogen is escaping through the silk."

  "How can we prevent that?"

  "It is impossible. Let us lighten her. That is the only help. So let usthrow out every thing we can spare."

  "But what shall it be?" said the hunter, looking at the car, which wasalready quite bare.

  "Well, let us get rid of the awning, for its weight is quiteconsiderable."

  Joe, who was interested in this order, climbed up on the circle whichkept together the cordage of the network, and from that place easilymanaged to detach the heavy curtains of the awning and throw themoverboard.

  "There's something that will gladden the hearts of a whole tribe ofblacks," said he; "there's enough to dress a thousand of them, forthey're not very extravagant with cloth."

  The balloon had risen a little, but it soon became evident that it wasagain approaching the ground.

  "Let us alight," suggested Kennedy, "and see what can be done with thecovering of the balloon."

  "I tell you, again, Dick, that we have no means of repairing it."

  "Then what shall we do?"

  "We'll have to sacrifice every thing not absolutely indispensable; Iam anxious, at all hazards, to avoid a detention in these regions. Theforests over the tops of which we are skimming are any thing but safe."

  "What! are there lions in them, or hyenas?" asked Joe, with anexpression of sovereign contempt.

  "Worse than that, my boy! There are men, and some of the most cruel,too, in all Africa."

  "How is that known?"

  "By the statements of travellers who have been here before us. Thenthe French settlers, who occupy the colony of Senegal, necessarilyhave relations with the surrounding tribes. Under the administrationof Colonel Faidherbe, reconnaissances have been pushed far up into thecountry. Officers such as Messrs. Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert, havebrought back precious documents from their expeditions. They haveexplored these countries formed by the elbow of the Senegal in placeswhere war and pillage have left nothing but ruins."

  "What, then, took place?"

  "I will tell you. In 1854 a Marabout of the Senegalese Fouta, Al-Hadjiby name, declaring himself to be inspired like Mohammed, stirred upall the tribes to war against the infidels--that is to say, againstthe Europeans. He carried destruction and desolation over the regionsbetween the Senegal River and its tributary, the Fateme. Three hordesof fanatics led on by him scoured the country, sparing neither a villagenor a hut in their pillaging, massacring career. He advanced in personon the town of Sego, which was a long time threatened. In 1857 he workedup farther to the northward, and invested the fortification of Medina,built by the French on the bank of the river. This stronghold wasdefended by Paul Holl, who, for several months, without provisionsor ammunition, held out until Colonel Faidherbe came to his relief.Al-Hadji and his bands then repassed the Senegal, and reappeared in theKaarta, continuing their rapine and murder.--Well, here below us is thevery country in which he has found refuge with his hordes of banditti;and I assure you that it would not be a good thing to fall into hishands."

  "We shall not," said Joe, "even if we have to throw overboard ourclothes to save the Victoria."

  "We are not far from the river," said the doctor, "but I foresee thatour balloon will not be able to carry us beyond it."

  "Let us reach its banks, at all events," said the Scot, "and that willbe so much gained."

  "That is what we are trying to do," rejoined Ferguson, "only that onething makes me feel anxious."

  "What is that?"

  "We shall have mountains to pass, and that will be difficult to do,since I cannot augment the ascensional force of the balloon, even withthe greatest possible heat that I can produce."

  "Well, wait a bit," said Kennedy, "and we shall see!"

  "The poor Victoria!" sighed Joe; "I had got fond of her as the sailordoes of his ship, and I'll not give her up so easily. She may not bewhat she was at the start--granted; but we shouldn't say a word againsther. She has done us good service, and it would break my heart to deserther."

  "Be at your ease, Joe; if we leave her, it will be in spite ofourselves. She'll serve us until she's completely worn out, and I ask ofher only twenty-four hours more!"

  "Ah, she's getting used up! She grows thinner and thinner," said Joe,dolefully, while he eyed her. "Poor balloon!"

  "Unless I am deceived," said Kennedy, "there on the horizon are themountains of which you were speaking, doctor."

  "Yes, there they are, indeed!" exclaimed the doctor, after havingexamined them through his spy-glass, "and they look very high. We shallhave some trouble in crossing them."

  "Can we not avoid them?"

  "I am afraid not, Dick. See what an immense space they occupy--nearlyone-half of the horizon!"

  "They even seem to shut us in," added Joe. "They are gaining on both ourright and our left."

  "We must then pass over them."

  These obstacles, which threatened such imminent peril, seemed toapproach with extreme rapidity, or, to speak more accurately, the wind,which was very fresh, was hurrying the balloon toward the sharp peaks.So rise it must, or be dashed to pieces.

  "Let us empty our tank of water," said the doctor, "and keep only enoughfor one day."

  "There it goes," shouted Joe.

  "Does the balloon rise at all?" asked Kennedy.

  "A little--some fifty feet," replied the doctor, who kept his eyes fixedon the barometer. "But that is not enough."

  In truth the lofty peaks were starting up so swiftly before thetravellers that they seemed to be rushing down upon them. The balloonwas far from rising above them. She lacked an elevation of more thanfive hundred feet more.

