CHAPTER XVII
SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS
"Off to Africa; eh?" remarked Ned, as Tom put the envelope in hispocket. "That's another long jump. But I guess the Flyer can do it."
"Yes, I think so. I say Ned, not so loud," said Tom, who had hurried tothe side of his chum, whispered the last words.
"What's up?" inquired Ned quickly. "Anything wrong?"
"I don't know. But I think we are being watched. Did you notice thatfellow who was in here a minute ago, when I asked for a telegram?"
"Yes, what about him?"
"Well, he's looking in the door now I think. Don't turn round. Justlook up into that mirror on the wall, and you can see his reflection."
"I understand," whispered Ned, as he turned his gaze toward the mirrorin question, a large one, with advertisements around the frame. "I seehim," he went on. "There's some one with him."
"That's what I thought," replied Tom. "Take a good look. Whom do youthink the other chap is?"
Ned looked long and earnestly. By means of the mirror, he could see,perfectly plain, two men standing just outside the door of thetelegraph office. The portal was only partly open. Ned drew an oldletter from his pocket, and pretended to be showing it to Tom. But, allthe while he was gazing earnestly at the two men. Suddenly one of themmoved, giving Tom's chum a better view of his face.
"By Jove, Tom!" the lad exclaimed in a tense whisper. "If it isn't thatEckert fellow I'm a cow."
"That's what I thought," spoke Tom coolly. "Not that you're a cow, Ned,but I believe that this man is one of the moving picture partners, whoare rivals of Mr. Period. I wasn't quite sure myself after the firstglance I had of him, so I wanted you to take a look. Do you know theother chap--the one who ran out when I asked for my telegram?"
"No, I've never seen him before as far as I know."
"Same here. Come on."
"What are you going to do?"
"Go back to the airship, and tell Mr. Nestor. As one of the directorsin the concern I'm working for. I want his advice."
"Good idea," replied Ned, and they turned to leave the office. Thespying stranger, and William Eckert, were not in sight when the twolads came out.
"They got away mighty quick," remarked Tom, as he looked up and downthe street.
"Yes, they probably saw us turn to come out, and made a quick get-away.They might be in any one of these places along here," for the street,on either side of the telegraph office, contained a number of hotels,with doors opening on the sidewalk.
"They must be on your trail yet," decided Mr. Nestor when Tom, reachingthe anchored airship, told what had happened. "Well, my advice is to goto Africa as soon as we can. In that way we'll leave them behind, andthey won't have any chance to get your camera."
"But what I can't understand," said Tom, "is how they knew I was cominghere. It was just as if that one man had been waiting in the telegraphoffice for me to appear. I'm sorry, now, that I mentioned to Ned wherewe were ordered to. But I didn't think."
"They probably knew, anyway," was Mr. Nestor's opinion. "I think thismay explain it. The rival concern in New York has been keeping track ofMr. Period's movements. Probably they have a paid spy who may be in hisemploy. They knew when he sent you a telegram, what it contained, andwhere it was directed to. Then, of course, they knew you would callhere for it. What they did not know was when you would come, and sothey had to wait. That one spy was on guard, and, as soon as you came,he went and summoned Eckert, who was waiting somewhere in theneighborhood."
"Bless my detective story!" cried Mr. Damon. "What a state of affairs!They ought to be arrested, Tom."
"It would be useless," said Mr. Nestor. "They are probably far enoughaway by this time. Or else they have put others on Tom's track."
"I'll fight my own battles!" exclaimed the young inventor. "I don't gomuch on the police in a case like this, especially foreign police.Well, my camera is all right, so far," he went on, as he took a look atit, in the compartment where he kept it. "Some one must always remainnear it, after this. But we'll soon start for Africa, to get somepictures of a native battle. I hope it isn't the red pygmies we have tophotograph."
"Bless my shoe laces! Don't suggest such a thing," begged Mr. Damon, ashe recalled the strenuous times when the dwarfs held the missionariescaptive.
