CHAPTER XIX
AN APPEAL FOR HELP
The African hunter's story was soon told. He had gone on fartherthan had any of his companions, and, being a bold and brave man, hadpenetrated into the very fastness of the jungle where few would dareto venture.
But even he had despaired of getting on the trail of the fiercelittle red men, until one afternoon, just at dusk he had heardvoices in the forest. Crouching behind a fallen tree, he waited andsaw passing by some of the pygmy hunters, armed with bows andarrows, and blowguns. They had been out after game. Cautiously thehunter followed them, until he located one of their odd villages,which consisted of little mud huts, poorly made.
The black hunter remained in the vicinity of the pygmies all thatnight, and was almost caught, for some wild dogs which hung aroundthe village smelled him out, and attracted to him the attention ofthe dwarf savages. The hunter took to a tree, and so escaped. Then,carefully marking the trail, he came away in the morning. When nearhome, a lion had attacked him, but he speared the beast to death,after a hand-to-hand struggle in which his leg was torn.
"And do you think we can find the place?" asked Ned, when Mr. Durbanhad finished translating the hunter's story.
"I think so," was the reply.
"But is this the settlement where the missionaries are?" asked Tomanxiously.
"That is what we don't know," said Mr. Anderson. "The native scoutcould not learn that. But once we get on the trail of the dwarfs, Ithink we can easily find the particular tribe which has thecaptives."
"At any rate, we'll get started and do something," declared Tom, andthe next day, after the African hunter had described, as well as hecould, where the place was, the Black Hawk was sent up into the air,good-bys were called down, and once more the adventurers were underway.
It was decided that they had better proceed cautiously, and lowerthe airship, and anchor it, sometime before getting above the placewhere the pygmy village was.
"For they may see us, and, though they don't know what our craft is,they may take the alarm and hide deeper in the jungle with theprisoners, where we can't find them," said Tom.
His plan was adopted, and, while it had taken the native hunterseveral days to reach the borders of the dwarfs' land, those in theairship made the trip in one day. That is, they came as far towardit as they thought would be safe, and one night, having located alandmark which Mr. Durban said was on the border, the nose of theBlack Hawk was pointed downward, and soon they were encamped in alittle clearing in the midst of the dense jungle which was all aboutthem.
With his electric rifle, Tom noiselessly killed some birds, verymuch like chicken, of which an excellent meal was made and then, asit became dark very early, and as nothing could be done, theylighted a campfire, and retired inside their craft to pass thenight.
It must have been about midnight that Tom, who was a light sleeperat times, was awakened by some noise outside the window near whichhis stateroom was. He sat up and listened, putting out his hand towhere his rifle stood in the corner near his bunk. The lad heardstealthy footsteps pattering about on the deck of the airship. Therewas a soft, shuffling sound, such as a lion or a tiger makes, whenwalking on bare boards. In spite of himself, Tom felt the hair onhis head beginning to creep, and a shiver ran down his back.
"There's something out there!" he whispered. "I wonder if I'd betterawaken the others? No, if it's a sneaking lion, I can manage to killhim, but--"
He paused as another suggestion came to him.
The red pygmies! They went barefoot! Perhaps they were swarmingabout the ship which they might have discovered in the darkness.
Tom Swift's heart beat rapidly. He got softly out of his bunk, and,with his rifle in hand made his way to the door opening on deck. Onhis way he gently awakened Ned and Mr. Durban, and whispered to themhis fear.
"If the red pygmies are out there we'll need all our force," saidthe old elephant hunter. "Call Mr. Damon and Mr. Anderson, Ned, andtell them to bring their guns."
Soon they were all ready, fully armed. They listened intently. Theairship was all in darkness, for lights drew a horde of insects. Thecampfire had died down. The soft footsteps could still be heardmoving about the deck.
"That sounds like only one person or animal," whispered Ned.
"It does," agreed Tom. "Wait a minute, I'll fire an illuminatingcharge, and we can see what it is."
The others posted themselves at windows that gave a view of thedeck. Tom poked his electric rifle out of a crack of the door, andshot forth into the darkness one of the blue illuminations. The deckof the craft was instantly lighted up brilliantly, and in the glare,crouched on the deck, could be seen a powerful black man, nearlynaked, gazing at the hunters.
"A black!" gasped Tom, as the light died out. "Maybe it is one fromthe village we just left. What do you want? Who are you?" called thelad, forgetting that the Africans spoke only their own language. Tothe surprise of all, there came his reply in broken English:
"Me Tomba! Me go fo' help for Missy Illingway--fo' Massy Illingway.Me run away from little red men! Me Christian black man. Oh, if yoube English, help Missy Illingway--she most die! Please help. Tombago but Tomba be lost! Please help!"
Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle; Or, Daring Adventures in Elephant Land Page 19
