Part 15 (2/2)

”Bless my cartridge belt! Take it and welcome!” a.s.sented the eccentric man. It still had several shots in the magazine, and these the old hunter used with good effect.

At first it seemed as if the elephants could not be turned back.

They kept on rus.h.i.+ng toward the village, which was not far away, and Tom and the others followed at one side, as best they could, firing rapidly. The electric rifle did fearful execution.

Emboldened by the fear that all their possessions would be destroyed a body of the natives rushed out, right in front of the elephants, and beat tom-toms and drums, almost under their feet, at the same time singing wild songs.

”I'm afraid we can't stop them!” muttered Mr. Anderson. ”We'd better hurry to the airs.h.i.+p, and protect that, Tom.”

But, almost as he spoke, the tide of battle turned. The elephants suddenly swung about, and began a retreat. They could not stand the hot fire of the four guns, including Tom's fearful weapon. With wild trumpetings they fled back into the jungle, leaving a number of their dead behind.

”A close call,” murmured Tom, as he drew a breath of relief. Indeed this was true, for the tide had turned when the foremost elephants were not a hundred feet away from the first rows of native huts.

”I should say it was,” agreed Ned Newton, wiping his face with his handkerchief. He, as well as the others, was an odd-looking sight.

They were blackened by powder smoke, scratched by briars, and red from exertion.

”But we got more ivory in this hour than I could have secured in a week of ordinary hunting,” declared Mr. Durban. ”If this keeps up we won't have to get much more, except that I don't think any of the tusks to-day are large enough for the special purpose of my customer.”

”The sooner we get enough ivory the quicker we can go to the rescue of the missionaries,” said Mr. Anderson.

”That's so,” remarked Tom. ”We must not forget the red pygmies.”

The natives were now dancing about, wild in delight at the prospect of unlimited eating, and also thankful for what the white men had done for them. Alone, the blacks would never have been able to stop the stampede. They were soon busy cutting up the elephants ready for a big feast, and runners were sent to tell neighboring tribes, in adjoining villages, of the delights awaiting them.

Mr. Durban gave instructions about saving the ivory tusks, and the valuable teeth, each pair worth about $1,000, were soon cut out and put away for our friends. Some had been lost by the excessive power of Tom's gun, but this could not be helped. It was necessary to stop the rush at any price.

There was soon a busy scene at the native village, and with the arrival of other tribesmen it seemed as if Bedlam had broken loose.

The blacks chattered like so many children as they prepared for the feast.

”Do white men ever eat elephant meat?” asked Mr. Damon, as the adventurers were gathered about the airs.h.i.+p.

”Indeed they do,” declared Mr. Durban. ”Baked elephant foot is a delicacy that few appreciate. I'll have the natives cook some for us.”

He gave the necessary orders, and the travelers had to admit that it was worth coming far to get.

For the next few days and nights there was great feasting in that African village, and the praises of the white men, and power of Tom Swift's electric rifle, were sung loud and long.

Our friends had resumed work on repairing the airs.h.i.+p, and the young inventor declared, one night, that they could proceed the next day.

They were seated around a small campfire, watching the dancing and antics of some natives who were at their usual work of eating meat.

All about our friends were numerous blazes for the cooking of the feasts, and some were on the very edge of the jungle.

Suddenly, above the uncouth sounds of the merry-making, there was heard a deep vibration and roar, not unlike the distant rumble of thunder or the hum of a great steamer's whistle heard afar in the fog.

”What's that?” cried Ned.

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