Chapter 3 third chapter

friend of dr. —retracing their friendship - Kennedy to London ——The suggestion is unexpected, but the implementation is reassuring —a disturbing proverb — A few words about the martyrs in Africa -Advantages of balloons ——The Secret of Dr. Ferguson Dr. Ferguson has a friend, but not another him (alterego).Because friendship cannot exist between two identical persons.Yet Kennedy and Samuel Ferguson, despite their differences in temperament, disposition, and talents, were alike.The difference did not hinder their communication, on the contrary, it deepened their friendship. This Kennedy Kennedy was English through and through.He is frank, decisive, and stubborn.Kennedy lived in the small town of Leith, near Edinburgh.It was a real suburb.He enjoys fishing sometimes, but hunting is his favorite whenever and wherever.This is no surprise for a kid who grew up in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands.He is recognized locally as an excellent shooter.Not only could he hit the blade with the gun and split the bullet into two equal halves, but, if he weighed it afterwards on a scale, he would find that even the two halves were exactly the same weight.

Kennedy looked a lot like Halbert Glendinning as described in the book The Abbey.He was over 6 feet tall, elegant in manner, and seemingly of immense strength.Sunburned brown face, black shining eyes, innate determination and bravery, in short, the deep-rooted goodness of the Scots can be seen from his whole body. The two friends met in India.At the time, the two were serving in the same regiment.Whenever Kennedy went hunting tigers and elephants, Ferguson went to collect plant and insect specimens.Each was the best in his field, and more than one rare plant was the Doctor's prize, worth as much as a pair of tusks.

The two young men never had a chance to save each other, nor did they do each other any favors.However, their friendship lasted forever.Fate sometimes separates them, but the connection of hearts often makes them meet again. After retiring from India and returning to England, the two of them often separated for a while because of the doctor's long-distance travel.However, every time the doctor comes back, he must go to the Scottish friend's house, not to chat with each other, of course, but to stay for a few weeks.Kennedy talked about the past, Ferguson talked about the future: a look forward, a look back.It can be seen from this that Ferguson was restless by nature, but Kennedy was calm and peaceful.

After the trip to Tibet, the Doctor did not talk about new expeditions for almost two years.Kennedy guessed his travel addiction and appetite for adventure were fading.Kennedy was very happy about it.He believed that tourist expeditions would one day kill them.No matter how experienced a person is, it is impossible to walk unscathed among cannibals and beasts, so Kennedy tried his best to dissuade Ferguson from exploring again.Moreover, he has contributed enough to science, which has already far exceeded the honors given to him by people. The doctor made no reply to this advice.He still thinks about his business, burying himself in his esoteric calculations, fiddling with data and experimenting with instruments night and night.No one could figure out what his strange mechanical contraptions were.Clearly, a big idea was brewing in his mind.

In the first month, when Ferguson left Kennedy and returned to London, Kennedy murmured in his heart: "What is he thinking?" One morning Kennedy got his answer from the Daily Telegraph. "My God!" he exclaimed, "he's crazy! What a madman! He wants to go across Africa in a balloon! He's got it! He's been thinking about it for two years!" If you think of those exclamation points as Kennedy's hard fists on the head, you can imagine the honest Kennedy's mood when he said that. The trustworthy woman—old Elsbeith tried to reassure him that it was probably a lie.Kennedy immediately called out:

"No way! Don't I know my friend yet? Isn't that what he does? Air travel, he figured it out! Now he's compared to an eagle! No, of course! I'll stop him No! If he has his way, he'll go to the moon one day!" Kennedy was anxious and angry, got on the train at Central Station that night, and arrived in London the next day.Three quarters of an hour later, a carriage brought him to the door of Dr. Ferguson's small house in Soho Square, Greek Street.Kennedy walked up the steps, knocked hard on the door five times, and announced the door was open. Ferguson personally opened the door for him upon hearing the news. "Kennedy?" he asked, without looking terribly surprised.

"It's me." Kennedy retorted. "Why, my dear friend, winter is hunting season, and why are you in London?" "Yes, in London." "So, what are you doing here?" "Stop a utterly absurd absurdity!" "Nonsense?" asked the doctor. "Is this paper telling the truth?" Kennedy asked, handing over a copy of the Daily Telegraph. "Oh! That's what you're talking about! These papers are true, too careless! Now, my dear friend, please sit down." "I don't want to sit. You really want to do this trip?"

"Seriously, my preparations are well underway, and I...." "Where are the prepared things? Let me destroy them! I'll smash them to pieces!" The venerable Scot was indeed very angry. "Be quiet, my dear Kennedy," continued the Doctor. "I expected you to be angry. You hate me for not telling you about my new plan." "You call this a new plan!" "I'm really busy," Ferguson continued without interruption. "I have too much to do! But don't worry, I won't leave without writing to you..." "Hi! I don't care...."

"Because I want you to come with me." The Scot jumped forward with alacrity like a frightened chamois, and exclaimed in amazement: "Ah! There is such a thing! Do you want us both to be locked up in the Bettelham Asylum?" "Dear Kennedy, I do count on you to go. Besides, I have already selected you, and many others have been rejected by me." Kennedy froze in astonishment. "After you've listened to me for ten minutes," continued Dr. Ferguson quietly, "you'll be thanking me." "Are you serious?" "Very decent."

