CHAPTER IX
ATTACKED BY A WHALE
Surprise at Mr. Anderson's announcement held Tom silent for amoment. That the gentleman whom he had been the means of rescuing,among others, from Earthquake Island, should be met with sounexpectedly, was quite a coincidence, but when it developed that hewas bound to the same part of the African continent as were Tom andhis friends, and when he said he hoped to rescue some missionariesfrom the very red pygmies so feared by the old elephant hunter--thiswas enough to startle any one.
"I see that my announcement has astonished you," said Mr. Anderson,as he noted the look of surprise on the face of the young inventor.
"It certainly has! Why, that's where we are bound for, in my newairship. Come down into our cabin, Mr. Anderson, and tell us allabout it. Is your wife with you?"
"No, it is too dangerous a journey on which to take her. I havelittle hope of succeeding, for it is now some time since theunfortunate missionaries were captured, but I am going to do mybest, and organize a relief expedition when I get to Africa."
Tom said nothing at that moment, but he made up his mind that if itwas at all possible he would lend his aid, that of his airship, andalso get his friends to assist Mr. Anderson. They went below to aspecial cabin that had been reserved for Tom's party, and there, asthe ship slowly passed down New York Bay, Mr. Anderson told hisstory.
"I mentioned to you, when we were on Earthquake Island," he said toTom, "that I had been in Africa, and had done some hunting. That isnot my calling, as it is that of your friend, Mr. Durban, but I knowthe country pretty well. However, I have not been there in sometime."
"My wife and I are connected with a church in New York that, severalyears ago, raised a fund and sent two missionaries, Mr. and Mrs.Jacob Illingway, to the heart of Africa. They built up a littlemission there, and for a time all went well, and they did good workamong the natives."
"They are established in a tribe of friendly black men, of simplenature, and, while the natives did not become Christianized to anyremarkable extent, yet they were kind to the missionaries. Mr. andMrs. Illingway used frequently to write to members of our church,telling of their work. They also mentioned the fact that adjoiningthe country of the friendly blacks there was a tribe of fiercelittle red men,--red because of hair of that color all over theirbodies."
"That's right," agreed Mr. Durban, shaking his head solemnly."They're red imps, too!"
"Mr. Illingway often mentioned in his letters," went on Mr.Anderson, "that there were frequent fights between the pygmies andthe race of blacks, but the latter had no great fear of their smallenemies. However, it seems that they did not take properprecautions, for not long ago there was a great battle, the blackswere attacked by a large force of the red pygmies, who overwhelmedthem by numbers, and finally routed them, taking possession of theircountry."
"What became of the missionaries?" asked Ned Newton.
"I'll tell you," said Mr. Anderson. "For a long time we heardnothing, beyond the mere news of the fight, which we read of in thepapers. The church people were very anxious about the fate of Mr.and Mrs. Illingway, and were talking of sending a special messengerto inquire about them, when a cablegram came from the headquartersof the society in London."
"It seems that one of the black natives, named Tomba, who was a sortof house servant to Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, escaped the generalmassacre, in which all his friends were killed. He made his waythrough the jungle to a white settlement, and told his story,relating how the two missionaries had been carried away captive bythe pygmies."
"A terrible fate," commented Mr. Durban.
"Yes, they might better be dead, from all the accounts we can hear,"went on Mr. Anderson.
"Bless my Sunday hat! Don't say that!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Maybewe can save them, Mr. Anderson."
"That is what I am going to try to do, though it may be too late. Assoon as definite news was received, our church held a meeting,raised a fund, and decided to send me off to find Mr. and Mrs.Illingway, if alive, or give them decent burial, if I could locatetheir bones. The reason they selected me was because I had been inAfrica, and knew the country."
"I made hurried arrangements, packed up, said good-by to my wife,and here I am. But to think of meeting you, Tom Swift! And to hearthat you are also going to Africa. I wish I could command an airshipfor the rescue. It might be more easily accomplished!"
"That's just what I was going to propose!" exclaimed Tom. "We aregoing to the land of the red pygmies, and while I have promised tohelp Mr. Durban in getting ivory, and while I want to try myelectric rifle on big game, still we can do both, I think. You candepend on us, Mr. Anderson, and if the Black Hawk can be of anyservice to you in the rescue, count us in!"
"Gosh!" cried the former castaway of Earthquake Island. "This is thebest piece of luck I could have! Now tell me all about your plans."which Tom and the others did, listening in turn, to further detailsabout the missionaries.
Just how they would go to work to effect the rescue, or how theycould locate the particular tribe of little red men who had Mr. andMrs. Illingway, they did not know.
"We may be able to get hold of this Tomba," said Mr. Durban. "If notI guess between Mr. Anderson and myself we can get on the trail,somehow. I'm anxious to get to the coast, see the airship puttogether again, and start for the interior."
"So am I," declared Tom, as he got out his electric rifle, and beganto put it together, for he wanted to show Mr. Anderson how itworked.
