A Throng1 of People on the Horizon.--A Troop of Arabs.--The Pursuit. --It is He.--Fall from Horseback.--The Strangled Arab.--A Ball from Kennedy.--Adroit Manoeuvres.--Caught up flying.--Joe saved at last.
From the moment when Kennedy resumed his post of observation in the front of the car, he had not ceased to watch the horizon with his utmost attention.
After the lapse3 of some time he turned toward the doctor and said:
"If I am not greatly mistaken I can see, off yonder in the distance, a throng of men or animals moving. It is impossible to make them out yet, but I observe that they are in violent motion, for they are raising a great cloud of dust."
"May it not be another contrary breeze?" said the doctor, "another whirlwind coming to drive us back northward4 again?" and while speaking he stood up to examine the horizon.
"I think not, Samuel; it is a troop of gazelles or of wild oxen."
"Perhaps so, Dick; but yon throng is some nine or ten miles from us at least, and on my part, even with the glass, I can make nothing of it!"
"At all events I shall not lose sight of it. There is something remarkable5 about it that excites my curiosity. Sometimes it looks like a body of cavalry6 manoeuvring. Ah! I was not mistaken. It is, indeed, a squadron of horsemen. Look--look there!"
The doctor eyed the group with great attention, and, after a moment's pause, remarked:
"I believe that you are right. It is a detachment of Arabs or Tibbous, and they are galloping7 in the same direction with us, as though in flight, but we are going faster than they, and we are rapidly gaining on them. In half an hour we shall be near enough to see them and know what they are."
Kennedy had again lifted his glass and was attentively8 scrutinizing9 them. Meanwhile the crowd of horsemen was becoming more distinctly visible, and a few were seen to detach themselves from the main body.
"It is some hunting manoeuvre2, evidently," said Kennedy. "Those fellows seem to be in pursuit of something. I would like to know what they are about."
"Patience, Dick! In a little while we shall overtake them, if they continue on the same route. We are going at the rate of twenty miles per hour, and no horse can keep up with that."
Kennedy again raised his glass, and a few minutes later he exclaimed:
"They are Arabs, galloping at the top of their speed; I can make them out distinctly. They are about fifty in number. I can see their bournouses puffed10 out by the wind. It is some cavalry exercise that they are going through. Their chief is a hundred paces ahead of them and they are rushing after him at headlong speed."
"Whoever they may be, Dick, they are not to be feared, and then, if necessary, we can go higher."
"Wait, doctor--wait a little!"
"It's curious," said Kennedy again, after a brief pause, "but there's something going on that I can't exactly explain. By the efforts they make, and the irregularity of their line, I should fancy that those Arabs are pursuing some one, instead of following."
"Are you certain of that, Dick?"
"Oh! yes, it's clear enough now. I am right! It is a pursuit--a hunt--but a man-hunt! That is not their chief riding ahead of them, but a fugitive11."
"A fugitive!" exclaimed the doctor, growing more and more interested.
"Yes!"
"Don't lose sight of him, and let us wait!"
Three or four miles more were quickly gained upon these horsemen, who nevertheless were dashing onward12 with incredible speed.
"Doctor! doctor!" shouted Kennedy in an agitated13 voice.
"What is the matter, Dick?"
"Is it an illusion? Can it be possible?"
"What do you mean?"
"Wait!" and so saying, the Scot wiped the sights of his spy-glass carefully, and looked through it again intently.
"Well?" questioned the doctor.
"It is he, doctor!"
"He!" exclaimed Ferguson with emotion.
"It is he! no other!" and it was needless to pronounce the name.
"Yes! it is he! on horseback, and only a hundred paces in advance of his enemies! He is pursued!"
"It is Joe--Joe himself!" cried the doctor, turning pale.
"He cannot see us in his flight!"
"He will see us, though!" said the doctor, lowering the flame of his blow-pipe.
"But how?"
"In five minutes we shall be within fifty feet of the ground, and in fifteen we shall be right over him!"
"We must let him know it by firing a gun!"
"No! he can't turn back to come this way. He's headed off!"
"What shall we do, then?"
"We must wait."
"Wait?--and these Arabs!"
"We shall overtake them. We'll pass them. We are not more than two miles from them, and provided that Joe's horse holds out!"
"Great God!" exclaimed Kennedy, suddenly.
"What is the matter?"
Kennedy had uttered a cry of despair as he saw Joe fling himself to the ground. His horse, evidently exhausted14, had just fallen headlong.
"He sees us!" cried the doctor, "and he motions to us, as he gets upon his feet!"
