Part 46 (2/2)

He slept with one eye open, or one ear at all events, and was likely to give a good account of any savage who might come prowling around the camp.

But, by way of making a.s.surance doubly sure, the adventurers slept with loaded revolvers close beside them.

They slept heavily.

And that, too, despite the roaring of lions far down in the plains below, and the unearthly shrieks of goodness knows what, that came, ever and again, from the dark depths of the forest.

The sun was just rising over the distant green and hazy horizon when Duncan sat up.

He rubbed his eyes, and gazed around him almost wildly.

”Conal, Frank,” he cried them, ”awake! awake! Where is the balloon?”

Had there been any echo it might well have answered ”Where?”

The balloon was gone!

The explanation was not difficult. For, relieved of its load, it had quietly slipped its moorings during the darkness and gone on a voyage on its own account, goodness only knows where. And our heroes would never see it more.

To say that they were not deeply grieved would be far short of the truth. The loss seemed to cut them off entirely from the outer world.

But their hearts were young and buoyant, and so they did not mourn long.

After breakfast, indeed Duncan, who was the recognized leader, laughed lightly, saying as he did so:

”Come, you fellows, don't look so blue. Perhaps the loss of the balloon is a blessing in disguise.”

”I don't quite see it,” said Frank.

”No, you don't see the balloon. You've looked your very last on that; but listen to logic: We might have journeyed away in that balloon and been carried into regions from which we never could have got free again.”

”True enough!” said Conal.

Indeed everything his brother said was right in Conal's eyes.

”Well,” said Frank after a pause, ”I'm not going to bother about it.

The Pope was correct in saying, 'What is, is right.'”

”It wasn't the Pope, Frank, but Pope the poet.”

”Ah, well, it doesn't matter; only I had such grand dreams last night.”

”Indeed!”

”Yes, indeed. I was wandering through the diamond mines of Golconda, with Aladdin's lamp in one hand and a horse's nose-bag in the other.

And I filled that nose-bag too, you bet.”

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