CHAPTER X
UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT
"Well, what do you know about that, Tom?" asked Ned, as they stood ondeck watching the chase. "Isn't he the greatest ever--Mr. Period, Imean?"
"He certainly is. I'd like to see what happens when he catches thatTurbot chap."
"Bless my pocket handkerchief!" cried Mr. Damon. "I don't believe hewill. Mr. Period's legs aren't long enough for fast running."
"Those scoundrels were after us, up to the last minute," spoke Mr.Nestor, as the ship moved farther out from the dock. Tom and hisfriends could no longer see the excitable picture man after his rival,but there was a commotion in the crowd, and it seemed as if he hadcaught the fellow.
"Well, we're free of him now," spoke the young inventor, with a breathof relief. "That is, unless they have set some one else on our trail,"and he looked carefully at the passengers near him, to detect, ifpossible, any who might look like spies in the pay of the rival movingpicture concern, or any suspicious characters who might try to stealthe valuable camera, that was now safely locked in Tom's cabin. Ourhero, however, saw no one to worry about. He resolved to remain on hisguard.
Friends and relatives were waving farewells to one another, and theband was playing, as the big vessel drew out into the North, or Hudson,river, and steamed for the open sea.
Little of interest marked the first week of the voyage. All save Kokuhad done much traveling before, and it was no novelty to them. Thegiant, however, was amused and delighted with everything, even the mostcommonplace things he saw. He was a source of wonder to all the otherpassengers, and, in a way, he furnished much excitement.
One day several of the sailors were on deck, shifting one of the heavyanchors. They went about it in their usual way, all taking hold, and"heaving" together with a "chanty," or song, to enliven their work. Butthey did not make much progress, and one of the mates got ratherexcited about it.
"Here, shiver my timbers!" he cried. "Lively now! Lay about you, andget that over to the side!"
"Yo! Heave! Ho!" called the leader of the sailor gang.
The anchor did not move, for it had either caught on some projection,or the men were not using their strength.
"Lively! Lively!" cried the mate.
Suddenly Koku, who was in the crowd of passengers watching the work,pushed his way to where the anchor lay. With a powerful, but not roughaction, he shoved the sailors aside. Then, stooping over, he took afirm grip of the big piece of iron, planted his feet well apart on thedeck, and lifted the immense mass in his arms. There was a round ofapplause from the group of passengers.
"Where you want him?" Koku calmly asked of the mate, as he stoodholding the anchor.
"Blast my marlin spikes!" cried the mate. "I never see the like of thisafore! Put her over there, shipmate. If I had you on a voyage or twoyou'd be running the ship, instead of letting the screw push her along.Put her over there," and he indicated where he wanted the anchor.
Koku calmly walked along the deck, laid the anchor down as if it was anordinary weight, and passed over to where Tom stood looking on inamused silence. There were murmurs of surprise from the passengers atthe giant's strength, and the sailors went forward much abashed.
"Say, I'd give a good bit to have a bodyguard like that," exclaimed awell-known millionaire passenger, who, it was reported, was in constantfear of attacks, though they had never taken place. "I wonder if Icould get him."
He spoke to Tom about it, but our hero would not listen to aproposition to part with Koku. Besides, it is doubtful if the simplegiant would leave the lad who had brought him away from his SouthAmerican home. But, if Koku was wonderfully strong, and, seeminglyafraid of nothing, there were certain things he feared.
One afternoon, for the amusement of the passengers, a net was putoverboard, sunk to a considerable depth, and hauled up with a number offishes in it. Some of the finny specimens were good for eating, andothers were freaks, strange and curious.
Koku was in the throng that gathered on deck to look at the haul.Suddenly a small fish, but very hideous to look at, leaped from the netand flopped toward the giant. With a scream of fear Koku jumped to oneside, and ran down to his stateroom. He could not be induced to come ondeck until Tom assured him that the fishes had been disposed of. ThusKoku was a mixture of giant and baby. But he was a general favorite onthe ship, and often gave exhibitions of his strength.
Meanwhile Tom and his friends had been on the lookout for any one whomight be trailing them. But they saw no suspicious characters among thepassengers, and, gradually, they began to feel that they had left theirenemies behind.
The weather was pleasant, and the voyage very enjoyable. Tom and theothers had little to do, and they were getting rather impatient for thetime to come when they could put the airship together, and sail offover the jungle, to get moving pictures of the elephants.
"Have you any films in the camera now?" asked Ned of his chum on day,as they sat on deck together.
"Yes, it's all ready for instant use. Even the storage battery ischarged. Why?"
"Oh, I was just wondering. I was thinking we might somehow seesomething we could take pictures of."
"Not much out here," said Tom, as he looked across the watery expanse.As he did so, he saw a haze of smoke dead ahead. "We'll pass a steamersoon," he went on, "but that wouldn't make a good picture. It's toocommon."
As the two lads watched, the smoke became blacker, and the cloud itformed grew much larger.
"They're burning a lot of coal on that ship," remarked Ned. "Must betrying for a speed record."
A little later a sailor stationed himself in the crow's nest, andfocused a telescope on the smoke. An officer, on deck, seemed to bewaiting for a report from the man aloft.
"That's rather odd," remarked Ned. "I never knew them to take so muchinterest in a passing steamer before; and we've gone by several oflate."
"That's right," agreed Tom. "I wonder--"
At that moment the officer, looking up, called out:
"Main top!"
"Aye, aye, sir," answered the sailor with the glass. "She's a smallsteamer, sir, and she's on fire!"
"That's what I feared. Come down. I'll tell the captain. We must crowdon all steam, and go to the rescue."
"Did you hear that?" cried Ned to Tom, as the officer hurried to thebridge, where the captain awaited him. "A steamer on fire at sea, Tom!why don't you--"
"I'm going to!" interrupted the young inventor, as he started for hiscabin on the run. "I'm going to get some moving pictures of the rescue!That will be a film worth having."
A moment later the Belchar, the vessel on which our friends hadembarked, increased her speed, while sudden excitement developed onboard.
As the Belchar approached the burning steamer, which had evidently seenher, and was making all speed toward her, the cloud of smoke becamemore dense, and a dull flame could be seen reflected in the water.
"She's going fast!" cried Mr. Nestor, as he joined Ned on deck.
"Bless my insurance policy!" cried Mr. Damon. "What a strangehappening! Where's Tom Swift?"
"Gone for his camera," answered his chum. "He's going to get somepictures of the rescue."
"All hands man the life boats!" cried an officer, and several sailorssprang to the davits, ready to lower the boats, when the steamersshould be near enough together.
Up on deck came Tom, with his wonderful camera.
"Here you go, Ned!" he called. "Give me a hand. I'm going to start thefilm now."