Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; Or, Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER XXIII

  AT THE VOLCANO

  "And you've got to snap-shot a volcano?" remarked Ned to his chum,after a moment of surprised silence. "Any particular one? Is itVesuvius? If it is we haven't far to go. But how does Mr. Period knowthat it's going to get into action when we want it to?"

  "No, it isn't Vesuvius," replied Tom. "We've got to take another longtrip, and we'll have to go by steamer again. The message says that theArequipa volcano, near the city of the same name, in Peru, has startedto 'erupt,' and, according to rumor, it's acting as it did many yearsago, just before a big upheaval."

  "Bless my Pumice stones!" cried Mr. Damon. "And are you expected to getpictures of it shooting out flames and smoke, Tom?"

  "Of course. An inactive volcano wouldn't make much of a moving picture.Well, if we go to Peru, we won't be far from the United States, and wecan fly back home in the airship. But we've got to take the Flyerapart, and pack up again."

  "Will you have time?" asked Mr. Nestor. "Maybe the volcano will getinto action before you arrive, and the performance will be all overwith."

  "I think not," spoke Tom, as he again read the cablegram. "Mr. Periodsays he has advices from Peru to the effect that, on other occasions,it took about a month from the time smoke was first seen coming fromthe crater, before the fireworks started up. I guess we've got timeenough, but we won't waste any."

  "And I guess Montgomery and Kenneth won't be there to make trouble forus," put in Ned. "It will be some time before they get away from thatAfrican town, I think."

  They began work that day on taking the airship apart for transportationto the steamer that was to carry them across the ocean. Tom decided ongoing to Panama, to get a series of pictures on the work of diggingthat vast canal. On inquiry he learned that a steamer was soon to sailfor Colon, so he took passage for his friends and himself on that, alsoarranging for the carrying of the parts of his airship.

  It was rather hard work to take the Flyer apart, but it was finallydone, and, in about a week from the time of arriving in Paris, theyleft that beautiful city. The pictures already taken were forwarded toMr. Period, with a letter of explanation of Tom's adventures thus far,and an account of how his rivals had acted.

  Just before sailing, Tom received another message from his strangeemployer. The cablegram read:

  "Understand our rivals are also going to try for volcano pictures.Can't find out who will represent Turbot and Eckert, but watch out. Besuspicious of strangers."

  "That's what I will!" cried Tom. "If they get my camera away from meagain, it will be my own fault."

  The voyage to Colon was not specially interesting. They ran into aterrific storm, about half way over, and Tom took some pictures fromthe steamer's bridge, the captain allowing him to do so, but warninghim to be careful.

  "I'll take Koku up there with me," said the young inventor, "and if awave tries to wash me overboard he'll grab me."

  And it was a good thing that he took this precaution, for, while a wavedid not get as high as the bridge, one big, green roller smashed overthe bow of the vessel, staggering her so that Tom was tossed againstthe rail. He would have been seriously hurt, and his camera might havebeen broken, but for the quickness of the giant.

  Koku caught his master, camera and all, in a mighty arm, and with theother clung to a stanchion, holding Tom in safety until the ship was ona level keel once more.

  "Thanks, Koku!" gasped Tom. "You always seem to be around when I needyou." The giant grinned happily.

  The storm blew out in a few days, and, from then on, there was pleasantsailing. When Tom's airship had been reassembled at Colon, it createdquite a sensation among the small army of canal workers, and, for theirbenefit, our hero gave several flying exhibitions.

  He then took some of the engineers on a little trip, and in turn, theydid him the favor of letting him get moving pictures of parts of thework not usually seen.

  "And now for the volcano!" cried Tom one morning, when having shippedto Mr. Period the canal pictures, the Flyer was sent aloft, and hernose pointed toward Arequipa. "We've got quite a run before us."

  "How long?" asked Ned.

  "About two thousand miles. But I'm going to speed her up to the limit."Tom was as good as his word, and soon the Flyer was shooting along ather best rate, reeling off mile after mile, just below the clouds.

  It was a wild and desolate region over which the travelers foundthemselves most of the time, though the scenery was magnificent. Theysailed over Quito, that city on the equator, and, a little later, theypassed above the Cotopaxi and Chimbarazo volcanoes. But neither of themwas in action. The Andes Mountains, as you all know, has many volcanoesscattered along the range. Lima was the next large city, and there Tommade a descent to inquire about the burning mountain he was shortly tophotograph.

  "It will soon be in action," the United States counsel said. "I had aletter from a correspondent near there only yesterday, and he said thepeople in the town were getting anxious. They are fearing a shower ofburning ashes, or that the eruption may be accompanied by anearthquake."

  "Good!" cried Tom. "Oh, I don't mean it exactly that way," he hastenedto add, as he saw the counsel looking queerly at him. "I meant that Icould get pictures of both earthquake and volcano then. I don't wishthe poor people any harm."

  "Well, you're the first one I ever saw who was anxious to get next doorto a volcano," remarked the counsel. "Hold on, though, that's not quiteright. I heard yesterday that a couple of young fellows passed throughhere on their way to the same place. Come to think of it, they weremoving picture men, also."

  "Great Scott!" cried Tom. "Those must be my rivals, I'll wager. I mustget right on the job. Thanks for the information," and hurrying fromthe office he joined his friends on the airship, and was soon aloftagain.

  "Look, Tom, what's that?" cried Ned, about noon the next day when theFlyer, according to their calculations must be nearing the city ofArequipa. "See that black cloud over there. I hope it isn't a tornado,or a cyclone, or whatever they call the big wind storms down here."

  Tom, and the others, looked to where Ned pointed. There was a column ofdense smoke hovering in the air, lazily swirling this way and that. Theairship was rapidly approaching it.

  "Why that--" began Tom, but before he could complete the sentence thesmoke was blown violently upward. It became streaked with fire, and, amoment later, there was the echo of a tremendous explosion.

  "The volcano!" cried Tom. "The Arequipa volcano! We're here just intime, for she's in eruption now! Come on, Ned, help me get out thecamera! Mr. Damon, you and Mr. Nestor manage the airship! Put us asclose as you dare! I'm going to get some crackerjack pictures!"

  Once more came a great report.

  "Bless my toothpick!" gasped Mr. Damon. "This is awful!" And theairship rushed on toward the volcano which could be plainly seen now,belching forth fire, smoke and ashes.