It was necessary to lay in some stores and provisions, and for thisreason Tom could not at once head the airship for the African jungles.As she remained at anchor, just outside the city, crowds of Swisspeople came out to look at the wonderful craft. But Tom and hiscompanions took care that no one got aboard, and they kept a strictlookout for Americans, or Englishmen, thinking perhaps that Mr. Eckert,or the spy, might try to get the camera. However, they did not seethem, and a few days after the receipt of the message from Mr. Period,having stocked up, they rose high into the air, and set out to crossthe Mediterranean Sea for Africa. Tom laid a route over Tripoli, theSahara Desert, the French Congo, and so into the Congo Free State. Inhis telegram, Mr. Period had said that the expected uprising was totake place near Stanley Falls, on the Congo River.
"And supposing it does not happen?" asked Mr. Damon. "What if thenatives don't fight, Tom? You'll have your trip for nothing, and willrun a lot of risk besides."
"It's one of the chances I'm taking," replied the young inventor, andtruly, as he thought of it, he realized that the perils of the movingpicture business were greater than he had imagined. Tom hoped to get aquick trip to the Congo, but, as they were sailing over the big desert,there was an accident to the main motor, and the airship suddenly beganshooting toward the sands. She was easily brought up, by means of thegas bags, and allowed to settle gently to the ground, in the vicinityof a large oasis. But, when Tom looked at the broken machinery, he said:
"This means a week's delay. It will take that, and longer, to fix it sowe can go on."
"Too bad!" exclaimed Mr. Nestor. "The war may be over when we getthere. But it can't be helped."
It took Tom and his friends even longer than he had thought to make therepairs. In the meanwhile they camped in the desert place, which wasfar from being unpleasant. Occasionally a caravan halted there, but,for the most part, they were alone.
"No danger of Eckert, or any of his spies coming here, I guess," saidTom grimly as he blew on a portable forge, to weld two pieces of irontogether.
In due time they were again on the wing, and without further incidentthey were soon in the vicinity of Stanley Falls. They managed to locatea village where there were some American missionaries established. Theywere friends of Mr. and Mrs. Illington, the missionaries whom Tom hadsaved from the red pygmies, as told in the "Electric Rifle" volume ofthis series, and they made our hero and his friends welcome.
"Is it true?" asked Tom, of the missionaries who lived not far fromStanley Falls, "that there is to be a native battle? Or are we too latefor it?"
"I am sorry to say, I fear there will be fighting among the tribesmen,"replied Mr. Janeway, one of the Christian workers. "It has not yettaken place, though."
"Then I'm not too late!" cried Tom, and there was exultation in hisvoice. "I don't mean to be barbarous," he went on, as he saw that themissionaries looked shocked, "but as long as they are going to fight Iwant to get the pictures."
"Oh, they'll fight all right," spoke Mrs. Janeway. "The poor, ignorantnatives here are always ready to fight. This time I think it is aboutsome cattle that one tribe took from another."
"And where will the battle take place?" asked Tom.
"Well, the rumors we have, seem to indicate that the fight will takeplace about ten miles north of here. We will have notice of it beforeit starts, as some of the natives, whom we have succeeded inconverting, belong to the tribe that is to be attacked. They will besummoned to the defense of their town and then it will be time enoughfor you to go. Oh, war is a terrible thing! I do not like to talk aboutit. Tell me how you rescued our friends from the red pygmies," and Tomwas obliged to relate that story, which I have told in detail elsewhere.
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Several days passed, and Tom and his friends spent a pleasant time inthe African village with the missionaries. The airship and camera werein readiness for instant use, and during this period of idleness ourhero got several fine films of animal scenes, including a number ofnight-fights among the beasts at the drinking pools. One tiger battlewas especially good, from a photographic standpoint.
One afternoon, a number of native bearers came into the town. Theypreceded two white men, who were evidently sportsmen, or explorers, andthe latter had a well equipped caravan. The strangers sought the adviceof the missionaries about where big game might be found, and Tomhappened to be at the cottage of Mr. Janeway when the strangers arrived.
The young inventor looked at them critically, as he was introduced tothem. Both men spoke with an English accent, one introducing himself asBruce Montgomery, and the other as Wade Kenneth. Tom decided that theywere of the ordinary type of globe-trotting Britishers, until, on hisway to his airship, he passed the place where the native bearers hadset down the luggage of the Englishmen.
