Part 7 (1/2)
”Off to the hunt!” exclaimed Kennedy, joyously
He cli hi for hi his limbs in the mean time
”Don't fly aithout us, doctor!” shouted Joe
”Never fear,ood hunt to you! but be careful Besides, from my post here, I can observe the face of the country, and, at the least suspicious thing I notice, I'll fire a signal-shot, and with that you reed!” said Kennedy; and off they went
CHAPTER FOURTEENTH
The Forest of Gunal-An Unexpected Attack-The Kanyeuru-Jihoue-la-Mkoa-A Supply of Water-Arrival at Kazeh
The country, dry and parched as it was, consisting of a clayey soil that cracked open with the heat, seemed, indeed, a desert: here and there were a few traces of caravans; the bones oftogether in the sa, dick and Joe plunged into a forest of guers on the trigger There was no foreseeing what theya rifle dexterity
”A walk does one good, Mr Kennedy, but this isn't the easiest ground in the world,” he said, kicking aside soments of quartz hich the soil was bestrewn
Kennedy motioned to his companion to be silent and to halt The present case cos, and, no ht be, he could not be expected to have the scent of a setter or a greyhound
A herd of a dozen antelopes were quenching their thirst in the bed of a torrent where so danger in the breeze, seemed to be disturbed and uneasy Their beautiful heads could be seen between every draught, raised in the air with quick and sudden motion as they sniffed the wind in the direction of our two hunters, with their flexible nostrils
Kennedy stole around behind some clumps of shrubbery, while Joe reot within gunshot and fired
The herd disappeared in the twinkling of an eye; one male antelope only, that was hit just behind the shoulder-joint, fell headlong to the ground, and Kennedy leaped toward his booty
It was a blauwbok, a superb aniray, but with the belly and the inside of the legs as white as the driven snow
”A splendid shot!” exclaimed the hunter ”It's a very rare species of the antelope, and I hope to be able to prepare his skin in such a way as to keep it”
”Indeed!” said Joe, ”do you think of doing that, Mr Kennedy?”
”Why, certainly I do! Just see what a fine hide it is!”
”But Dr Ferguson will never allow us to take such an extra weight!”
”You're right, Joe Still it is a pity to have to leave such a noble animal”
”The whole of it? Oh, on't do that, sir; we'll take all the good eatable parts of it, and, if you'll let me, I'll cut him up just as well as the chairman of the honorable corporation of butchers of the city of London could do”
”As you please, my boy! But you know that in my hunter's way I can just as easily skin and cut up a piece of game as kill it”
”I'm sure of that, Mr Kennedy Well, then, you can build a fireplace with a few stones; there's plenty of dry dead-wood, and I can make the hot coals tell in a few oing to work on the fireplace, where he had a brisk fla in a minute or two
Joe had cut some of the nicest steaks and the best parts of the tenderloin from the carcass of the antelope, and these were quickly transformed to the most savory of broils
”There, those will tickle the doctor!” said Kennedy
”Do you knohat I was thinking about?” said Joe
”Why, about the steaks you're broiling, to be sure!” replied dick
”Not the least in the world I was thinking what a figure we'd cut if we couldn't find the balloon again”
”By George, what an idea! Why, do you think the doctor would desert us?”
”No; but suppose his anchor were to slip!”
”Impossible! and, besides, the doctor would find no difficulty in coain with his balloon; he handles it at his ease”
”But suppose the ere to sweep it off, so that he couldn't come back toward us?”
”Co but pleasant”
”Ah! sir, every thing that happens in this world is natural, of course; but, then, any thing ht to look out beforehand”
At thisout upon the air
”What's that?” exclai of her!” said Kennedy
”A signal!”
”Yes; danger for us!”
”For him, too, perhaps”
”Let's be off!”
And the hunters, having gathered up the product of their expedition, rapidlythe path that they had hs and bushes when they ca the balloon, although they could not be far from it
A second shot was heard
”We must hurry!” said Joe
”There! a third report!”