Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle

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"Mr. Illingway often mentioned in his letters," went on Mr.
Anderson, "that there were frequent fights between the pygmies and
the race of blacks, but the latter had no great fear of their small
enemies. However, it seems that they did not take proper
precautions, for not long ago there was a great battle, the blacks
were attacked by a large force of the red pygmies, who overwhelmed
them by numbers, and finally routed them, taking possession of their
country."

"What became of the missionaries?" asked Ned Newton.

"I'll tell you," said Mr. Anderson. "For a long time we heard
nothing, beyond the mere news of the fight, which we read of in the
papers. The church people were very anxious about the fate of Mr.
and Mrs. Illingway, and were talking of sending a special messenger
to inquire about them, when a cablegram came from the headquarters
of the society in London."

"It seems that one of the black natives, named Tomba, who was a sort
of house servant to Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, escaped the general
massacre, in which all his friends were killed. He made his way
through the jungle to a white settlement, and told his story,
relating how the two missionaries had been carried away captive by
the pygmies."

"A terrible fate," commented Mr. Durban.

"Yes, they might better be dead, from all the accounts we can hear,"
went on Mr. Anderson.

"Bless my Sunday hat! Don't say that!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Maybe
we can save them, Mr. Anderson."

"That is what I am going to try to do, though it may be too late. As
soon as definite news was received, our church held a meeting,
raised a fund, and decided to send me off to find Mr. and Mrs.
Illingway, if alive, or give them decent burial, if I could locate
their bones. The reason they selected me was because I had been in
Africa, and knew the country."

"I made hurried arrangements, packed up, said good-by to my wife,
and here I am. But to think of meeting you, Tom Swift! And to hear
that you are also going to Africa. I wish I could command an airship
for the rescue. It might be more easily accomplished!"

"That's just what I was going to propose!" exclaimed Tom. "We are
going to the land of the red pygmies, and while I have promised to
help Mr. Durban in getting ivory, and while I want to try my
electric rifle on big game, still we can do both, I think. You can
depend on us, Mr. Anderson, and if the Black Hawk can be of any
service to you in the rescue, count us in!"

"Gosh!" cried the former castaway of Earthquake Island. "This is the
best piece of luck I could have! Now tell me all about your plans."
which Tom and the others did, listening in turn, to further details
about the missionaries.

Just how they would go to work to effect the rescue, or how they
could locate the particular tribe of little red men who had Mr. and
Mrs. Illingway, they did not know.

"We may be able to get hold of this Tomba," said Mr. Durban. "If not
I guess between Mr. Anderson and myself we can get on the trail,
somehow. I'm anxious to get to the coast, see the airship put
together again, and start for the interior."

"So am I," declared Tom, as he got out his electric rifle, and began
to put it together, for he wanted to show Mr. Anderson how it
worked.

They had a pleasant and uneventful voyage for two weeks. The weather
was good, and, to tell the truth, it was rather monotonous for Torn
and the others, who were eager to get into activity again. Then came
a storm, which, while it was not dangerous, yet gave them plenty to
think and talk about for three days. Then came more calm weather,
when the Soudalar plowed along over gently heaving billows.

They were about a week from their port of destination, which vas
Majumba, on the African coast, when, one afternoon, as Tom and the
others were in their cabin, they heard a series of shouts on deck,
and the sound of many feet running to and fro.

"Something has happened!" exclaimed the young inventor.

Tom raced for the companionway, and was soon on deck, followed by
Mr. Durban and the others. They saw a crowd of sailors and
passengers leaning over the port rail.

"What's the matter?" asked Tom, of the second mate, who was just
passing.

"Fight between a killer and a whale," was the reply. "The captain
has ordered the ship to lay-to so it can be watched."

Tom made his way to the rail. About a quarter of a mile away there
could be observed a great commotion in the ocean. Great bodies
seemed to be threshing about, beating the water to foam, and, with
the foam could be seen bright blood mingled. Occasionally two jets
of water, as from some small fountain, would shoot upward.

"He's blowing hard!" exclaimed one of the sailors. "I guess he's
about done for!"

"Which one?" asked Tom.

"The whale," was the reply. "The killer has the best of the big
fellow," and the sailor quickly explained how the smaller killer
fish, by the peculiarity of its attack, and its great ferocity,
often bested its larger antagonist.

