"
"You are right, sir," said Joe, "the heat has got to be
enough to choke one, and the breeze has died away. One
can feel that something's coming."
"The atmosphere is saturated with electricity," replied
the doctor; "every living creature is sensible that this
state of the air portends a struggle of the elements, and I
confess that I never before was so full of the fluid myself."
"Well, then," suggested Dick, "would it not be advisable
to alight?"
"On the contrary, Dick, I'd rather go up, only that I
am afraid of being carried out of my course by these
counter-currents contending in the atmosphere."
"Have you any idea, then, of abandoning the route
that we have followed since we left the coast?"
"If I can manage to do so," replied the doctor, "I will
turn more directly northward, by from seven to eight
degrees; I shall then endeavor to ascend toward the
presumed latitudes of the sources of the Nile; perhaps we
may discover some traces of Captain Speke's expedition
or of M. de Heuglin's caravan. Unless I am mistaken, we
are at thirty-two degrees forty minutes east longitude,
and I should like to ascend directly north of the equator."
"Look there!" exclaimed Kennedy, suddenly, "see
those hippopotami sliding out of the pools--those masses
of blood-colored flesh--and those crocodiles snuffing the
air aloud!"
"They're choking!" ejaculated Joe.
Pages:
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169