“Quiet!” begged Ned. “They’ll hear you, and come for us. I don’t want to be chewed up!”
“No danger of them hearing me!” cried Tom, and he had to shout to be heard above the roaring of the two tawny beasts, as they bit and clawed each other, while the camera took picture after picture of them.
CHAPTER XIII
A SHOT IN TIME
“Tom, did you ever see anything like it in your life?”
“I never did, Ned! It’s wonderful! fearful! And to think that we are here watching it, and that thousands of people will see the same thing thrown on a screen. Oh, look at the big one. The small lion has him down!”
The two lads, much thrilled, crouched down behind a screen of bushes, watching the midnight fight between the lions. On the airship, not far distant, there was no little alarm, for those left behind heard the terrific roars, and feared Tom and Ned might be in some danger. But the lions were too much occupied with their battle, to pay any attention to anything else, and no other wild beasts were likely to come to the spring while the two “kings” were at each other.
It was a magnificent, but terrible battle. The big cats bit and tore at each other, using their terrific claws and their powerful paws, one stroke of which is said to be sufficient to break a bullock’s back. Sometimes they would roll out of the focus of the camera, and, at such times, Tom wished he was at the machine to swing the lens around, but he knew it would be dangerous to move. Then the beasts would roll back into the rays of light again, and more pictures of them would be taken.
“I guess the small one is going to win!” said Tom, after the two lions had fought for ten minutes, and the bigger one had been down several times.
“He’s younger,” agreed Ned, “and I guess the other one has had his share of fights. Maybe this is a battle to see which one is to rule this part of the jungle.”
“I guess so,” spoke the young inventor, as he pressed the button to stop the camera, as the lions rolled out of focus. “Oh, look!” he cried a moment later, as the animals again rolled into view. Tom started the camera once more. “This is near the end,” he said.
The small lion had, by a sudden spring, landed on the back of his rival. There was a terrific struggle, and the older beast went down, the younger one clawing him terribly. Then, so quickly did it happen that the boys could not take in all the details, the older lion rolled over and over, and rid himself of his antagonist. Quickly he got to his feet, while the smaller lion did the same. They stood for a moment eyeing each other, their tails twitching, the hair on their backs bristling, and all the while they uttered frightful roars.
An instant later the larger beast sprang toward his rival. One terrible paw was upraised. The small lion tried to dodge, but was not quick enough. Down came the paw with terrific force, and the boys could hear the back bone snap. Then, clawing his antagonist terribly, as he lay disabled, the older lion, with a roar of triumph, lapped up water, and sprang off through the jungle, leaving his dying rival beside the spring.
“That’s the end,” cried Tom, as the small lion died, and the young inventor pressed the button stopping his camera. There was a rustle in the leaves back of Tom and Ned, and they sprang up in alarm, but they need not have feared, for it was only Koku, the giant, who, with a portable electrical torch, had come to see how they had fared.
“Mr. Tom all right?” asked the big man, anxiously.
“Yes, and I got some fine pictures. You can carry the camera back now, Koku. I think that roll of film is pretty well filled.”
The three of them looked at the body of the dead lion, before they went back to the airship. I have called him “small,” but, in reality, the beast was small only in comparison with his rival, who was a tremendous lion in size. I might add that of all the pictures Tom took, few were more highly prized than that reel of the lion fight.
“Bless my bear cage!” cried Mr. Damon, as Tom came back, “you certainly have nerve, my boy.”
“You have to, in this business,” agreed Tom with a laugh. “I never did this before, and I don’t know that I would want it for a steady position, but it’s exciting for a change.”
They remained near the “lion spring” as they called it all night, and in the morning, after Koku had served a tasty breakfast, Tom headed the airship for a district where it was said there were many antelope, and buffaloes, also zebus.
“I don’t want to get all exciting pictures,” our hero said to Mr. Nestor. “I think that films showing wild animals at play, or quietly feeding, will be good.”
“I’m sure they will,” said Mary’s father. “Get some peaceful scenes, by all means.”