The battle was now at its height, and Tom and the others were
interested spectators. At times neither of the big creatures could
be seen, because of the smother of foam in which they rolled and
threshed about. The whale endeavored to sound, or go to the bottom,
but the killer stuck to him relentlessly.

Suddenly, however, as Tom looked, the whale, by a stroke of his
broad tail, momentarily stunned his antagonist. Instantly realizing
that he was free the great creature, which was about ninety feet
long, darted away, swimming on the surface of the water, for he
needed to get all the air possible.

Quickly acquiring momentum, the whale came on like a locomotive,
spouting at intervals, the vapor from the blowholes looking not
unlike steam from some submarine boat.

"He looks to be heading this way," remarked Mr. Durban to Tom.

"He is," agreed the young inventor, "but I guess he'll dive before
he gets here. He only wants to get away from the killer. Look, the
other one is swimming this way, too!"

"Bless my harpoon, but he sure is!" called Mr. Damon. "They'll renew
the fight near here."

But he was mistaken, for the killer, after coming a little distance
after the whale, suddenly turned, hesitated for a moment, and then
disappeared in the depths of the ocean.

The whale, however, continued to come on, speeding through the water
with powerful strokes. There was an uneasy movement among some of
the passengers.

"Suppose he strikes the ship," suggested one woman.

"Nonsense! He couldn't," said her husband.

"The old man had better get under way, just the same," remarked a
sailor near Tom, as he looked up at the bridge where the captain was
standing.

The "old man," or commander, evidently thought the same thing, for,
after a glance at the oncoming leviathan, which was still headed
directly for the vessel, he shoved the lever of the telegraph signal
over to "full speed ahead."

Hardly had he done so than the whale sank from sight.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed the woman who had first spoken of the
possibility of the whale hitting the ship, "I am afraid of those
terrible creatures."

"They're as harmless as a cow, unless they get angry," said her
husband.

Slowly the great ship began to move through the water. Tom and his
friends were about to go back to their cabin, for they thought the
excitement over, when, as the young inventor turned from the rail,
he felt a vibration throughout the whole length of the steamer, as
if it had hit on a sand-bar.

Instantly there was a jangling of bells in the engine room, and the
Soudalar lost headway.

"What's the matter?" asked several persons.

They were answered a moment later, for the big whale, even though
grievously wounded in his fight with the killer, had risen not a
hundred feet away from the ship, and was coming toward it with the
speed of an express train.

"Bless my blubber!" cried Mr. Damon. "We must have hit the whale, or
it hit us under the water and now it's going to attack us!"

He had no more than gotten the words out of his mouth ere the great
creature of the deep came on full tilt at the vessel, struck it a
terrific blow which made it tremble from stem to stern, and careen
violently.

There was a chorus of frightened cries, sailors rushed to and fro,
the engine-room bells rang violently, and the captain and mates
shouted hoarse orders.

"Here he comes again!" yelled Mr. Durban, as he hurried to the side
of the ship. "The whale takes us for an enemy, I guess. and he's
going to ram us again!"

"And if he does it many times, he'll start the plates and cause a
leak that won't be stopped in a hurry!" cried a sailor as he rushed
past Tom.

The young inventor looked at the oncoming monster for a moment, and
then started on the run for his cabin.

"Here! Where are you going?" cried Mr. Damon, but Tom did not
answer.

CHAPTER X

OFF IN THE AIRSHIP

As Tom Swift hurried down the companionway he again felt the ship
careen as the whale struck it a powerful blow, and he was almost
knocked off his feet. But he kept on.

Below he found some frightened men and women, a number of whom were
adjusting life preservers about them, under the impression that the
ship had struck a rock and was going down. They had not been up on
deck, and did not know of the battle between the killer and the
whale, nor what followed.

"Oh, I know we're sinking!" cried one timid woman. "What has
happened?" she appealed to Tom.

"It will be all right in a little while," he assured her.

"But what is it? I want to know. Have we had a collision."

"Yes, with a whale," replied Tom, as he grabbed up something from
his stateroom, and again rushed up on deck. As he reached it the
whale came on once more, and struck the ship another terrific blow.
Then the monster sank and could be seen swimming back, just under
the surface of the water, getting ready to renew the attack.

"He's going to ram us again!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my machine
oil! Why doesn't the captain do something?"

