Works of Jules Verne/Five Weeks in a Balloon/Chapter 32
CHAPTER XXXII
THE FALL
After arriving at Lake Tchad, the "Victoria" met a current which carried it more to the west, some clouds tempered the heat, and occasionally a breeze was felt over this vast expanse of water. But, towards one o'clock, the balloon having slanted across this part of the lake, advanced once more inland for a distance of seven or eight miles.
The doctor, who was first annoyed at this direction, did not complain when he perceived the town of Kouka, the celebrated capital of Bornou. He could obtain a bird's-eye view of it, surrounded by walls of white clay; some mosques of considerable size towered above the Arab houses.
In the courts of the houses, and in the public squares were palm trees, and caoutchouc plants, crowned by a dome of foliage 100 feet in extent. Joe remarked that these immense umbrellas were suited to the heat of the sun's rays, and he drew very comfortable conclusions from this dispensation of Providence.
Kouka is really composed of two distinct towns, sepa- rated by the "dendal," a wide boulevard of great length, crowded by foot-passengers and horsemen. Upon one side lay the aristocratic quarter of the town, with its high and airy houses; on the other cowered the poorer quarter, a wretched assemblage of low conical huts, where an in- digent population dragged on a mere existence—for Kouka is neither commercial nor industrial.
Kennedy found some resemblance to Edinburgh, which was built on a plain, with its two perfectly distinct towns.
But the travelers had scarcely time to observe all these details, when a contrary wind, with the changeableness which characterizes the air-currents in Africa, suddenly laid hold of them and carried the balloon forty miles across Lake Tchad. ?
There a novel sight awaited them; they were able to count the numerous islets in the lake, inhabited by the Biddiomahs, very notorious and sanguinary pirates, and whose vicinity was as much to be dreaded as that of the Touaregs of the Sahara. These savages bravely prepared to receive the "Victoria" with showers of arrows and stones; but the balloon had soon passed their isles, over which it appeared to hover like a gigantic winged beetle.
At this moment Joe, who was gazing at the horizon, said to Kennedy, "Faith, Mr. Dick, you are always dreaming of shooting. Here is something which will suit you!"
"What is it, Joe?"
"And this time my master will not object to your firing your gun."
"But what is it?"
"Do you see that flock of large birds over there, which are approaching us?"
"Birds?" said the doctor, seizing his telescope.
"I see them," cried Kennedy. "There are at least a dozen of them."
"Fourteen, if you have no objection," said Joe.
"Please goodness, they are sufficiently mischievous that the tender-hearted Samuel may not object to my shooting some."
"I shall not say a word," said Ferguson, "but I should very much prefer to see them at a greater distance."
"You are afraid of these birds, then?" said Joe.
"They are condors, Joe, and of the largest size, and if they do attack us———"
"Well, we shall defend ourselves, Samuel. We have an arsenal ready to receive them. I do not suppose that these creatures are very formidable."
"Who can tell?" replied the doctor.
Ten minutes afterwards the flock was within range. These fourteen birds filled the air with their hoarse cries. They flew at the "Victoria " more irritated than alarmed by its appearance.
"How they scream," said Joe; "what a fearful row!"
"They probably regard us as intruders upon their domain, and think that we have no business to fly like themselves."
"Truly," replied Kennedy, "they are sufficiently formidable and quite as dangerous as if they were armed with Purdey's guns."
"They have no need of them," replied Ferguson, who had suddenly become very serious.
The condors flew round in wide circles, and their orbits gradually got smaller and smaller. They flashed through the sky with fantastic rapidity, sometimes darting down with the utmost velocity, and breaking their line with sharp angular flights.
The doctor, feeling nervous, resolved to ascend, in order to escape from such a dangerous neighborhood; he inflated the balloon, which mounted at once. But the falcons mounted with him, but little disposed to let him escape.
"They appear determined to have their own way," said Kennedy, taking up a carbine. The birds continued to approach; and more than one came within fifty paces of the car, as if to brave Kennedy's carbine. "I have a great mind to fire up at them," said Kennedy.
