CHAPTER XI
AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE
"Lower away!"
"Stand by the life boats!"
"Let go! Pull hearty!"
These and other commands marked the beginning of the rescue, as thesailors manned the davit-falls, and put the boats into the water. Theburning steamer had now come to a stop, not far away from the Belchar,which was also lay-to. There was scarcely any sea running, and no wind,so that the work of rescuing was not difficult from an ordinarystandpoint. But there was grave danger, because the fire on the doomedvessel was gaining rapidly.
"That's oil burning," remarked an officer, and it seemed so, from thedense clouds of smoke that rolled upward.
"Is she working, Tom?" asked Ned, as he helped his chum to hold thewonderful camera steady on the rail, so that a good view of the burningsteamer could be had.
"Yes, the film is running. Say, I wonder if they'll get 'em all off?"
"Oh, I think so. There aren't many passengers. I guess it's a trampfreighter."
They could look across the gap of water, and see the terrifiedpassengers and crew crowding to the rail, holding out their handsappealingly to the brave sailors who were lustily and rapidly, pullingtoward them in life boats.
At times a swirl of smoke would hide those on the doomed vessel fromthe sight of the passengers on the Belchar, and on such occasions thefrightened screams of women could be heard. Once, as the smoke clearedaway, a woman, with a child in her arms, giving a backward glancetoward the flames that were now enveloping the stern of the vessel,attempted to leap overboard.
Many hands caught her, however, and all this was registered on the filmof Tom's camera, which was working automatically. As the two vesselsdrifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the lens so as to keep the burningsteamer, and the approaching lifeboats, in focus.
"There's the first rescue!" cried Ned, as the woman who had attemptedto leap overboard, was, with her child, carefully lowered into a boat."Did you get that, Tom?"
"I certainly did. This will make a good picture. I think I'll send itback to Mr. Period as soon as we reach port."
"Maybe you could develop it on board here, and show it. I understandthere's a dark room, and the captain said one of his officers, who usedto be in the moving picture business, had a reproducing machine."
"Then that's what I'll do!" cried Tom. "I'll have our captain chargeall the Belchar passengers admission, and we'll get up a fund for thefire sufferers. They'll probably lose all their baggage."
"That will be great!" exclaimed Ned.
The rescue was now in full swing, and, in a short time all thepassengers and crew had been transferred to the life boats. Tom got agood picture of the captain of the burning steamer being the last toleave his vessel. Then the approaching life boats, with their loads ofsailors, and rescued ones, were caught on the films.
"Are you all off?" cried the captain of the Belchar to the unfortunateskipper of the doomed ship.
"All off, yes, thank you. It is a mercy you were at hand. I have acargo of oil. You had better stand off, for she'll explode in a fewminutes."
"I must get a picture of that!" declared Tom as the Belchar got underway again. "That will cap the climax, and make a film that will be hardto beat."
A few moments later there was a tremendous explosion on the trampoiler. A column of wreckage and black smoke shot skyward, and Tomsecured a fine view of it. Then the wreck disappeared beneath thewaves, while the rescuing steamer sailed on, with those who had beensaved. They had brought off only the things they wore, for the fire hadoccurred suddenly, and spread rapidly. Kind persons aboard the Belcharlooked after the unfortunates. Luckily there was not a large passengerlist on the tramp. And the crew was comparatively small, so it was nothard work to make room for them, or take care of them, aboard theBelchar.
Tom developed his pictures, and produced them in one of the largesaloons, on a machine he borrowed from the man of whom Ned had spoken.A dollar admission was charged, and the crowd was so large that Tom hadto give two performances. The films, showing the burning steamer andthe rescue, were excellent, and enough money was realized to aid, mostsubstantially, the unfortunate passengers and crew.
A few days later a New York bound steamer was spoken, and on it Tomsent the roll of developed films to Mr. Period, with a letter ofexplanation.
I will not give all the details of the rest of the voyage. Sufficientto say that no accidents marred it, nor did Tom discover any suspiciouscharacters aboard. In due time our friends arrived at Calcutta, andwere met by an agent of Mr. Period, for he had men in all quarters ofthe world, making films for him.
This agent took Tom and his party to a hotel, and arranged to have theairship parts sent to a large open shed, not far away, where it couldbe put together. The wonderful scenes in the Indian city interested Tomand his companions for a time, but they had observed so many strangesights from time to time that they did not marvel greatly. Koku,however, was much delighted. He was like a child.
