I’m pretty sore about it. What was the use of all that stuff at school if I can’t do anything with it?’
‘You could get something in Nairobi.’
‘I suppose I could. But it’s a funny thing - I’ve always dreamed of doing something for my own people. That’s what was in the back of my head all the time I was in school. Nairobi doesn’t need me. Gula does. And here I am just the way you had me ten minutes ago - bound hand and foot.’
‘Well, I untied you, didn’t I?’ Hal said. ‘And now III untie you again. I know what my father would say if he had heard your story. So 111 say it for him. We have thirty men who are just itching for something to do. I’ll send them up to help the men of Gula build your school.
And the Hunt family will be proud to maintain it and pay the teacher.’
Basa’s mouth dropped open and his eyes became big and round. He turned his head slowly and gazed for a full minute at Hal as if he had never seen him before. Then he mumbled: ‘I -1 don’t know what to say.’
Then say nothing. How soon could you begin?’
‘Any time. Tomorrow morning.’
‘You don’t need time to make plans?’
‘Plans! I’ve been planning it for years.’
‘Okay. JHl phone the Lodge as soon as I get back to the station. My men will be on hand tomorrow morning. As soon as you get them started, you can hop the train to Nairobi and order the desks and benches and books and blackboards and everything else you need. Have them send the bill to me.’
Basa began to believe that this crazy white man really meant what he was saying. The sun broke through the thundercloud of his face. His eyes crinkled at the corners and a grin spread from ear to ear. Hal had never seen Basa smile before and he thought he had never seen anyone more handsome.
1 go to tell my people,’ Basa said, and started up the path.
‘Wait,’ Hal said. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’
Hal drew the knife from the tree and handed it to Basa. Basa grinned again. He thrust the knife into its sheath and took off at a run towards Gula.
Chapter 13
Flight of the ‘Jules Verne’
After telephoning, the Hunts went back to their tent, hastily fed Flop and themselves, then started for the balloon.
“There’s King Ku,’ said Roger. The big black district officer was inspecting the work on the tracks.
‘We’ll speak to him,’ Hal suggested. Ku saw them approaching and deliberately walked away.
‘No soap,’ Hal said regretfully. ‘I’d like to know why he’s down on everyone with a white skin.’
The Jules Verne was doing a weird dance in the strong wind. The basket was leaping like a gazelle. It certainly was not a good day for ballooning, but the boys had no choice. The rope ladder was thrashing back and forth. Hal caught it and they began to climb. It was like climbing a snake. The ladder twisted and squirmed like something alive.
Breathless, they reached the basket and climbed in. It was not easy to hang on with one hand and manipulate the binoculars with the other. What they saw was indistinct because of the jiggling of the glasses. The tall, lion-coloured grass billowing under the wind might be just grass or it might be lions. They soon became dizzy with looking and queasy at the stomach from the constant leaping and swooping of their magic carpet.
But they stayed at their posts until dark. Then, when the last trackmen had returned to camp, they prepared to come down.
Hal threw one leg over the basket edge and laid hold of the trail rope. It didn’t feel right. Usually it was tight and taut. Now it was limp in his hands.
And he was suddenly conscious of a new feeling of motion. The wind was not rushing by them now. Instead, they seemed to be going with the wind.
It was true. The ground was slipping backward beneath them. The trail line must have come loose - or had someone cut it? He could dimly see the black shadow of a man moving away from the spot where the balloon had been moored.
He drew his leg
‘You could get something in Nairobi.’
‘I suppose I could. But it’s a funny thing - I’ve always dreamed of doing something for my own people. That’s what was in the back of my head all the time I was in school. Nairobi doesn’t need me. Gula does. And here I am just the way you had me ten minutes ago - bound hand and foot.’
‘Well, I untied you, didn’t I?’ Hal said. ‘And now III untie you again. I know what my father would say if he had heard your story. So 111 say it for him. We have thirty men who are just itching for something to do. I’ll send them up to help the men of Gula build your school.
And the Hunt family will be proud to maintain it and pay the teacher.’
Basa’s mouth dropped open and his eyes became big and round. He turned his head slowly and gazed for a full minute at Hal as if he had never seen him before. Then he mumbled: ‘I -1 don’t know what to say.’
Then say nothing. How soon could you begin?’
‘Any time. Tomorrow morning.’
‘You don’t need time to make plans?’
‘Plans! I’ve been planning it for years.’
‘Okay. JHl phone the Lodge as soon as I get back to the station. My men will be on hand tomorrow morning. As soon as you get them started, you can hop the train to Nairobi and order the desks and benches and books and blackboards and everything else you need. Have them send the bill to me.’
Basa began to believe that this crazy white man really meant what he was saying. The sun broke through the thundercloud of his face. His eyes crinkled at the corners and a grin spread from ear to ear. Hal had never seen Basa smile before and he thought he had never seen anyone more handsome.
1 go to tell my people,’ Basa said, and started up the path.
‘Wait,’ Hal said. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’
Hal drew the knife from the tree and handed it to Basa. Basa grinned again. He thrust the knife into its sheath and took off at a run towards Gula.
Chapter 13
Flight of the ‘Jules Verne’
After telephoning, the Hunts went back to their tent, hastily fed Flop and themselves, then started for the balloon.
“There’s King Ku,’ said Roger. The big black district officer was inspecting the work on the tracks.
‘We’ll speak to him,’ Hal suggested. Ku saw them approaching and deliberately walked away.
‘No soap,’ Hal said regretfully. ‘I’d like to know why he’s down on everyone with a white skin.’
The Jules Verne was doing a weird dance in the strong wind. The basket was leaping like a gazelle. It certainly was not a good day for ballooning, but the boys had no choice. The rope ladder was thrashing back and forth. Hal caught it and they began to climb. It was like climbing a snake. The ladder twisted and squirmed like something alive.
Breathless, they reached the basket and climbed in. It was not easy to hang on with one hand and manipulate the binoculars with the other. What they saw was indistinct because of the jiggling of the glasses. The tall, lion-coloured grass billowing under the wind might be just grass or it might be lions. They soon became dizzy with looking and queasy at the stomach from the constant leaping and swooping of their magic carpet.
But they stayed at their posts until dark. Then, when the last trackmen had returned to camp, they prepared to come down.
Hal threw one leg over the basket edge and laid hold of the trail rope. It didn’t feel right. Usually it was tight and taut. Now it was limp in his hands.
And he was suddenly conscious of a new feeling of motion. The wind was not rushing by them now. Instead, they seemed to be going with the wind.
It was true. The ground was slipping backward beneath them. The trail line must have come loose - or had someone cut it? He could dimly see the black shadow of a man moving away from the spot where the balloon had been moored.
He drew his leg
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