and during the rest of the day the town remained absolutely deserted.
Night arrived; the wind had dropped. It was resolved to pass the night at 300 feet from the ground. Not a gleam shone through the darkness—a deathlike silence reigned around.
The doctor redoubled his watchfulness; this calm betokened some treachery.
And Ferguson was right to watch as he did. Towards midnight all the town appeared on fire; hundreds of fiery streaks crossed each other like rockets, forming a network of flame.
"That is very curious," said the doctor.
"But, God bless me!" cried Kennedy, "It appears that the fire is ascending and approaching us."
In fact, at the sound of frightful cries, and amid the discharges of muskets, this mass of fire rose up towards the "Victoria." Joe made ready to throw out the ballast. Ferguson did not stop to ascertain the cause of the phenomenon.
Thousands of pigeons, their tails furnished with squibs, had been let loose against the "Victoria." Terrified, they ascended, marking their flight with fiery zigzags. Kennedy was about to discharge all the firearms into the midst of the crowd of birds, but what could he accomplish against such an innumerable host? Already the pigeons had surrounded the car and the balloon, of which the sides, reflecting the light, appeared wrapped in flames.
The doctor did not hesitate, and throwing over a large lump of quartz, he rose above the reach of these dangerous birds. For two hours they could perceive them flying backwards and forwards in the darkness; by degrees their numbers diminished and finally they disappeared.
"Now we can sleep in peace," said the doctor.
"Rather a happy thought of the savages," said Joe.
"Yes; they very commonly employ pigeons to burn the thatches of houses in the villages, but this time the village flew up higher than their winged incendiaries."
"A balloon has decidedly no enemies to fear," said Kennedy.
"Yes, indeed it has," replied the doctor.
"Who, then?"