"But the Arabs will overtake him! What is he waiting for? Ah! the brave lad! Huzza!" shouted the sportsman, who could no longer restrain his feelings.
Joe, who had immediately sprung up after his fall, just as one of the swiftest horsemen rushed upon him, bounded like a panther, avoided his assailant by leaping to one side, jumped up behind him on the crupper, seized the Arab by the throat, and, strangling him with his sinewy15 hands and fingers of steel, flung him on the sand, and continued his headlong flight.
A tremendous howl was heard from the Arabs, but, completely engrossed16 by the pursuit, they had not taken notice of the balloon, which was now but five hundred paces behind them, and only about thirty feet from the ground. On their part, they were not twenty lengths of their horses from the fugitive.
One of them was very perceptibly gaining on Joe, and was about to pierce him with his lance, when Kennedy, with fixed17 eye and steady hand, stopped him short with a ball, that hurled18 him to the earth.
Joe did not even turn his head at the report. Some of the horsemen reined19 in their barbs20, and fell on their faces in the dust as they caught sight of the Victoria; the rest continued their pursuit.
"But what is Joe about?" said Kennedy; "he don't stop!"
"He's doing better than that, Dick! I understand him! He's keeping on in the same direction as the balloon. He relies upon our intelligence. Ah! the noble fellow! We'll carry him off in the very teeth of those Arab rascals21! We are not more than two hundred paces from him!"
"What are we to do?" asked Kennedy.
"Lay aside your rifle,Dick."
And the Scot obeyed the request at once.
"Do you think that you can hold one hundred and fifty pounds of ballast in your arms?"
"Ay, more than that!"
"No! That will be enough!"
And the doctor proceeded to pile up bags of sand in Kennedy's arms.
"Hold yourself in readiness in the back part of the car, and be prepared to throw out that ballast at a single effort. But, for your life, don't do so until I give the word!"
"Be easy on that point."
"Otherwise, we should miss Joe, and he would be lost."
"Count upon me!"
The Victoria at that moment almost commanded the troop of horsemen who were still desperately22 urging their steeds at Joe's heels. The doctor, standing23 in the front of the car, held the ladder clear, ready to throw it at any moment. Meanwhile, Joe had still maintained the distance between himself and his pursuers--say about fifty feet. The Victoria was now ahead of the party.
"Attention!" exclaimed the doctor to Kennedy.
"I'm ready!"
"Joe, look out for yourself!" shouted the doctor in his sonorous24, ringing voice, as he flung out the ladder, the lowest ratlines of which tossed up the dust of the road.
As the doctor shouted, Joe had turned his head, but without checking his horse. The ladder dropped close to him, and at the instant he grasped it the doctor again shouted to Kennedy:
"Throw ballast!"
"It's done!"
And the Victoria, lightened by a weight greater than Joe's, shot up one hundred and fifty feet into the air.
Joe clung with all his strength to the ladder during the wide oscillations that it had to describe, and then making an indescribable gesture to the Arabs, and climbing with the agility25 of a monkey, he sprang up to his companions, who received him with open arms.
The Arabs uttered a scream of astonishment26 and rage. The fugitive had been snatched from them on the wing, and the Victoria was rapidly speeding far beyond their reach.
"Master! Kennedy!" ejaculated Joe, and overwhelmed, at last, with fatigue27 and emotion, the poor fellow fainted away, while Kennedy, almost beside himself, kept exclaiming:
"Saved--saved!"
"Saved indeed!" murmured the doctor, who had recovered all his phlegmatic28 coolness.
Joe was almost naked. His bleeding arms, his body covered with cuts and bruises29, told what his sufferings had been. The doctor quietly dressed his wounds, and laid him comfortably under the awning30.
Joe soon returned to consciousness, and asked for a glass of brandy, which the doctor did not see fit to refuse, as the faithful fellow had to be indulged.
After he had swallowed the stimulant31, Joe grasped the hands of his two friends and announced that he was ready to relate what had happened to him.
But they would not allow him to talk at that time, and he sank back into a profound sleep, of which he seemed to have the greatest possible need.
The Victoria was then taking an oblique32 line to the westward33. Driven by a tempestuous34 wind, it again approached the borders of the thorny35 desert, which the travellers descried36 over the tops of palm-trees, bent37 and broken by the storm; and, after having made a run of two hundred miles since rescuing Joe, it passed the tenth degree of east longitude38 about nightfall.