They sailed on for several days, taking a number of pictures from the airship, when they passed over a part of the country where the view was magnificent, and finally, stopping at a good sized village they learned that, about ten miles out, was a district where antelope abounded.
“We’ll go there,” decided Tom, “and I’ll take the camera around with me on a sort of walking trip. In that way I’ll get a variety of views, and I can make a good film.”
This plan was followed out. The airship came to rest in a beautiful green valley, and Ned and Tom, with Mr. Damon, who begged to be taken along, started off.
“You can follow me in about half an hour, Koku,” said Tom, “and carry the camera back. I guess you can easily pick up our trail.”
“Oh, sure,” replied the giant. Indeed, to one who had lived in the forest, as he had all his life, before Tom found him, it was no difficult matter to follow a trail, such as the three friends would leave.
Tom found signs that showed him where the antelopes were in the habit of passing, and, with Ned and Mr. Damon, stationed himself in a secluded spot.
He had not long to wait before a herd of deer came past. Tom took many pictures of the graceful creatures, for it was daylight now, and he needed no light. Consequently there was nothing to alarm the herd.
After having made several films of the antelope, Tom and his two companions went farther on. They were fortunate enough to find a place that seemed to be a regular playground of the deer. There was a large herd there, and, getting as near as he dared, Tom focused his camera, and began taking pictures.
“It’s as good as a play,” whispered Mr. Damon, as he and Ned watched the creatures, for they had to speak quietly. The camera made scarcely any noise. “I’m glad I came on this trip.”
“So am I,” said Ned. “Look, Tom, see the mother deer all together, and the fawns near them. It’s just as if it was a kindergarten meeting.”
“I see,” whispered Tom. “I’m getting a picture of that.”
For some little time longer Tom photographed the deer, and then, suddenly, the timid creatures all at once lifted up their heads, and darted off. Tom and Ned, wondering what had startled them, looked across the glade just in time to see a big tiger leap out of the tall grass. The striped animal had been stalking the antelope, but they had scented him just in time.
“Get him, Tom,” urged Ned, and the young inventor did so, securing several fine views before the tiger bounded into the grass again, and took after his prey.
“Bless my china teacup! What’s that!” suddenly cried Mr. Damon. As he spoke there was a crashing in the bushes and, an instant later as two-horned rhinoceros sprang into view, charging straight for the group.
“Look out!” yelled Ned.
“Bless my—” began Mr. Damon, but he did not finish, for, in starting to run his foot caught in the grass, and he went down heavily.
Tom leaped to one side, holding his camera so as not to damage it. But he stumbled over Mr. Damon, and went down.
With a “wuff” of rage the clumsy beast, came on, moving more rapidly than Tom had any idea he was capable of. Hampered by his camera our hero could not arise. The rhinoceros was almost upon him, and Ned, catching up a club, was just going to make a rush to the rescue, when the brute seemed suddenly to crumple up. It fell down in a heap, not five feet from whe
re Tom and Mr. Damon lay.
“Good!” cried Ned. “He’s dead. Shot through the heart! Who did it?”
“I did,” answered Koku quietly, stepping out of the bushes, with one of Tom’s Swift’s electric rifles in his hand.
CHAPTER XIV
IN A GREAT GALE
Tom Swift rose slowly to his feet, carefully setting his camera down, after making sure that it was not injured. Then he looked at the huge beast which lay dead in front of him, and, going over to the giant he held out his hand to him.
“Koku, you saved my life,” spoke Tom. “Probably the life of Mr. Damon also. I can’t begin to thank you. It isn’t the first time you’ve done it, either. But I want to say that you can have anything you want, that I’ve got.”
“Me like this gun pretty much,” said the giant simply.
“Then it’s yours!” exclaimed Tom. “And you’re the only one, except myself, who has ever owned one.” Tom’s wonderful electric rifle, of which I have told you in the book bearing that name, was one of his most cherished inventions.