"What if I refuse to go with you?" "You won't say no." "What if I have to refuse?" "Then I'll go alone!" "Let's sit down and talk calmly." The hunter suggested, "Since you are not joking, this matter needs to be discussed." "Dear Kennedy, if you don't object, we can talk over breakfast." The two friends sat down at a small table facing each other.On the table was a stack of sandwiches and a large water jug. "My dear Ferguson," began the hunter, "your plan is absurd! It won't work! It doesn't look like a serious, workable plan at all!"

"We won't know until we try it." "However, to put it bluntly, don't even try." "Why? Please tell me." "Of course it is more dangerous and more difficult." "Difficulties are conceived by people to overcome them." Ferguson said seriously, "As for danger, who can guarantee that you can avoid it? Everything in life is dangerous. Sit down at the table or wear your hat on your head The future can also be very dangerous. Furthermore, we should regard what may happen as has already happened. Only look at the present in the future, not the future from the present, because the future is just a little farther away now. .” "Can you say that?!" Kennedy shrugged, "You're always fatalistic!" "It's fatalism, but in the good sense of the word. We therefore don't bother what fate has in store for us, and never forget our good English proverb: 'Fated to be hanged, never to be hanged. Drown!'" Kennedy was speechless.However, this does not prevent him from finding out a lot of reasons that are easy to think of, but what he said is too long to repeat here. "But anyway," said Kennedy, after the two had argued for an hour, "if you're determined to cross Africa, and if it's so important to your happiness, why don't you go the normal way instead of flying from the air? fly?" "Why?" replied the doctor excitedly, "because so far all attempts to walk by land have failed! From Mungo Parker's killing in the Niger River to Vogel's disappearance, from Odney's death in Mir , Clapton died in Sakatu to the Frenchman Maisan was chopped into pieces, from the murder of Major Lane by the Tuaregs to the death of Roschel in Hamburg in early 1860, how many African martyrs have been recorded Names of the slain! For it is impossible to fight against the forces of nature, hunger, thirst, fever, wild beasts, and above all, the more ferocious savage tribes! For what cannot be done in this way is You should try another method! All in all, if you can’t walk through the middle, you should go around it, or fly over it!" "If it's just flying over it, that's fine!" Kennedy retorted, "but it's flying up all the time!" "Why!" continued the doctor, with extraordinary coolness, "what is there to be afraid of? I have taken precautions against the balloon falling, and you will agree with me completely. Besides, if I lose the balloon, I will do it like the other It's the same with the explorers, just go on foot. But my balloon won't let me down. Don't think about it so much!" "On the contrary, that's what you should think of." "Well, dear Kennedy, I have no intention of leaving the balloon until I reach the west coast of Africa. With a balloon, anything is possible. Without it, all the dangers and difficulties of nature encountered by previous expeditions would be lost. Here we come. Riding on a balloon, I don’t have to be afraid of scorching heat, torrents, storms, deserts, hot and dry winds, harmful weather, wild animals, and natives! If it’s too hot, go higher; if it’s too cold, lower it; When I encounter a high mountain, I will cross it; when I encounter a cliff, I will cross it; when I encounter a river, I will fly over it; I go on without weariness, I don't stop because I need rest! I soar over the new city! I fly like a wind, sometimes at the highest altitude, sometimes gliding close to the ground. You see, the geographical outline of Africa is like a part of the world. A large map unfolded before my eyes." The honest Kennedy was somewhat moved, but the scene Dr. Ferguson mentioned before him made him dizzy.He watched Ferguson with mixed joy and fear, feeling as if he was already swaying in the air. "Come on, take it easy, dear Ferguson. So you've managed to steer the balloon?" Kennedy asked. "Not at all, it's a fantasy." "Then you plan to fly to...?" "It's up to fate, but it's flying from east to west anyway." "why?" "Because I'm going to take advantage of the trade winds. Because the direction of the trade winds doesn't change." "Oh! Exactly!" said Kennedy thoughtfully. "The trade winds... of course... if you have to...almost...." "As long as it's about the same! Besides, my honest friend, everything is ready now. The British government has put a transport ship at my disposal. And it is agreed that there will be three or four ships by the time I estimate my arrival on the west coast." The boat will go to patrol the waters in that area. I will be in Zanzibar in a maximum of three months. There I will inflate the balloon, and then we will go into the air... " "Us?" Kennedy called. "Why, it seems that you have any objections? Tell me, old Kennedy." "I have thousands of objections! But let's not mention anything else, tell me first: since you plan to travel, since you want to rise and fall at will, then you can't do it without consuming gas. Got it! But until now, there has been no other way without consuming gas. That's what has always prevented long-distance travel in the air." "Dear Kennedy, I'll just tell you one thing: I won't waste an atom, a molecule of a gas." "Then you lower it arbitrarily?" "I want to lower it arbitrarily." "How do you do it?" "It's my secret. Old Kennedy. Trust me. Let my motto be yours: excelsior!" "Okay, Excelsior is Excelsior!" the hunter replied.He knew nothing of Latin. Still, he was determined to do everything possible to contradict his friend's plan of departure, so that his feigned agreement with Dr. Ferguson was really nothing more than sitting on the sidelines.As for Ferguson, he immediately went back to his preparations.

---

Notes: