"Do you know what I am thinking of, Mr. Richard?"
"Of what you are about; the steaks, no doubt."
"Not at all. I am thinking what a figure we should cut if we could not find the balloon."
"Goodness! Do you imagine that the doctor would abandon us?
"Oh no! But suppose the grapnel got loose?"
"Impossible. Besides, Samuel would not be at any difficulty to come down again. He can manage it very well."
"But suppose the wind caught it; he would not be able to bring it back to us in that case."
"Oh! bother, Joe, a truce to your suspicions; you are a regular 'Job's comforter.'
"Ah! sir, everything is possible in this world; so, as anything might happen, it is well to be prepared for everything———"
At that moment the report of a gun was heard.
"Listen!" cried Joe.
"My carbine! I know the sound," cried Kennedy.
"A signal!
"Danger for us!"
"Or for him, perhaps."
"Let us go at once."
The sportsmen rapidly packed up the products of their shooting and retraced their steps by means of the "blaze" made by Kennedy upon the trees. The thickness of the foliage prevented them from seeing the "Victoria," from which they could not be very far distant.
A second report was now heard.
"The matter is serious," said Joe.
"Yes, there's another!
"It seems as if he were defending himself."
"Let us make haste," said Kennedy, and running as quickly as possible, they arrived at the skirts of the wood, and all at once beheld the "Victoria" in its place and the doctor in the car.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Joe.
"What do you see?" asked the Scot.
"A whole tribe of black men down there besieging the balloon."
In fact, about two miles away a number of individuals were pressing, shouting, and jumping at the base of the