He guarded jealously the secret of how it worked, and never sold or gave one away, for fear that unscrupulous men might learn how to make them, and to cause fearful havoc. For the rifle was a terrible weapon. Koku seemed to appreciate the honor done him, as he handled the gun, and looked from it to the dead rhinoceros.
“Bless my blank cartridge!” exclaimed Mr. Damon, as he also got up and came to examine the dead beast. It was the first thing he had said since the animal had rushed at him, and he had not moved after he fell down. He had seemingly been in a daze, but when the others heard him use one of his favorite expressions they knew that he was all right again. “Bless my hat!” went on the odd man. “What happened, Tom? Is that beast really dead? How did Koku come to arrive in time?”
“I guess he’s dead all right,” said Tom, giving the rhinoceros a kick. “But I don’t know how Koku happened to arrive in the nick of time, and with the gun, too.”
“I think maybe I see something to shoot when I come after you, like you tell me to do,” spoke the giant. “I follow your trail, but I see nothing to shoot until I come here. Then I see that animal run for you, and I shoot.”
“And a good thing you did, too,” put in Ned. “Well let’s go back. My nerves are on edge, and I want to sit quiet for a while.”
“Take the camera, Koku,” ordered Tom, “and I’ll carry the electric rifle—your rifle, now,” he added, and the giant grinned in delight. They reached the airship without further incident, and, after a cup of tea, Tom took out the exposed films and put a fresh roll in his camera, ready for whatever new might happen.
“Where is your next stopping place, Tom?” asked Ned, as they sat in the main room of the airship that evening, talking over the events of the day. They had decided to stay all night anchored on the ground, and start off in the morning.
“I hardly know,” answered the young inventor. “I am going to set the camera tonight, near a small spring I saw, to get some pictures of deer coming to drink. I may get a picture of a lion or a tiger attacking them. If I could it would be another fine film. Tomorrow I think we will start for Switzerland. But now I’m going to get the camera ready for a night exposure.
“Bless my check book!” cried Mr. Damon. “You don’t mean to say that you are going to stay out at a spring again, Tom, and run the chance of a tiger getting you.”
“No, I’m merely going to set the camera, attach the light and let it work automatically this time. I’ve put in an extra long roll of film, for I’m going to keep it going for a long while, and part of the time there may be no animals there to take pictures of. No, I’m not going to sit out tonight. I’m too tired. I’ll conceal the camera in the bushes so it won’t be damaged if there’s a fight. Then, as I said, we’ll start for Switzerland tomorrow.”
“Switzerland!” cried Ned. “What in the world do you want to go make a big jump like that for? And what do you expect to get in that mountain land?”
“I’m going to try for a picture of an avalanche,” said Tom. “Mr. Period wants one, if I can get it. It is quite a jump, but then we’ll be flying over civilized countries most of the time, and if any accident happens we can go down and easily make repairs. We can also get gasolene for the motor, though I have quite a supply in the tanks, and perhaps enough for the entire trip. At the same time we won’t take any chances. So we’ll be off for Switzerland in the morning.
“I think some avalanche pictures will be great, if you can get them,” remarked Mr. Nestor. “But, Tom, you know those big slides of ice, snow and earth aren’t made to order.”
“Oh, I know,” agreed the young inventor with a smile. “I’ll just have to take my chances, and wait until one happens.”
“Bless my insurance policy!” exclaimed Mr. Damon. “And when it does happen, Tom, are you going to stand in front of it, and snap-shot it?”
“Indeed I’m not. This business is risky and dangerous enough, without looking for trouble. I’m going to the mountain region, and hover around in the air, until we see an avalanche ‘happen’ if that is the right word. Then I’ll focus the camera on it, and the films and machinery will do the rest.”
“Oh, that’s different,” remarked the odd man, with an air of relief.
Tom and Ned soon had the camera set near the spring and then, everyone being tired with the day’s work and excitement, they retired. In the morning there were signs around the spring that many animals had been there in the night. There were also marks as if there had been a fight, but of course what sort, or how desperate, no one could say.