At that moment the commander cried from the bridge:

"Send a man below, Mr. Laster, to see if we are making any water.
Then tell half a dozen of the sailors to get out the rifles, and see
if they can't kill the beast. He'll put us in Davy Jones's locker if
he keeps this up! Lively now, men!"

The first mate, Mr. Laster, called out the order. A sailor went
below to see if the ship was leaking much, and the captain rang for
full speed ahead. But the Soudalar was slow in getting under way
again, and, even at top speed she was no match for the whale, which
was again rushing toward the vessel.

"Quick with those rifles!" cried the captain. "Fire a volley into
the beast!"

"There's no need!" suddenly called Mr. Damon, who had caught sight
of Tom Swift, and the object which the lad carried.

"No need?" demanded the commander. "Why, has the whale sunk, or made
off?"

"No," answered the eccentric man, "the whale is still coming on, but
Tom Swift will fix him. Get there, Tom, and let him have a good
one!"

"What sort of a gun is that?" demanded the commander as the young
inventor took his place at the rail, which was now almost deserted.

Tom did not answer. Bracing himself against the rolling and heaving
of the vessel, which was now under about half speed, Tom aimed his
electric rifle at the oncoming leviathan. He looked at the automatic
gage, noted the distance and waiting a moment until the crest of a
wave in front of the whale had subsided, he pressed the button.

If those watching him expected to hear a loud report, and see a
flash of flame, they were disappointed. There was absolutely no
sound, but what happened to the whale was most surprising.

The great animal stopped short amid a swirl of foam, and the next
instant it seemed to disintegrate. It went all to pieces, just as
had the dummy figure which Tom on one occasion fired at with his
rifle and as had the big packing-cases. The whale appeared to
dissolve, as does a lump of sugar in a cup of hot tea, and, five
seconds after Tom Swift had fired his electric gun, there was not a
sign of the monster save a little blood on the calm sea.

"What--what happened?" asked the captain in bewilderment. "Is--is
that monster gone?"

"Completely gone!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my powder horn, Tom, but
I knew you could do it!"

"Is that a new kind of whale gun, firing an explosive bullet?"
inquired the commander, as he came down off the bridge and shook
hands with Tom. "If it is, I'd like to buy one. We may be rammed
again by another whale."

"This is my new, electric rifle," explained the young inventor
modestly, "and it fires wireless charges of electricity instead of
bullets. I'm sorry I can't let you have it, as it's the only one I
have. But I guess no more whales will ram us. That one was evidently
crazed by the attack of the killer, and doubtless took us for
another of its enemies."

Sailors and passengers crowded around Tom, eager to shake his hand,
and to hear about the gun. Many declared that he had saved the ship.

This was hardly true, for the whale could not have kept up its
attacks much longer. Still he might have done serious damage, by
causing a leak, and, while the Soudalar was a stanch craft, with
many water-tight compartments, still no captain likes to be a week
from land with a bad leak, especially if a storm comes up. Then,
too, there was the danger of a panic among the passengers, had the
attacks been kept up, so, though Tom wanted to make light of his
feat, the others would not let him.

"You're entitled to the thanks of all on board," declared Captain
Wendon, "and I'll see that the owners hear of what you did. Well, I
guess we can go on, now. I'll not stop again to see a fight between
a killer and a whale."

The steamer resumed her way at full speed, and the sailor, who had
gone below, came up to report that there was only a slight leak,
which need not cause any uneasiness.

Little was talked of for the next few days but the killing of the
whale, and Tom had to give several exhibitions of his electric
rifle, and explain its workings. Then, too, the story of his
expedition became known, and also the object of Mr. Anderson's
quest, and Tom's offer of aid to help rescue the missionaries, so
that, altogether, our hero was made much of during the remainder of
the voyage.

"Well, if your gun will do that to a whale, what will it do to an
elephant?" asked Mr. Durban one morning, when they were within a
day's steaming of their port. "I'm afraid it's almost too strong,
Tom. It will leave nothing--not even the tusks to pick up."

"Oh, I can regulate the power," declared the lad. "I used full force
on the whale, just to see what it would do. It was the first tine
I'd tried it on anything alive. I can so regulate the charge that it
will kill even an elephant, and leave scarcely a mark on the beast."

"I'd like to see it done," remarked the old. hunter.

"I'll show you, if we sight any sharks," promised Tom. He was able
to keep his word for that afternoon a school of the ugly fish
followed the steamer for the sake of the food scraps thrown
overboard. Tom took his position in the stern, and gave an
exhibition of shooting with his electric gun that satisfied even Mr.
Durban, exacting as he was.