"What are you going to do first?" asked Ned, when they had recoveredfrom the fatigue of the ocean voyage and had settled themselves in thehotel.
"Put the airship together," replied our hero, "and then, after gettingsome Durbar pictures, we'll head for the jungle. I want to get someelephant pictures, showing the big beasts being captured."
Mr. Period's agent was a great help to them in this. He secured nativehelpers, who aided Tom in assembling the airship, and in a week or twoit was ready for a flight. The wonderful camera, too, was looked over,and the picture agent said he had never seen a better one.
"It can take the kind of pictures I never could," he said. "I getCalcutta street scenes for Mr. Period, and occasionally I strike a goodone. But I wish I had your chance."
Tom invited him to come along in the airship, but the agent, who onlylooked after Mr. Period's interests as a side issue, could not leavehis work.
The airship was ready for a flight, stores and provisions had been puton board, there was enough gasoline for the motor, and gas for theballoon bag, to carry the Flyer thousands of miles. The moving picturecamera had been tested after the sea voyage, and had been found to workperfectly. Many rolls of films were taken along. Tom got some fineviews of the Durbar of India, and his airship created a great sensation.
"Now I guess we're all ready for the elephants," said Tom one day as hecame back from an inspection of the airship as it rested in the bigshed. "We'll start to-morrow morning, and head for the jungle."
Amid the cries from a throng of wondering and awed natives, and withthe farewells of Mr. Period's agent ringing in their ears, Tom and hisparty made an early start. The Flyer rose like a bird, and shot acrossthe city, while on the house tops many people watched the strangesight. Tom did not start his camera working, as Mr. Period's agent saidhe had made many pictures of the Indian city, and even one taken froman airship, would not be much of a novelty.
Tom had made inquiries, and learned that by a day's travel in hisairship (though it would have been much longer ordinarily) he couldreach a jungle where elephants might be found. Of course there wasnothing certain about it, as the big animals roamed all over, being inone district one day, and on the next, many miles off.
Gradually the city was left behind, and some time later the airship wassailing along over the jungle. After the start, when Ned and Tom, withMr. Damon helping occasionally, had gotten the machinery into properadjustment, the Flyer almost ran herself. Then Tom took his stationforward, with his camera in readiness, and a powerful spyglass at hand,so that he might see the elephants from a distance.
He had been told that, somewhere in the district for which he washeaded, an elephant drive was contemplated. He hoped to be on hand toget pictures of it, and so sent his airship ahead at top speed.
On and on they rode, being as much at ease in the air as they wouldhave been if traveling in a parlor car. They did not fly high, as itwas necessary to be fairly close to the earth to get good pictures.
"Well, I guess
we won't have any luck to-day," remarked Ned, as nightapproached, and they had had no sight of the elephants. They had goneover mile after mile of jungle, but had seen few wild beasts insufficient numbers to make it worth while to focus the camera on them.
"We'll float along to-night," decided Tom, "and try again in themorning."
It was about ten o'clock the next day, when Ned, who had relieved Tomon watch, uttered a cry:
"What is it?" asked his chum, as he rushed forward. "Has anythinghappened?"
"Lots!" cried Ned. "Look!" He pointed down below. Tom saw, crashingthrough the jungle, a big herd of elephants. Behind them, almostsurrounding them, in fact, was a crowd of natives in charge of whitehunters, who were driving the herd toward a stockade.
"There's a chance for a grand picture!" exclaimed Tom, as he got thecamera ready. "Take charge of the ship, Ned. Keep her right over thebig animals, and I'll work the camera."
Quickly he focused the lens on the strange scene below him. There wasa riot of trumpeting from the elephants. The beaters and huntersshouted and yelled. Then they saw the airship and waved their hands toTom and his friends, but whether to welcome them, or warn them away,could not be told.
The elephants were slowly advancing toward the stockade. Tom was takingpicture after picture of them, when suddenly as the airship came lower,in response to a signal to Ned from the young inventor, one of the hugepachyderms looked up, and saw the strange sight. He might have taken itfor an immense bird. At any rate he gave a trumpet of alarm, and thenext minute, with screams of rage and fear, the elephants turned, andcharged in a wild stampede on those who were driving them toward thestockade.
"Look!" cried Ned. "Those hunters and natives will be killed!"
"I'm afraid so!" shouted Tom, as he continued to focus his camera onthe wonderful sight.