NEWS FROM ANDY
Tom Swift's former airship, the Red Cloud, had been such a fine
craft, and had done such good service that he thought, in building a
successor, that he could do no better than to follow the design of
the skyship which had been destroyed in the ice caves. But, on
talking with the old elephant hunter, and learning something of the
peculiarities of the African jungle the young inventor decided on
certain changes.
In general the Black Hawk would be on the lines of the Red Cloud but
it would be smaller and lighter and would also be capable of swifter
motion.
"You want it so that it will rise and descend quickly and at sharp
angles," said Mr. Durban.
"Why," inquired Tom.
"Because in Africa, at least in the part where we will go, there are
wide patches of jungle and forest, with here and there big open
places. If you are skimming along close to the ground, in an open
place, in pursuit of a herd of elephants and they should suddenly
plunge into the forest, you would want to be able to rise above the
trees quickly."
"That's so," admitted Tom. "Then I'll have to use a smaller gas bag
than we had on the other ship, for the air resistance to that big
one made us go slowly at times."
"Will it be as safe with a small bag?" Mr. Damon wanted to know.
"Yes, for I will use a more powerful gas, so that we will be more
quickly lifted," said the young inventor. "I will also retain the
aeroplane feature, so that the Black Hawk will be a combined biplane
and dirigible balloon. But it will have many new features. I have
the plans all drawn for a new style of gas generating apparatus, and
I think it can be made in time."
There were busy days about the Swift home. Mrs. Baggert, the
housekeeper, was in despair. She said the good meals she got ready
were wasted, because no one would come to table when they were
ready. She would ring the bell, and announce that dinner would be
served in five minutes.
Then Tom would shout from his workshop that he could not leave until
he had inserted a certain lever in place. Mr. Jackson would
positively decline to sit down until he had screwed fast some part
of a machine. Even Mr. Swift, who, because of his recent illness,
was not allowed to do much, would often delay his meal to test some
new style of gears.
As for Mr. Damon, it was to be expected that he would be eccentric
as he always was. He was not an expert mechanic, but he knew
something of machinery and was of considerable help to Tom in the
rush work on the airship. He would hear the dinner bell ring, and
would exclaim:
"Bless my napkin ring! I can't come now. I have to fix up this
electrical register first."
And so it would go. Eradicate and Boomerang, his mule, were the only
ones who ate regularly, and they always insisted on stopping at
exactly twelve o'clock to partake of the noonday meal.
"'Cause ef I didn't," explained the colored man, "dat contrary mule
ob mine would lay down in de dust ob de road an' not move a step,
lessen' he got his oats. So dat's why we has t' eat, him an' me."
"Well, I'm glad there's some one who's got sense," murmured Mrs.
Baggert. Eradicate and Boomerang were of great service in the
hurried work that followed, for the colored man in his cart brought
from town, or from the freight depot, many things that Tom needed.
The young inventor was very enthusiastic about his proposed trip,
and at night, after a hard day's work in the shop, he would read
books on African hunting, or he would sit and listen to the stories
told by Mr. Durban. And the latter knew how to tell hunting tales,
for he had been long in his dangerous calling, and had had many
narrow escapes.
"And there are other dangers than from elephants and wild beasts in
Africa," he said.
"Bless my toothbrush!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Do you mean cannibals,
Mr. Durban?"
"Some cannibals," was the reply. "But they're not the worst. I mean
the red pygmies. I hope we don't get into their clutches."
"Red pygmies!" repeated Tom, wonderingly.
"Yes, they're a tribe of little creatures, about three feet high,
covered with thick reddish hair, who live in the central part of
Africa, near some of the best elephant-hunting ground. They are
wild, savage and ferocious, and what they lack individually in
strength, they make up in numbers. They're like little red apes, and
woe betide the unlucky hunter who falls into their merciless hands.
They treat him worse than the cannibals do."
"Then we'll look out for them," said Tom. "But I fancy my electric
rifle will make them give us a wide berth."
"It's a great gun," admitted the old hunter with a shake of his
head, "but those red pygmies are terrible creatures. I hope we don't
get them on our trail. But tell me, Tom, how are you coming on with
the airship? for I don't know much about mechanics, and to me it
looks as if it would never be put together. It's like one of those
queer puzzles I've seen 'em selling in the streets of London."
"Oh, it's nearer ready than it looks to be," said Tom. "We'll have
it assembled, and ready for a trial in about two weeks more."
Work on the Black Hawk was rushed more than ever in the next few
days, another extra machinist being engaged. Then the craft began to
assume shape and form, and with the gas bag partly inflated and the
big planes stretching out from either side, it began to look
something like the ill-fated Red Cloud.
"It's going to be a fine ship!" cried Tom enthusiastically, one day,
as he went to the far side of the ship to get a perspective view of
it. "We'll make good time in this."
"Are you going to sail all the way to Africa--across the ocean--in
her?" asked Mr. Durban, in somewhat apprehensive tones.
"Oh, no," replied Tom. "I believe she would be capable of taking us
across the ocean, but there is no need of running any unnecessary
risks. I want to get her safely to Africa, and have her do stunts in
elephant land."
"Then what are your plans?" asked the hunter.
"We'll put her together here," said Tom, "give her a good try-out to
see that she works well, and then pack her up for shipment to the
African coast by steamer. We'll go on the same ship, and when we
arrive we'll put the Black Hawk together again, and set sail for the
interior."
"Good idea," commented Mr. Durban. "Now, if you've no objections,
I'm going to do a little practice with the electric rifle."
"Go ahead," assented Tom. "There comes Ned Newton; he'll be glad of
a chance for a few shots while I work on this new propeller motor.
It just doesn't suit me."
The bank clerk, who had arranged to go to Africa with Tom, was seen
advancing toward the aeroplane shed. In his hand Ned held a paper,
and as he saw Tom he called out:
"Have you heard the news?"
"What news?" inquired the young inventor.
"About Andy Foger. He and his aeroplane are lost!"
"Lost!" cried Tom, for in spite of the mean way the bully had
treated him our hero did not wish him any harm.
"Well, not exactly lost," went on Ned, as he held out the paper to
Tom, "but he and his sky-craft have disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"Yes. You know he and that German, Mr. Landbacher, went over to
Europe to give some aviation exhibitions. Well, I see by this paper
that they went to Egypt, and were doing a high-flying stunt there,
when a gale sprang up, they lost control of the aeroplane and it was
swept out of sight."
"In which direction; out to sea?"
"No, toward the interior of Africa."
"Toward the interior of Africa!" cried Tom. "And that's where we're
going in a couple of weeks. Andy in Africa!"
"'Maybe we'll see him there," suggested Ned.
"Well, I certainly hope we do not!" exclaimed Tom, as he turned back
to his work, with an undefinable sense of fear in his heart.