  The stock of water for the cylinder was also thrown overboard and only afew pints were retained, but still all this was not enough.

  "We must pass them though!" urged the doctor.

  "Let us throw out the tanks--we have emptied them." said Kennedy.

  "Over with them!"

  "There they go!" panted Joe. "But it's hard to see ourselves droppingoff this way by piecemeal."

  "Now, for your part, Joe, make no attempt to sacrifice yourself as youdid the other day! Whatever
happens, swear to me that you will not leaveus!"

  "Have no fears, my master, we shall not be separated."

  The Victoria had ascended some hundred and twenty feet, but the crestof the mountain still towered above it. It was an almost perpendicularridge that ended in a regular wall rising abruptly in a straight line.It still rose more than two hundred feet over the aeronauts.

  "In ten minutes," said the doctor to himself, "our car will be dashedagainst those rocks unless we succeed in passing them!"

  "Well, doctor?" queried Joe.

  "Keep nothing but our pemmican, and throw out all the heavy meat."

  Thereupon the balloon was again lightened by some fifty pounds, and itrose very perceptibly, but that was of little consequence, unless it gotabove the line of the mountain-tops. The situation was terrifying. TheVictoria was rushing on with great rapidity. They could feel that shewould be dashed to pieces--that the shock would be fearful.

  The doctor glanced around him in the car. It was nearly empty.

  "If needs be, Dick, hold yourself in readiness to throw over yourfire-arms!"

  "Sacrifice my fire-arms?" repeated the sportsman, with intense feeling.

  "My friend, I ask it; it will be absolutely necessary!"

  "Samuel! Doctor!"

  "Your guns, and your stock of powder and ball might cost us our lives."

  "We are close to it!" cried Joe.

  Sixty feet! The mountain still overtopped the balloon by sixty feet.

  Joe took the blankets and other coverings and tossed them out; then,without a word to Kennedy, he threw over several bags of bullets andlead.

  The balloon went up still higher; it surmounted the dangerous ridge, andthe rays of the sun shone upon its uppermost extremity; but the car wasstill below the level of certain broken masses of rock, against which itwould inevitably be dashed.

  "Kennedy! Kennedy! throw out your fire-arms, or we are lost!" shoutedthe doctor.

  "Wait, sir; wait one moment!" they heard Joe exclaim, and, lookingaround, they saw Joe disappear over the edge of the balloon.

  "Joe! Joe!" cried Kennedy.

  "Wretched man!" was the doctor's agonized expression.

  The flat top of the mountain may have had about twenty feet in breadthat this point, and, on the other side, the slope presented a lessdeclivity. The car just touched the level of this plane, which happenedto be quite even, and it glided over a soil composed of sharp pebblesthat grated as it passed.

  "We're over it! we're over it! we're clear!" cried out an exulting voicethat made Ferguson's heart leap to his throat.

  The daring fellow was there, grasping the lower rim of the car, andrunning afoot over the top of the mountain, thus lightening the balloonof his whole weight. He had to hold on with all his strength, too, forit was likely to escape his grasp at any moment.

  When he had reached the opposite declivity, and the abyss was beforehim, Joe, by a vigorous effort, hoisted himself from the ground, and,clambering up by the cordage, rejoined his friends.

  "That was all!" he coolly ejaculated.

  "My brave Joe! my friend!" said the doctor, with deep emotion.

  "Oh! what I did," laughed the other, "was not for you; it was to saveMr. Kennedy's rifle. I owed him that good turn for the affair with theArab! I like to pay my debts, and now we are even," added he, handingto the sportsman his favorite weapon. "I'd feel very badly to see youdeprived of it."

  Kennedy heartily shook the brave fellow's hand, without being able toutter a word.

  The Victoria had nothing to do now but to descend. That was easy enough,so that she was soon at a height of only two hundred feet from theground, and was then in equilibrium. The surface seemed very much brokenas though by a convulsion of nature. It presented numerous inequalities,which would have been very difficult to avoid during the night witha balloon that could no longer be controlled. Evening was coming onrapidly, and, notwithstanding his repugnance, the doctor had to make uphis mind to halt until morning.

  "We'll now look for a favorable stopping-place," said he.

  "Ah!" replied Kennedy, "you have made up your mind, then, at last?"

  "Yes, I have for a long time been thinking over a plan which we'll tryto put into execution; it is only six o'clock in the evening, and weshall have time enough. Throw out your anchors, Joe!"

  Joe immediately obeyed, and the two anchors dangled below the balloon.

  "I see large forests ahead of us," said the doctor; "we are going tosweep along their tops, and we shall grapple to some tree, for nothingwould make me think of passing the night below, on the ground."

  "But can we not descend?" asked Kennedy.

  "To what purpose? I repeat that it would be dangerous for us toseparate, and, besides, I claim your help for a difficult piece ofwork."

  The Victoria, which was skimming along the tops of immense forests, sooncame to a sharp halt. Her anchors had caught, and, the wind falling asdusk came on, she remained motionlessly suspended above a vast field ofverdure, formed by the tops of a forest of sycamores.