"Oh, of course," said Kennedy, "that is to say, I shall accompany you with the view to stop you at the last moment from putting such folly into execution. I will follow the doctor as far as Zanzibar in the hope that he may even then be dissuaded from his mad project."
"With all due respect to you, Mr. Kennedy, you will not have the slightest effect My master is not one of your hair-brained sort. He has been pondering over this undertaking for a long time, and once his resolution is taken, the devil himself cannot compel him to change his mind."
"That remains to be proved," said Kennedy.
"Don't you flatter yourself with any such idea," continued Joe. " Besides, it is very important that you should come too. A sportsman like yourself will be in his very element in Africa. So you see for every reason you will not regret your journey."
"No, certainly. I shall not regret it if this idiotic scheme can ever be carried out."
"By-the-bye," said Joe, "do you know that this is the day to be weighed?"
"What do you mean by weighed? "
"Well, weighed–you and I and my master."
"What, like jockeys?"
"Yes, like jockeys. Only be assured you will not be obliged to train if you are too stout. They will take you as you are."
"I shall certainly not allow myself to be weighed," said the Scot with some warmth.
"But, sir, it is necessary for the balloon that you should."
"Well, the balloon must do without, that's all."
"Oh, very well, and if in consequence of wrong estimates the balloon should not be able to take us———"
"Oh, I don't mean that, of course."
"Well, shall we, Mr. Kennedy? My master will be coming to look for us in a moment."
"I shall not go," said Kennedy.
"I am sure you would not wish to annoy him."
"I cannot help that."
"Capital," cried Joe, laughing; "you only say that because he is not here, but when he comes in and says to you, 'Dick,' (begging your pardon, sir) 'Dick, I want to know exactly what you weigh,' you will go, take my word for it."
