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 it
Vesuvius? If it is we haven't far to go. But how does Mr. Period know
that 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 long
trip, and we'll have to go by steamer again. The message says that the
Arequipa volcano, near the city of the same name, in Peru, has started
to 'erupt,' and, according to rumor, it's acting as it did many years
ago, just before a big upheaval."
"Bless my Pumice stones!" cried Mr. Damon. "And are you expected to get
pictures 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 we
can fly back home in the airship. But we've got to take the Flyer
apart, and pack up again."
"Will you have time?" asked Mr. Nestor. "Maybe the volcano will get
into action before you arrive, and the performance will be all over
with."
"I think not," spoke Tom, as he again read the cablegram. "Mr. Period
says 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 from
the crater, before the fireworks started up. I guess we've got time
enough, but we won't waste any."
"And I guess Montgomery and Kenneth won't be there to make trouble for
us," put in Ned. "It will be some time before they get away from that
African town, I think."
They began work that day on taking the airship apart for transportation
to the steamer that was to carry them across the ocean. Tom decided on
going to Panama, to get a series of pictures on the work of digging
that vast canal. On inquiry he learned that a steamer was soon to sail
for Colon, so he took passage for his friends and himself on that, also
arranging for the carrying of the parts of his airship.
It was rather hard work to take the Flyer apart, but it was finally
done, and, in about a week from the time of arriving in Paris, they
left that beautiful city. The pictures already taken were forwarded to
Mr. 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 strange
employer. 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. Be
suspicious of strangers."
"That's what I will!" cried Tom. "If they get my camera away from me
again, it will be my own fault."
The voyage to Colon was not specially interesting. They ran into a
terrific storm, about half way over, and Tom took some pictures from
the steamer's bridge, the captain allowing him to do so, but warning
him to be careful.
"I'll take Koku up there with me," said the young inventor, "and if a
wave tries to wash me overboard he'll grab me."
And it was a good thing that he took this precaution, for, while a wave
did not get as high as the bridge, one big, green roller smashed over
the bow of the vessel, staggering her so that Tom was tossed against
the rail. He would have been seriously hurt, and his camera might have
been broken, but for the quickness of the giant.
Koku caught his master, camera and all, in a mighty arm, and with the
other clung to a stanchion, holding Tom in safety until the ship was on
a level keel once more.
"Thanks, Koku!" gasped Tom. "You always seem to be around when I need
you." The giant grinned happily.
The storm blew out in a few days, and, from then on, there was pleasant
sailing. When Tom's airship had been reassembled at Colon, it created
quite a sensation among the small army of canal workers, and, for their
benefit, our hero gave several flying exhibitions.
He then took some of the engineers on a little trip, and in turn, they
did him the favor of letting him get moving pictures of parts of the
work not usually seen.
"And now for the volcano!" cried Tom one morning, when having shipped
to Mr. Period the canal pictures, the Flyer was sent aloft, and her
nose 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 at
her best rate, reeling off mile after mile, just below the clouds.
It was a wild and desolate region over which the travelers found
themselves most of the time, though the scenery was magnificent. They
sailed over Quito, that city on the equator, and, a little later, they
passed above the Cotopaxi and Chimbarazo volcanoes. But neither of them
was in action. The Andes Mountains, as you all know, has many volcanoes
scattered along the range. Lima was the next large city, and there Tom
made a descent to inquire about the burning mountain he was shortly to
photograph.
"It will soon be in action," the United States counsel said. "I had a
letter from a correspondent near there only yesterday, and he said the
people in the town were getting anxious. They are fearing a shower of
burning ashes, or that the eruption may be accompanied by an
earthquake."
"Good!" cried Tom. "Oh, I don't mean it exactly that way," he hastened
to add, as he saw the counsel looking queerly at him. "I meant that I
could get pictures of both earthquake and volcano then. I don't wish
the poor people any harm."
"Well, you're the first one I ever saw who was anxious to get next door
to a volcano," remarked the counsel. "Hold on, though, that's not quite
right. I heard yesterday that a couple of young fellows passed through
here on their way to the same place. Come to think of it, they were
moving picture men, also."
"Great Scott!" cried Tom. "Those must be my rivals, I'll wager. I must
get right on the job. Thanks for the information," and hurrying from
the office he joined his friends on the airship, and was soon aloft
again.
"Look, Tom, what's that?" cried Ned, about noon the next day when the
Flyer, according to their calculations must be nearing the city of
Arequipa. "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 of
dense smoke hovering in the air, lazily swirling this way and that. The
airship was rapidly approaching it.
"Why that--" began Tom, but before he could complete the sentence the
smoke was blown violently upward. It became streaked with fire, and, a
moment later, there was the echo of a tremendous explosion.
"The volcano!" cried Tom. "The Arequipa volcano! We're here just in
time, for she's in eruption now! Come on, Ned, help me get out the
camera! Mr. Damon, you and Mr. Nestor manage the airship! Put us as
close 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 the
airship rushed on toward the volcano which could be plainly seen now,
belching forth fire, smoke and ashes.