"Whew!" whistled Tom, as he caught sight of a peculiarly shaped box."See that, Ned?"
"Yes, what is it? A new kind of magazine gun?"
"It's a moving picture camera, or I lose my guess!" whispered Tom. "Oneof the old fashioned kind. Those men are no more tourists, or after biggame, than I am! They're moving picture men, and they're here to getviews of that native battle! Ned, we've got to be on our guard. Theymay be in the pay of that Turbot and Eckert firm, and they may try todo us some harm!"
"That's so!" exclaimed Ned. "We'll keep watch of them, Tom."
As they neared their airship, there came, running down what served asthe main village street, an African who showed evidence of having comefrom afar. As he ran on, he called out something in a strange tongue.Instantly from their huts the other natives swarmed.
"What's up now?" cried Ned.
"Something important, I'll wager," replied Tom. "Ned, you go back tothe missionaries house, and find out what it is. I'm going to standguard over my camera."
"It's come!" cried Ned a little later, as he hurried into the interiorof the airship, where Tom was busy working over a new attachment heintended putting on his picture machine.
"What has?"
"War! That native, whom we saw running in, brought news that the battlewould take place day after to-morrow. The enemies of his tribe are onthe march, so the African spies say, and he came to summon all thewarriors from this town. We've got to get busy!"
"That's so. What about those Englishmen?"
"They were talking to the missionaries when the runner came in. Theypretended to have no interest in it, but I saw one wink to the other,and then, very soon, they went out, and I saw them talking to theirnative bearers, while they were busy over that box you said was apicture machine."
"I knew it, Ned! I was sure of it! Those fellows came here to trick us,though how they ever followed our trail I don't know. Probably theycame by a fast steamer to the West Coast, and struck inland, while wewere delayed on the desert. I don't care if they are only straightout-and-out rivals--and not chaps that are trying to take an unfairadvantage. I suppose all the big picture concerns have a tip about thiswar, and they may have representatives here. I hope we get the bestviews. Now come on, and give me a hand. We've got our work cut out forus, all right."
"Bless my red cross bandage!" cried Mr. Damon, when he heard the news."A native fight, eh? That will be something I haven't seen in sometime. Will there be any danger, Tom, do you think?"
"Not unless our airship tumbles down between the two African forces,"replied our hero, "and I'll take care that it doesn't do that. We'll bewell out of reach of any of their blow guns, or arrows."
"But I understand that many of the tribes have powder weapons," saidMr. Nestor.
"They have," admitted Tom, "but they are 'trader's' rifles, and don'tcarry far. We won't run any risk from such old-fashioned guns."
"A big fight; eh?" asked Koku when they told him what was before them."Me like to help."
"Yes, and I guess both sides would give a premium for your services,"remarked Tom, as he gazed at his big servant. "But we'll need you withus, Koku."
"Oh, me stay with you, Mr. Tom," exclaimed the big man, with a grin.
Somewhat to Tom's surprise the two Englishmen showed no furtherinterest in him and his airship, after the introduction at themissionaries' bungalow.
With the stolidity of their race the Britishers did not show anysurprise, as, some time afterward, they strolled down toward Tom's bigcraft, after supper, and looked it over. Soon they went back to theirown camp, and a little later, Koku, who walked toward it, brought wordthat the Englishmen were packing up.
"They're going to start for the seat of war the first thing in themorning," decided Tom. "Well, we'll get ahead of them. Though we cantravel faster than they can, we'll start now, and be on the ground ingood season. Besides, I don't like staying all night in the sameneighborhood with them. Get ready for a start, Ned."
Tom did not stop to say good-bye to the Englishmen, though he badefarewell to the missionaries, who had been so kind to him. There wasmuch excitement in the native town, for many of the tribesmen weregetting ready to depart to help their friends or relatives in theimpending battle.
As dusk was falling, the big airship arose, and soon her powerfulpropellers were sending her across the jungle, toward Stanley Falls inthe vicinity of which the battle was expected to take place.