For the lad, by using his heaviest charges, destroyed the largest
sharks so that they seemed to instantly disappear in the water, and
from that he toned down the current until he could kill some of the
monsters so easily and quickly that they seemed to float motionless
on the surface, yet there was no life left in them once the electric
charge touched them.

"We'll use the light charges when we're killing elephants for their
tusks," said Tom, "and the heavy ones when we're in danger from a
rush of the beasts."

He little knew how soon he would have to put his plan into effect.

They arrived safely at Majumba, the African coast city, and for two
days Tom was kept busy superintending the unloading of the parts of
his airship. But it was safely taken ashore, and he and his friends
hired a disused warehouse in which to work at reassembling the Black
Hawk.

Tom had everything down to a system, and, in less than a week the
aircraft was once more ready to be sent aloft. It was given a try-
out, much to the astonishment of the natives, and worked perfectly.
Then Tom and his friends busied themselves laying in a stock of
provisions and stores for the trip into the interior.

They made inquiries about the chances of getting ivory and were told
that they were good if they went far enough into the jungle and
forests, for the big beasts had penetrated farther and farther
inland.

They also tried to get some news regarding the captive missionaries,
but were unsuccessful nor could they learn what had become of Tomba,
who had brought the dire news to civilization.

"It's too soon to hope for anything yet," said Mr. Anderson. "Wait
until we get near the country of the red pygmies."

"And then it may be too late," said Tom in a low voice.

It was two weeks after their arrival in Majumba that Tom announced
that all was in readiness. The airship was in perfect working order,
it was well stocked with food, arms, articles and trinkets with
which to trade among the natives, spare parts for the machinery,
special tools and a good supply of the chemicals needed to
manufacture the lifting gas.

Of course Tom did not leave behind his electric weapon and Mr.
Durban and the others took plenty of ammunition for the ordinary
rifles which they carried.

One morning, after cabling to his father that they were about to
start, Tom gave a last careful look to his airship, tested the motor
and dynamos, took a hasty survey of the storeroom, to see that
nothing had been forgotten, and gave the word to get aboard.

They took their places in the cabin. Outside a crowd of natives, and
white traders of many nationalities had gathered. Tom pulled the
starting lever. The Black Hawk shot across a specially prepared
starting ground, and, attaining sufficient momentum, suddenly arose
into the air.

There was a cheer from the watching crowd, and several superstitious
blacks, who saw the airship for the first time, ran away in terror.

Up into the blue atmosphere Tom took his craft. He looked down on
the city over which he was flying. Then he pointed the prow of the
Black Hawk toward the heart of the dark continent.

"Off for the interior!" he murmured. "I wonder if we'll ever get out
again?"

No one could answer. They had to take their chances with the dangers
and terrors of elephant land, and with the red pygmies. Yet Tom
Swift was not afraid.

CHAPTER XI

ANCHORED TO EARTH

With the voyage on the steamer, their arrival in Africa, the many
strange sights of the city of Majumba, and the refitting of the
airship, our friends had hardly had time to catch their breath since
Tom Swift's determination to go elephant hunting. Now, as the Black
Hawk was speeding into the interior, they felt, for the first time
in many weeks, that they "could take it easy," as Ned Newton
expressed it.

"Thank goodness," said the bank clerk, "I can sit down and look at
something for a while," and he gazed out of the main cabin windows
down at the wild country over which they were then flying.

For, so swiftly had the airship moved that it was hardly any time at
all before it had left Majumba far behind, and was scudding over the
wilderness.

"Bless my camera," exclaimed Mr. Damon, who had brought along one of
the picture machines, "bless my camera! I don't call that much to
look at," and he pointed to the almost impenetrable forest over
which they then were.

"No, it isn't much of a view," said the old elephant hunter, "but
wait. You'll soon see all you want to. Africa isn't all like this.
There are many strange sights before us yet. But, Tom Swift, tell us
how the airship is working in this climate. Do you find any
difficulty managing it?"

"Not at all," answered Tom, who was in the cabin then, having set
the automatic steering apparatus in the pilot house, and come back
to join the others. "It works as well as it did in good old York
State. Of course I can't tell what affect the continual hot and
moist air will have on the gas bag, but I guess we'll make out all
right."

