The travelers took a last look at the trees of the oasis, which were bending with the force of the wind, and soon, running before the east wind at about 200 feet above the ground, they disappeared into the darkness of the night.
CHAPTER XXIX
MOUNT ATLANTIKA
From the moment of departure our travelers went at a tremendous pace—they longed to quit this desert, which had nearly proved so fatal. Towards nine o'clock some appearance of vegetation was perceived—herbs floating, as it were, upon the sea of sand, and announcing, as to Christopher Columbus, the approach of land—green blades pushed themselves up timidly between the stones which were themselves the rocks in this ocean.
A low-lying chain of hills appeared upon the horizon; their profile, dwarfed by the haze, was rather indistinct, but the monotony was over. The doctor joyously saluted this new region, and, like a sailor, he was on the point of exclaiming, "Land! land!"
An hour later the continent was extended before his gaze—still wild, but less flat, less bare, for some trees rose against the gray sky.
"We are, then, in a civilized country at last!" said the Scot.
"Civilized, Mr. Dick? that is your way of looking at it; we can see no inhabitants yet."
"We shall soon," replied Ferguson, "at the rate we are going."
"Shall we always be among negroes, Mr. Samuel?"
"Always, Joe, until we arrive amongst Arabs."
"Arabs, sir; real live Arabs, with camels?"
"No, without the camels; these animals are scarce, not to say unknown, in these districts; we must go some degrees farther north to meet them."
"That is unfortunate."
"Why, Joe?"
"Because, if the wind shifted, we might make them help us!"
"How?"
