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Page 53
"Yes, Tomba here," was the answer. "Oh, you be English, Tomba know.
Please help Missy and Massy Illingway. Red devils goin' kill 'em
pretty much quick."
"Come in!" called Tom, as he turned on the electric lights in the
airship. "Come in and tell us all about it. But how did you get
here?"
"Maybe there are two Tombas," suggested Ned.
"Bless my safety razor!" cried Mr. Damon "perhaps Ned is right!"
But he wasn't, as they learned when they had questioned the African,
who came inside the airship, looking wonderingly around at the many
strange things he saw. He was the same Tomba who had escaped the
massacre, and had taken news of the capture of his master and
mistress to the white settlement. In vain after that he had tried to
organize a band to go back with him to the rescue, but the whites in
the settlement were too few, and the natives too timid. Then Tomba,
with grief in his heart, and not wanting to live while the
missionaries whom he had come to care for very much, were captives,
he went back into the jungle, determined, if he could not help them,
that at least he would share their fate, and endeavor to be of some
service to them in their captivity.
After almost unbelievable hardships, he had found the red pygmies,
and had allowed himself to be captured by them. They rejoiced
greatly in the possession of the big black man, and for some strange
reason had not killed him. He was allowed to share the captivity of
his master and mistress.
Time went on, and the pygmies did not kill their prisoners. They
even treated them with some kindness but were going to sacrifice
them at their great annual festival, which was soon to take place.
Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, Tomba told our friends in his broken
English, had urged him to escape at the first opportunity. They knew
if he could get away he would travel through the jungle. They could
not, even if they had not been so closely guarded that escape was
out of the question.
But Tomba refused to go until Mr. Illingway had said that perhaps he
might get word to some white hunters, and so send help to the
captives. This Tomba consented to do, and, watching his chance, he
did escape. That was several nights ago, and he had been traveling
through the jungle ever since. It was by mere accident that he came
upon the anchored airship, and his curiosity led him to board her.
The rest is known.
"Well, of all queer yarns, this is the limit!" exclaimed Tom, when
the black had finished. "What had we better do about it?"
"Get ready to attack the red pygmies at once!" decided Mr. Durban.
"If we wait any longer it may be too late!"
"My idea, exactly," declared Mr. Anderson.
"Bless my bowie-knife!" cried Mr. Damon. "It'd like to get a chance
at the red imps! Come on, Tom! Let's start at once."
"No, we need daylight to fight by," replied Tom, with a smile at his
friend's enthusiasm. "We'll go forward in the morning."
"In the airship?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I think so," answered Tom. "There can be no advantage now in trying
to conceal ourselves. We can move upon them from where we are so
quickly that they won't have much chance to get away. Besides it
will take us too long to make our way through the jungle afoot. For,
now that the escape of Tomba must be known, they may kill the
captives at once to forestall any rescue."
"Then we'll move forward in the morning," declared Mr. Durban.
They took Tomba with them in the airship the next day, though he
prayed fervently before he consented to it. But they needed him to
point out the exact location of the pygmies' village, since it was
not the one the hunter-scout had been near.
The Black Hawk sailed through the air. On board eager eyes looked
down for a first sight of the red imps. Tomba, who was at Tom's side
in the steering tower, told him, as best he could, from time to
time, how to set the rudders.
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