"I certainly hope so," put in Mr. Anderson. "It would be too bad to
be wrecked in the middle of Africa, with no way to get out."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that," said Ned with a laugh. "If the
airship should smash, Tom would build another out of what was left,
and we'd sail away as good as before."

"Hardly that," answered the young inventor.

"But we won't cross a bridge until we hear it coming, as Eradicate
would say. Hello, that looks like some sort of native village."

He pointed ahead to a little clearing in the forest, where a number
of mud and grass huts were scattered about. As they came nearer they
could see the black savages, naked save for a loin cloth, running
about in great excitement, and pointing upward.

"Yes, that's one of the numerous small native villages we'll see
from now on," said Mr. Durban. "Many a night have I spent in those
same grass huts after a day's hunting. Sometimes, I've been
comfortable, and again not. I guess we've given those fellows a
scare."

It did seem so, for by this time the whole population, including
women and children, were running about like mad. Suddenly, from
below there sounded a deep booming noise, which came plainly to the
ears of the elephant hunters through the opened windows of the
airship cabin.

"Hark! What's that?" cried Tom, raising his hand for silence.

"Bless my umbrella! it sounds like thunder," said Mr. Damon.

"No, it's one of their war drums," explained Mr. Durban. "The
natives make large ones out of hollow trees, with animal skins
stretched over the ends, and they beat them to sound a warning, or
before going into battle. It makes a great noise."

"Do you think they want to fight us?" asked Ned, looking anxiously
at Tom, and then toward where his rifle stood in a corner of the
cabin.

"No, probably that drum was beaten by some of the native priests,"
explained the hunter. "The natives are very superstitious, and
likely they took us for an evil spirit, and wanted to drive us
away."

"Then we'll hustle along out of their sight," said Tom, as he went
to the pilot house to increase the speed of the airship, for he had
been letting it drift along slowly to enable the adventurers to view
the country over which they were passing. A few minutes later, under
the increased force of the machinery, the Black Hawk left the native
village, and the crowd of frightened blacks, far behind.

The travelers passed over a succession of wild stretches of forest
or jungle, high above big grassy plains, over low but rugged
mountain ranges, and big rivers. Now and then they would cross some
lake, on the calm surface of which could be made out natives, in big
canoes, hollowed out from trees. In each case the blacks showed
every appearance of fright at the sight of the airship throbbing
along over their heads.

On passing over the lake, Ned Newton looked down and cried out
excitedly:

"Look! Elephants! They're in swimming, and the natives are shooting
them! Now's our chance, Tom!"

Mr. Anderson and Mr. Durban, after a quick glance, drew back
laughing.

"Those are hippopotami!" exclaimed the old elephant man. "Good
hunting, if you don't care what you shoot, but not much sport in it.
It will be some time yet before we see any elephants, boys."

Ned was rather chagrined at his mistake, but the African travelers
told him that any one, not familiar with the country, would have
made it, especially in looking down from a great height.

They sailed along about half a mile above the earth, Tom gradually
increasing the speed of the ship, as he found the machinery to be
working well. Dinner was served as they were crossing a high grassy
plateau, over which could be seen bounding a number of antelopes.

"Some of those would go good for a meal," said Mr. Durban, after a
pause during which he watched the graceful creatures.

"Then we'll go down and get some for supper," decided Tom, for in
that hot climate it was impossible to carry fresh meat on the
airship.

Accordingly, the Black Hawk was sent down, and came to rest in a
natural clearing on the edge of the jungle. After waiting until the
fierce heat of noonday was over, the travelers got out their rifles
and, under the leadership of Mr. Durban and Mr. Anderson, who was
also an experienced hunter, they set off.

Game was plentiful, but as they could only eat a comparatively small
quantity, and as it would not keep, they only shot what they needed.
Tom had his electric rifle, but hesitated to use it, as Mr. Durban
and Mr. Anderson had each already bowled over a fine buck.

However, a chance came most unexpectedly, for, as they were passing
along the banks of a little stream, which was almost hidden from
view by thick weeds and rank grass, there was a sudden commotion in
the bushes, and a fierce wild buffalo sprang out at the party.

There are few animals in Africa more dreaded by hunters than the
wild buffalo, for the beast, with its spreading sharp horns is a
formidable foe, and will seldom give up the attack until utterly
unable to move. They are fierce and relentless.

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