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Servadac, the count, Procope, and Ben Zoof now proceeded to make their way through the thicket until they came to a little glade, where two men were stretched idly on the grass, one of them playing the guitar, and the other a pair of castanets; both were exploding with laughter, as they urged the performers to greater and yet greater exertions in the dance.
"Ben Zoof," said Servadac, his laughter exchanged for a look of stern displeasure, "touch that telescope, and you shall swing for it!" The orderly looked astonished. "I am governor here," said Servadac. Ben Zoof knew what his master meant, and to him his master's wish was law. The interval between the comet and Jupiter was, by the 1st of October, reduced to 43,000,000 miles.
There was no advantage in proceeding any further along the lava-course; they could already hear the dull rumblings that indicated that they were at no great distance from the central focus. "Quite near enough for me!" exclaimed Ben Zoof. "Those who are chilly are welcome to go as much lower as they like. For my part, I shall be quite warm enough here."
Then, after a pause, he added: "That is to say, if there is to be a to-morrow; for if I were to be put to the torture, I could not tell what has become of the sun." "May I ask, sir, what we are to do now?" put in Ben Zoof. "Stay where we are for the present; and when daylight appears if it ever does appear we will explore the coast to the west and south, and return to the gourbi.
Making their progress with the unwonted rapidity which was attributable to their specific lightness, Servadac and his companions soon found themselves near a grove of sycamores and eucalyptus massed in picturesque confusion at the base of a little hill. Here they halted. "Ah! the vagabonds! the rascals! the thieves!" suddenly exclaimed Ben Zoof, stamping his foot with rage. "How now?
"You will, of course, make up the deficiency," the captain continued, not noticing the interruption. "Oh, my lord, let me say " began Isaac again. "Come, come, old Caiaphas, do you hear? You are to make up the deficiency," exclaimed Ben Zoof. "Ah, yes, yes; but " The unfortunate Israelite tried hard to speak, but his agitation prevented him.
Born on the hill of Montmartre, between the Solferino tower and the mill of La Galette, Ben Zoof had ever possessed the most unreserved admiration for his birthplace; and to his eyes the heights and district of Montmartre represented an epitome of all the wonders of the world.
"You must complete your contract." And, moaning and groaning, the miserable man was driven to make up the full weight as registered by his own steelyard. He had to repeat the process with the sugar and coffee: for every kilogramme he had to weigh seven. Ben Zoof and the Russians jeered him most unmercifully.
"Yes, Ben Zoof, in Algeria; and not far from Mostaganem." Such were the first words which, after their return to consciousness, were exchanged between Servadac and his orderly.
"I will tell you why it seems so. If the side of the comet on which we are resident impinges on the earth, it stands to reason that we must be crushed to atoms by the violence of the concussion." "Regular mincemeat!" said Ben Zoof, whom no admonitions could quite reduce to silence.
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