Part 21 (1/2)

Thean, one after the other, to clamber up the rope There were five of theht, and To out in the terrific stor, and with a lone woiant

”I help,” was the giant's simple reply, and as the woman's head ca forward, raised her in his powerful arms, and set her carefully on the deck

”Come into the cabin, please,” Ned called to her ”Come in out of the wet”

”Oh, it seeasped, as, rain-drenched and wind-tossed, she staggered toward the door which To inventor had his hands full,the airshi+p so as to keep it above the reat a strain on the rope

The woman passed into the cabin, which was between the motor room and the pilot house, and Ned saw her throw herself on her knees, and offer up a fervent prayer of thanksgiving Then, springing to her feet, she cried:

”My husband? Is he safe? Can you save him? Oh, hoonderful that this airshi+p came in answer to our appeals to Providence Whose is it?”

Before Ned got a chance to answer her, as she came to the door of the motor room, a man's voice called:

”My wife! Is she safe?”

”Yes, here I am,” replied the woman, and a moment later the tere in each other's arasped the woman, after a pause

”Yes,” replied theup the rope Oh, what a wonderful rescue! And that giant man who lifted us up on deck! Oh, do you recall in Africa hoere also rescued by airshi+p--”

”Coot you!” interrupted the voice of Koku out on the after deck, and there was a series of thumps that told when he had lifted the men over the rail, and set theiant at last

”Then cut the rope!” shouted To worse!”

There was the sound of a hatchet blow, and the airshi+p shot upward

Into the cabin caures of the other ht, felt a wave of wonder sweep over him as he listened to the voices of the first man and woman

He knew he had heard them before, and, when he listened to the remark about a rescue by airshi+p, in Africa, a flood of memory came to him

”Can it be possible that these are the saet a look at theone I suppose,” re into the motor rooht on the dooulf her, and, a one,” he said softly

”Too bad!” exclaimed the man ”She was a fine little craft But how in the world did you happen along to rescue us? Whose airshi+p is this?”

”Tom Swift's,” answered Ned, and, at the sound of the name the woman uttered a cry, as she rushed into the motor room

”Tom Swift!” she exclaimed ”Where is he? Oh, can it be possible that it is the same Tom Swift that rescued us in Africa?”

”I think it is, Mrs Illingway,” spoke Ned quietly, for he now recognized the h he wondered what she and her husband were doing so far from the Dark Continent

”Oh, I know you--you're Ned Newton--Tolad!

Where is Tom?”

”In the pilot house He'll be here in aset the autoeer to take the shi+p on her ho at the little group of persons who had climbed up from the motor boat ”Mr Damon, you had better make some hot coffee Koku, you help I--”