"No, Dick; do not, do not make them angry without reason. It would only incite them to attack us."
"But I can soon polish them off!"
"You are mistaken, Dick."
"We have a bullet for each of them?"
"And if they attack the upper part of the balloon how will you reach them? You imagine that you are dealing with lions on land, or with sharks in the open sea. For aëronauts, the situation is very critical."
"Are you serious, Samuel?"
"Quite serious, Dick."
"Let us wait, then."
"Yes; be ready in the event of attack; but do not fire without my orders."
The birds then collected at a little distance; the travelers could distinguish their bare throats extended with the efforts to scream; their gristly heads adorned with violet crests, which bristled with anger. They were of large size, their bodies being more than three feet long, and the under part of their white wings glistened in the sunlight. They have been termed air "sharks," to which fish they bore some resemblance.
"They are following us," said the doctor, as they rose with the balloon. "We have ascended well, and they can fly higher than we can go."
"Well, what is to be done?" asked Kennedy.
The doctor did not answer.
"Listen, Samuel," said Kennedy; "there are fourteen of these birds, and we have seventeen shots at our disposal, if we fire them all. Are there no means by which we can destroy or disperse them. I will account for some of them, I promise you."
"I don't question your skill, Dick, and I willingly look upon those birds as dead which fly across your range; but I repeat, if they attack the upper part of the balloon you will not be able to see them, they will tear the silk which keeps us up, and we are 3,000 feet above the ground!"
At this moment one of the fiercest of the birds swooped right down upon the "Victoria," with beak and claws extended, ready to bite and rend.
"Fire!" roared the doctor.
Scarcely had the word passed his lips, when the bird, shot dead, went tumbling into space.
Kennedy seized one of the double-abrrelled guns; Joe shouldered the other.
Frightened by the report, the falcons drew back for an instant, but they returned to the charge almost immediately with increased fury. Kennedy, with one bullet cut the head clean off the nearest bird; Joe broke the wing of another.
"Only eleven more," said he.
But now the birds changed their tactics and simultaneously rose above the "Victoria." Kennedy looked at Ferguson.
The latter, notwithstanding his energy and fortitude, turned pale. There was a moment of terrified silence. Then a rending noise was heard, as when silk is torn, and the car sank beneath the feet of the three travelers.
"We are lost!" cried Ferguson, as he gazed at the barometer, which was rapidly rising. Then he added: "Throw out the ballast; out with it!"
In a few seconds all the quartz had disappeared. "We are falling still. Empty the water-tanks, do you hear. We are falling into the lake!"
Joe obeyed. The doctor looked down. The lake appeared to be coming up to meet him, objects became more distinct, the car was not 200 feet from the surface of Lake Tchad.
"The provisions!" cried the doctor, and the case which contained them was hurled into space.
The descent became less rapid, but the unhappy travelers still were falling.
"Throw out more!" cried the doctor for the last time.
"There is nothing left," replied Kennedy.
"Yes," said Joe, laconically; and, with a rapid farewell gesture, he threw himself from the balloon.
"Joe, Joe!" cried the terrified doctor.
But Joe could no longer hear him. The "Victoria," lightened now, resumed her ascent, and reached a height of 1,000 feet; and the wind whistling through the torn silk covering of the balloon, carried them towards the northern side of the lake.
"He is lost!" cried Kennedy. despairingly.
"Lost to save us!" replied Ferguson.
And these brave men felt big tears rolling down their cheeks. They leaned over the side of the car, in the vain hope to distinguish some trace of the unfortunate Joe; but they were too far away.
"What is to be done now?" asked Kennedy.
"We must descend to earth as soon as we can, Dick, and then wait."
After a run of sixty miles, the "Victoria" descended on a deserted spot at the north end of the lake. The grapnels caught in a low tree, and Kennedy fastened them securely.
Night came on, but neither Ferguson nor Kennedy had a moment's sleep.