天边的一群人——一群阿拉伯人——追捕——是他！——坠马——一名阿拉伯人被掐死——肯尼迪的一枪——计谋——飞行救人——乔得救了
自从肯尼迪又站到吊篮前部再次观察以来，他一直聚精会神地仔细搜索着地平线。
过了一会儿，他把身子转向博士说：“如果我没弄错的话，那边有一群什么东西在移动。到底是人是动物，眼下还看不大清楚。不管怎么说，反正是在猛跑，因为后面扬起了一片尘雾。”
“不会又是龙卷风吧？莫非它又要把我们往北刮吗？”说着，弗格森站起身来，仔细查看地平线。
“弗格森，我想不是龙卷风。”肯尼迪答道，“是群羚羊或野牛什么的。”
“很有可能， 肯尼迪。可是，那群东西离我们至少有9英里或10英里呢。对我来说，就是用望远镜也认不清。”
“无论怎样，我都不会放过的。那儿肯定有点什么特别的事，我觉得很奇怪。有时，好像是一场骑兵演习。唔！我没弄错！是些骑马的人，你瞧！”
博士极目眺望肯尼迪指的那群人，稍停片刻，说：
“我认为你是对的。那是一队阿拉伯人或提布人。他们现在跑的方向和我们一样。可是我们的速度更快，追上他们轻而易举。再有半个小时，我们就能弄明白是怎么回事，知道该怎么做了。”
肯尼迪又举起望远镜，全神贯注地观察着。那群骑马的人比刚才清楚了些，其中有几个落在了后面，没有和大队在一起。
“显然，这是一次演习，要么就是打猎。那些人似乎在追赶什么。我真想知道是怎么回事。”
“耐心点，肯尼迪。只要他们不拐弯，要不了多大一会儿，我们就能追上，甚至超过他们了。我们现在的飞行速度是每小时20英里，没有哪匹马能一直跑这么快的。”
肯尼迪又观察起来，几分钟后，说：
“他们是些阿拉伯人，跑得飞快。我完完全全看清楚了，他们有50人左右。他们的斗篷被风吹得飘了起来。 这是一场骑兵操练。他们的头头在大队前面100多远的地方领着，其余的人跟在后面。”
“肯尼迪，不管他们是谁，都没有什么让人害怕的。再说，必要时，我们可以升高点儿嘛。”
“等一下，弗格森！再等一下！”
“奇怪啊。”肯尼迪重新审视了一会儿下面的人群后，补充说，“有点什么我还弄不大明白。看这些阿拉伯人跑得那么卖命，而且队形不整，我觉得他们不是在跟着前面的人跑，倒更像是在后面追。”
“肯尼迪，你能肯定吗？”
“当然啦！我看得真真切切的，没错！是在追捕！在追捕什么人！前面跑的根本不是什么头头，是一位逃亡者！”
“逃亡者！”弗格森冲动地大叫。
“是的！”
“哦！那我们可要盯住了。等一等看！”
这些骑马的人跑得够快的，可是后来，还是被“维多利亚号”追得只剩下三、四英里的距离了。
“弗格森！弗格森！”肯尼迪声音颤抖地呼喊道。
“你怎么了，肯尼迪？”
“难道是幻觉吗？这可能吗？”
“你这话是什么意思？”
“等一等。”
猎人匆匆擦了擦望远镜的镜片，又举起来观察。
“怎么了？”博士问。
“弗格森，是他！”
“他！”博士叫了起来。
一个“他”字就什么都明白了，完全不需要把名字说出来。
“骑马的就是他！敌人离他几乎不到100步了！他在逃呢！”
“这准是乔！”博士脸都白了。
“他往前逃，看不见我们！”
“他马上就能看见了。”弗格森说着，减少了氢氧喷嘴的火头。
“怎么看见？”
“5分钟后， 我们会降得离地面只有50尺高。15分钟后，我们就会到他的头顶上了。”
“应该开一枪通知他！”
“不行！他不能往回跑，他的后路断了。”
“那你说怎么办？”
“等着。”
“等着？！那些阿拉伯人呢？”
“我们追上去，超过他们！我们离他们不到2英里了。但愿乔的马还能挺得住。”
“唉呀！天哪！”肯尼迪大叫。
“出什么事了？”
看见乔扑倒在了地上，肯尼迪不由得发出绝望的叫声。他的马刚刚倒下，显然已疲惫不堪，支持不住了。
“他看见我们了。他站起来时，向我们招手了。”博士喊道。
“可是，阿拉伯人就要追上他了呀！他在等什么？嗨！多勇敢的小伙子！好样的！”猎人抑制不住地嚷道。
乔一跌倒，随即站了起来。这时，追在后面的一个敌人策马向他冲来。乔像只豹子似的纵身往旁一闪，避开来人。就在俩人相错的一刹那间，乔飞身跃起坐到了骑马人的身后，随即用他那双有力的手，钢铁般的指头闪电般卡住了那个阿拉伯人的喉咙，掐死了他。然后，他把尸体推下马，继续向前狂奔。
阿拉伯人的叫声连天，响成一片。他们全都一心一意地在追捕逃跑者，根本没看见飞临身后的“维多利亚号” 。气球这时离他们只有500步远了，而且距地面几乎不到30尺高。但是阿拉伯人和逃跑者之间更近，只剩下不到20匹马的距离了。一位阿拉伯人看上去差不多已追上了乔。他正要把矛刺过去，肯尼迪眼急手快，一枪打中了他，阿拉伯人应声落马，摔到地下。
听到枪声，乔甚至没有回头。一部分阿拉伯人看到“维多利亚号”后立即停止追捕，翻身下马，匍伏在尘埃中，另一部分人仍在追赶。
“乔干什么呀？他怎么不停下来？”肯尼迪着急地喊道。
