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Page 59
"Yes, I hope you do see them," murmured Tom, as he pulled the lever
which would pump the gas from the inflated bag, and compress it into
tanks, until it was needed again to make the ship rise. Slowly the
Black Hawk sank down.
"Get ready!" called Tom in a low voice.
It was a tense moment. Every one of the adventurers felt it, and all
but Tom grasped their weapons with tighter grips. They were ready to
spring out as soon as a landing was made. Tom managed the machinery
in the dark, for he knew every wheel, gear and lever, and could have
put his hand on any one with his eyes shut. The two loaded revolvers
were on a shelf in front of him. The side door of the pilot house
was ajar, to allow him quick egress.
Tomba, armed with a big club he had picked up in the jungle, was
ready to follow. The black was eager for the fray to begin, though
how he and the others would fare amid the savages was hard to say.
Still not a sound broke the quiet. It was very dark, for nearly all
the camp fires, over which the nightly feast had been prepared, were
out. The hut could be dimly made out, however.
Suddenly there was a slight tremor through the ship. She seemed to
shiver, and bound upward a little.
"We've landed!" whispered Tom. "Now for it! Come on, Tomba!"
The big black glided after the lad like a shadow. With his two
weapons held in readiness our hero went out on deck. The others,
with cocked rifles, stood ready for the attack to open. It had been
decided that as soon as the first alarm was given by the dwarfs,
which would probably be when Tom broke into the hut, the firing
would begin.
"Open!" called Tom to Tomba, and the big black dashed his club
through the grass curtain over the doorway of the hut. He fairly
leaped inside, with a cry of battle on his lips.
"Mr. Illingway! Mrs. Illingway!" called Tom, "We've come to save
you. Hurry out. The airship is just outside!"
He fired one shot through the roof of the hut, so that the flash
would reveal to him whether or not the two missionaries were in the
place. He saw two forms rise up in front of him, and knew that they
were the white captives he had observed daring the former attack.
"Oh, what is it?" he heard the woman ask.
"A rescue! Thank the dear Lord!" answered her husband fervently.
"Oh, whoever you are, God bless you!"
"Come quickly!" cried Tom, "we haven't a moment to lose!"
He was speaking to absolute blackness now, for it was darker
immediately following the revolver flash than before. But he felt a
man's hand thrust about his arm, and he knew it was Mr. Illingway.
"Take your wife's hand, and follow me," ordered Tom. "Come, Tomba!
Are there any of the red pygmies in here?"
He had not seen any at the weapon's flash, but his question was
answered a moment later, for there arose from within and without the
hut a chorus of wild yells. At the same time Tom felt small arms
grasp him about the legs.
"Come on!" he yelled. "They're awake and after us!"
The din outside increased. Tom heard the rifles of his friends
crack. He saw, through the torn door curtain, the flashes of fire.
Then came a blue glare, and Tom knew that Mr. Durban was using the
electric weapon.
By these intermittent gleams Tom managed to see sufficiently to
thrust Mr. and Mrs. Illingway ahead of him. Tomba was at their side.
The yells inside the hut were almost deafening. All the red dwarfs
left to guard the captives had awakened, and they could see well
enough to attack Tom. Fortunately they had no weapons, but they
fairly threw themselves upon the sturdy lad, trying to pull him
down.
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