“If anything happened the camera got it, I’m sure of that much,” remarked Tom, as he brought in the apparatus. “I’m not going to develop the roll, for I don’t want to take the time now. I guess we must have something, anyhow.”
“If there isn’t it won’t so much matter for you have plenty of other good views,” said Mr. Nestor.
I will not go into details of the long trip to Switzerland, where, amid the mountains of that country, Tom hoped to get the view he wanted.
Sufficient to say that the airship made good time after leaving India. Sometimes Tom sent the craft low down, in order to get views, and again, it would be above the clouds.
“Well, another day will bring us there,” said Tom one evening, as he was loading the camera with a fresh roll of films. “Then we’ll have to be on the lookout for an avalanche.”
“Yes, we’re making pretty good time,” remarked Ned, as he looked at the speed gage. “I didn’t know you had the motor working so fast, Tom.”
“I haven’t,” was the young inventor’s answer, as he looked up in surprise. “Why, we are going quite fast! It’s the wind, Ned. It’s right with us, and it’s carrying us along.”
Tom arose and went to the anemometer, or wind-registering instrument. He gave a low whistle, half of alarm.
“Fifty miles an hour she’s blowing now,” he said. “It came on suddenly, too, for a little while ago it was only ten.”
“Is there any danger?” asked Mr. Nestor, for he was not very familiar with airship perils.
“Well, we’ve been in big blows before, and we generally came out all right,” returned Tom. “Still, I don’t like this. Why she went up five points since I’ve been looking at it!” and he pointed to the needle of the gage, which now registered fifty-five miles an hour.
“Bless my appendix!” gasped Mr. Damon. “It’s a hurricane Tom!”
“Something like that,” put in Ned, in a low voice.
With a suddenness that was startling, the wind increased in violence still more. Tom ran to the pilot house.
“What are you going to do?” Ned called.
“See if we can’t go down a bit,” was Tom’s answer. “I don’t like this. It may be calmer below. We’re up too high as it is.”
He tried to throw over the lever controlling the deflecting rudder, which would send the Flyer down, but he could not move it.
“Giv
e me a hand!” he called to Ned, but even the strength of the two lads was not sufficient to shift it.
“Call Koku!” gasped Tom. “If anybody can budge it the giant can!”
Meanwhile the airship was being carried onward in the grip of a mighty wind, so strong that its pressure on the surface of the deflecting rudder prevented it from being shifted.
CHAPTER XV
SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE
“Bless my thermometer!” gasped Mr. Damon. “This is terrible!” The airship was plunging and swaying about in the awful gale. “Can’t something be done, Tom?”
“What has happened?” cried Mr. Nestor. “We were on a level keel before. What is it?”
“It’s the automatic balancing rudder!” answered Tom. “Something has happened to it. The wind may have broken it! Come on, Ned!” and he led the way to the engine room.
“What are you going to do? Don’t you want Koku to shift the deflecting rudder? Here he is,” Ned added, as the giant came forward, in response to a signal bell that Tom’s chum had rung.
“It’s too late to try the deflecting rudder!” tried Tom. “I must see what is the matter with our balancer.” As he spoke the ship gave a terrific plunge, and the occupants were thrown sideways. The next moment it was on a level keel again, scudding along with the gale, but there was no telling when the craft would again nearly capsize.
Tom looked at the mechanism controlling the equalizing and equilibrium rudder. It was out of order, and he guessed that the terrific wind was responsible for it.
“What can we do?” cried Ned, as the airship nearly rolled over. “Can’t we do anything, Tom?”
“Yes. I’m going to try. Keep calm now. We may come out all right. This is the worst blow we’ve been in since we were in Russia. Start the gas machine full blast. I want all the vapor I can get.”
As I have explained the Flyer was a combined dirigible balloon and aeroplane. It could be used as either, or both, in combination. At present the gas bag was not fully inflated, and Tom had been sending his craft along as an aeroplane.
The Tom Swift Megapack Page 173