“放心吧，肯尼迪。他肯定有更好的办法。……我明白他的意思了！他是在按气球飞行的方向跑。他指望我们想点子呢！好样的！小伙子真聪明！我们来从这些大胡子阿拉伯人的眼前把他救走！我们离他最多不到200步！”
“现在我们该怎么做？”肯尼迪问。
“把你的枪先放一边。”
“好吧。”猎人说着，放下了枪。
“你能抱得住150斤压载物吗？”
“再重点也没问题。”
“不必要，这就够了。”
于是，博士把几个沙袋堆在肯尼迪的胳膊上，让他抱住。
“你靠吊篮后面站好，准备随时把这些压载物一下子扔出去。不过，你一定要当心，没有我的话千万别扔！”
“放心吧！”
“没有你手中的沙袋，我们就救不了乔了。那样，他可死定了！”
“相信我好了！”
这时，“维多利亚号”几乎飞到了那群阿拉伯人的头上。他们仍在乔身后死死地追赶。博士站在吊篮的前部，把绳梯展开，等着时机一到就扔下去。乔与追踪者之间始终保持着约50尺的距离。“维多利亚号”很快超过了这群阿拉伯人。
“注意好！”弗格森提醒肯尼迪。
“我等着呢。”
“乔！当心！……。”博士声音洪亮地喊着，扔下了绳梯。梯子的最下面几格碰到地上，拖起一片灰尘。
听到博士的召唤，乔扭过身子，但并没有把马停下。绳梯到了他旁边。在他抓住软梯的一刹那间，博士连忙吩咐肯尼迪：
“快扔！”
“好嘞！”
这时， “维多利亚号”在猛然卸去比乔本身重得多的重量后，一下子升到150尺高的空中。气球摆动得很厉害。乔紧紧抓住在空中晃来荡去的绳梯。待气球稳住后，乔向阿拉伯人作了个莫明其妙的手势，然后像个敏捷的马戏团演员，顺着绳梯攀进吊篮。他终于回到了同伴们的身旁。博士和肯尼迪一拥而上，把他紧紧搂住。
阿拉伯人又惊又恼叫嚷起来。他们没想到逃跑者竟然被空中来物救走了，而且气球很快地越飞越远。
“主人！肯尼迪先生！”乔刚招呼了一声，就由于激动和疲劳支持不住昏了过去。这时，肯尼迪还在狂喜地呼叫着：
“得救了！得救了！”
“当然喽！”博士说。他已经恢复了往常不动声色的冷静。
乔几乎一丝不挂，两只手臂流着血，浑身上下青一块紫一块。所有这些说明他吃了不少苦。博士给他包扎好伤口，把他抱到帐篷里睡下。
乔很快从昏迷中苏醒过来。他想要一杯烈酒。博士认为不应该拒绝他，因为治疗乔不能和一般的病人一样。喝完酒后，乔紧紧握住两位同伴的手，准备讲述他的遭遇。但是，博士和肯尼迪都不让他开口。功夫不大，这位真诚的小伙子又沉入了梦乡。他显得非常需要睡眠。
这时，“维多利亚号”微微转向往偏西方斜着飞去。在一股急风的吹送下，气球又飞过长有多刺灌木的荒原，掠过被暴风吹倒或连根拔掉的棕榈树。从救出乔到现在，气球飞了将近200英里。天快黑时，“维多利亚号”越过了东经10度线。
收听单词发音 |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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barbs
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| n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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22
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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phlegmatic
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| adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的 | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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thorny
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| adj.多刺的，棘手的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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longitude
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| n.经线，经度 | |
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