Part 10 (1/2)
”Whenever you like, doctor”
”We shall also have to replenish our stock of water Who knows but we ions? So we cannot take too many precautions”
At noon the Victoria was at twenty-nine degrees fifteen rees fifteen e of Uyofu, the last northern limit of the Unyamwezi, opposite to the Lake Ukereoue, which could still be seen
The tribes living near to the equator seeoverned by absolute monarchs, whose control is an unlimited despotism Their most cowah
It was decided by the aeronauts that they would alight at the first favorable place They found that they should have to ed halt, and take a careful inspection of the balloon: so the fla out frorass of an iht, looked like a shaven lawn, but the growth of which, in reality, was froht
The balloon skiantic butterfly: not an obstacle was in sight; it was an ocean of verdure without a single breaker
”Wetime in this style,” remarked Kennedy; ”I don't see one tree that we could approach, and I'm afraid that our hunt's over”
”Wait, dick; you could not hunt anyhow in this grass, that grows higher than your head We'll find a favorable place presently”
In truth, it was a charation on this green, al in the breath of the wind The little car seemed to cleave the waves of verdure, and, froe would rise fluttering froe, and speed aith joyous cries The anchors plunged into this lake of flowers, and traced a furrow that closed behind them, like the wake of a shi+p
All at once a sharp shock was felt-the anchor had caught in the fissure of sorass
”We are fast!” exclaimed Joe
These words had scarcely been uttered when a shrill cry rang through the air, and the following phrases, led with exclamations, escaped froe cry!”
”Look! Why, we're !”
”The anchor has slipped!”
”No; it holds, and holds fast too!” said Joe, as tugging at the rope
”It's the rock, then, that's rass, and soon an elongated, winding shape was seen rising above it
”A serpent!” shouted Joe
”A serpent!” repeated Kennedy, handling his rifle
”No,” said the doctor, ”it's an elephant's trunk!”
”An elephant, Samuel?”
And, as Kennedy said this, he drew his rifle to his shoulder
”Wait, dick; wait!”
”That's a fact! The aniht direction, Joe-in the right direction”
The elephant was nowwhere his whole body could be seen By his gigantic size, the doctor recognized a male of a superb species He had thitish tusks, beautifully curved, and about eight feet in length; and in these the shanks of the anchor had fir with his trunk to disengage himself froo ahead, old fellow!” shouted Joe, with delight, doing his best to urge this rather novel tea!-no more horses forus to?” said Kennedy, whose rifle itched in his grasp
”He's taking us exactly to where ant to go, -a-h glee ”Gee-up! gee-up there!”
The huge ani his trunk froave the car several rather heavy thumps Meanwhile the doctor stood ready, hatchet in hand, to cut the rope, should need arise
”But,” said he, ”we shall not give up our anchor until the last moment”
This drive, with an elephant for the team, lasted about an hour and a half; yet the aniued These iround, and, from one day to another, are found at enormous distances from there they were last seen, like the whales, whose mass and speed they rival
”In fact,” said Joe, ”it's a whale that we have harpooned; and we're only doing just halee in the nature of the ground corove of calmadores was descried on the horizon, about three miles away, on the north of the prairie So it becaht-aniing the elephant to a halt He drew his rifle to his shoulder, but his position was not favorable to a successful shot; so that the first ball fired flattened itself on the aniainst an iron plate The creature did not seem in the least troubled by it; but, at the sound of the discharge, he had increased his speed, and noas going as fast as a horse at full gallop
”The deuce!” ejaculated Kennedy
”What a solid head!” commented Joe
”We'll try some conical balls behind the shoulder-joint,” said Kennedy, reloading his rifle with care In another ave a terrible cry, but went on faster than ever
”Coun, ”I must help you, or we'll never end it” And noo balls penetrated the creature's side
The elephant halted, lifted his trunk, and resumed his run toward the ith all his speed; he shook his huge head, and the blood began to gush from his wounds
”Let us keep up our fire, Mr Kennedy”
”And a continuous fire, too,” urged the doctor, ”for we are close on the woods”
Ten shots ed The elephant h every thing were going to pieces, and the shock round
The situation was thus rendered really very alarht, could not be disengaged, nor could it yet be cut by the knives of our aeronauts, and the balloon was rushi+ng headlong toward the wood, when the animal received a ball in the eye just as he lifted his head On this he halted, faltered, his knees bent under him, and he uncovered his whole flank to the assaults of his enemies in the balloon
”A bullet in his heart!” said Kennedy, discharging one last rifle-shot