They had a pleasant and uneventful voyage for two weeks. The weatherwas good, and, to tell the truth, it was rather monotonous for Tomand the others, who were eager to get into activity again. Then camea storm, which, while it was not dangerous, yet gave them plenty tothink and talk about for three days. Then came more calm weather,when the Soudalar plowed along over gently heaving billows.
They were about a week from their port of destination, which wasMajumba, on the African coast, when, one afternoon, as Tom and theothers were in their cabin, they heard a series of shouts on deck,and the sound of many feet running to and fro.
"Something has happened!" exclaimed the young inventor.
Tom raced for the companionway, and was soon on deck, followed byMr. Durban and the others. They saw a crowd of sailors andpassengers leaning over the port rail.
"What's the matter?" asked Tom, of the second mate, who was justpassing.
"Fight between a killer and a whale," was the reply. "The captainhas ordered the ship to lay-to so it can be watched."
Tom made his way to the rail. About a quarter of a mile away therecould be observed a great commotion in the ocean. Great bodiesseemed to be threshing about, beating the water to foam, and, withthe foam could be seen bright blood mingled. Occasionally two jetsof water, as from some small fountain, would shoot upward.
"He's blowing hard!" exclaimed one of the sailors. "I guess he'sabout done for!"
"Which one?" asked Tom.
"The whale," was the reply. "The killer has the best of the bigfellow," and the sailor quickly explained how the smaller killerfish, by the peculiarity of its attack, and its great ferocity,often bested its larger antagonist.
The battle was now at its height, and Tom and the others wereinterested spectators. At times neither of the big creatures couldbe seen, because of the smother of foam in which they rolled andthreshed about. The whale endeavored to sound, or go to the bottom,but the killer stuck to him relentlessly.
Suddenly, however, as Tom looked, the whale, by a stroke of hisbroad tail, momentarily stunned his antagonist. Instantly realizingthat he was free the great creature, which was about ninety feetlong, darted away, swimming on the surface of the water, for heneeded to get all the air possible.
Quickly acquiring momentum, the whale came on like a locomotive,spouting at intervals, the vapor from the blowholes looking notunlike steam from some submarine boat.
"He looks to be heading this way," remarked Mr. Durban to Tom.
"He is," agreed the young inventor, "but I guess
he'll dive beforehe gets here. He only wants to get away from the killer. Look, theother one is swimming this way, too!"
"Bless my harpoon, but he sure is!" called Mr. Damon. "They'll renewthe fight near here."
But he was mistaken, for the killer, after coming a little distanceafter the whale, suddenly turned, hesitated for a moment, and thendisappeared in the depths of the ocean.
The whale, however, continued to come on, speeding through the waterwith powerful strokes. There was an uneasy movement among some ofthe passengers.
"Suppose he strikes the ship," suggested one woman.
"Nonsense! He couldn't," said her husband.
"The old man had better get under way, just the same," remarked asailor near Tom, as he looked up at the bridge where the captain wasstanding.
The "old man," or commander, evidently thought the same thing, for,after a glance at the oncoming leviathan, which was still headeddirectly for the vessel, he shoved the lever of the telegraph signalover to "full speed ahead."
Hardly had he done so than the whale sank from sight.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed the woman who had first spoken of thepossibility of the whale hitting the ship, "I am afraid of thoseterrible creatures."
"They're as harmless as a cow, unless they get angry," said herhusband.
Slowly the great ship began to move through the water. Tom and hisfriends were about to go back to their cabin, for they thought theexcitement over, when, as the young inventor turned from the rail,he felt a vibration throughout the whole length of the steamer, asif it had hit on a sand-bar.
Instantly there was a jangling of bells in the engine room, and theSoudalar lost headway.
"What's the matter?" asked several persons.
They were answered a moment later, for the big whale, even thoughgrievously wounded in his fight with the killer, had risen not ahundred feet away from the ship, and was coming toward it with thespeed of an express train.
"Bless my blubber!" cried Mr. Damon. "We must have hit the whale, orit hit us under the water and now it's going to attack us!"
He had no more than gotten the words out of his mouth ere the greatcreature of the deep came on full tilt at the vessel, struck it aterrific blow which made it tremble from stem to stern, and careenviolently.
There was a chorus of frightened cries, sailors rushed to and fro,the engine-room bells rang violently, and the captain and matesshouted hoarse orders.
"Here he comes again!" yelled Mr. Durban, as he hurried to the sideof the ship. "The whale takes us for an enemy, I guess, and he'sgoing to ram us again!"
"And if he does it many times, he'll start the plates and cause aleak that won't be stopped in a hurry!" cried a sailor as he rushedpast Tom.
The young inventor looked at the oncoming monster for a moment, andthen started on the run for his cabin.
"Here! Where are you going?" cried Mr. Damon, but Tom did notanswer.