CHAPTER XII
THE LION FIGHT
Crashing through the jungle the huge beasts turned against those whohad, been driving them on toward the stockade. With wild shouts andyells, the hunters and their native helpers tried to turn back theelephant tide, but it was useless. The animals had been frightened bythe airship, and were following their leader, a big bull, that wentcrashing against great trees, snapping them off as if they were pipestems.
"Say, this is something like!" cried Ned, as he guided the airship overthe closely packed body of elephants, so Tom could get good pictures,for the herd had divided, and a small number had gone off with one ofthe other bulls.
"Yes, I'll get some great pictures," agreed Tom, as he looked inthrough a red covered opening in the camera, to see how much film wasleft.
The airship was now so low down that Tom, and the others, could easilymake out the faces of the hunters, and the native helpers. One of thehunters, evidently the chief, shaking his fist at our hero, cried:
"Can't you take your blooming ship out of the way, my man? It's scaringthe beasts, and we've been a couple of weeks on this drive. We don'twant to lose all our work. Take your bloody ship away!"
"I guess he must be an Englishman," remarked Mr. Nestor, with a laugh.
"Bless my dictionary, I should say so," agreed Mr. Damon. "Bloody,blooming ship! The idea!"
"Well, I suppose we have scared the beasts," said Tom. "We ought to getout of the way. Put her up, Ned, and we'll come down some distance inadvance."
"Why, aren't you going to take any more views of the elephants?"
"Yes, but I've got enough of a view from above. Besides, I've got toput in a fresh reel of film, and I might as well get out of their sightto do it. Maybe that will quiet them, and the hunters can turn themback toward the stockade. If they do, I have another plan."
"What is it?" his chum wanted to know.
"I'm going to make a landing, set up my camera at the entrance to thestockade, and get a series of pictures as the animals come in. I thinkthat will be a novelty.
"That certainly will," agreed Mr. Nestor. "I am sure Mr. Period willappreciate that. But won't it be dangerous, Tom?"
"I suppose so, but I'm getting used to danger," replied our hero, witha laugh.
Ned put the ship high into the air, as Tom shut off the power from thecamera. Then the Flyer was sent well on in advance of the stampede ofelephants, so they could no longer see it, or hear the throb of thepowerful engines. Tom hoped that this would serve to quiet the immensecreatures.
As the travelers flew on, over the jungle, they could still hear theracket made by the hunters and beaters, and the shrill trumpeting ofthe elephants, as they crashed through the forest.
Tom at once began changing the film in the camera, and Ned altered thecourse of the airship, to send it back toward the stockade, which theyhad passed just before coming upon the herd of elephants.
I presume most of my readers know what an elephant drive is like. Astockade, consisting of heavy trees, is made in the jungle. It is likethe old fashioned forts our forefathers used to make, for a defenseagainst the Indians. There is a broad entrance to it, and, when all isin readiness, the beaters go out into the jungle, with the whitehunters, to round up the elephants. A number of tame pachyderms aretaken along to persuade the wild ones to follow.
Gradually the elephants are gathered together in a large body, andgently driven toward the stockade. The tame elephants go in first, andthe others follow. Then the entrance is closed, and all that remains tobe done is to tame the wild beasts, a not very easy task.
"Are you all ready?" asked Ned, after a bit, as he saw Tom come forwardwith the camera.
"Yes, I'm loaded for some more excitement. You can put me right overthe stockade now, Ned, and when we see the herd coming back I'll godown, and take some views from the ground."
"I think they've got 'em turned," said Mr. Damon. "It sounds as if theywere coming back this way."
A moment later they had a glimpse of the herd down below. It was truethat the hunters had succeeded in stopping the stampede, and once morethe huge beasts were going in the right direction.
"There's a good place to make a landing," suggested Tom, as he saw acomparatively clear place in the jungle. "It's near the stockade, and,in case of danger, I can make a quick get-away."
"What kind of danger are you looking for?" asked Ned, as he shifted thedeflecting rudder.
"Oh, one of the beasts might take a notion to chase me."
The landing was made, and Tom, taking Ned and Mr. Nestor with him, andleaving the others to manage the airship in case a quick flight wouldbe necessary, made his way along a jungle trail to the entrance to thestockade. He carried his camera with him, for it was not heavy.
On came the elephants, frightened by the shouts and cries of thebeaters, and the firing of guns. The young inventor took his place nearthe stockade entrance, and, as the elephants advanced through theforest, tearing up trees and bushes, Tom got some good pictures of them.
Suddenly the advance of the brutes was checked, and the foremost ofthem raised their trunks, trumpeted in anger, and were about to turnback again.
"Get away from that bloomin' gate!" shouted a hunter to Tom. "You'rescaring them as bad as your airship did."
"Yes, they won't go in with you there!" added another man.
Tom slipped around the corner of the stockade, out of sight, and fromthat vantage point he took scores of pictures, as the tame animals ledthe wild ones into the fenced enclosure. Then began another wild sceneas the gate was closed.
The terrified animals rushed about, trying in vain to find a way ofescape. Tom managed to climb up on top of the logs, and got somesplendid pictures. But this was nearly his undoing. For, just as thelast elephant rushed in, a big bull charged against the stockade, andjarred Tom so that he was on the point of falling. His one thought wasabout his camera, and he looked to see if he could drop it on the softgrass, so it would not be damaged.
He saw Koku standing below him, the giant having slipped out of theairship, to see the beasts at closer range.
"Catch this, Koku!" cried Tom, tossing the big man his precious camera,and the giant caught it safely. But Tom's troubles were not over. Amoment later, as the huge elephant again rammed the fence, Tom felloff, but fortunately outside. Then the large beast, seeing a smallopening in the gate that was not yet entirely closed, made for it. Amoment later he was rushing straight at Tom, who was somewhat stunnedby his fall, though it was not a severe one.
"Look out!" yelled Ned.
"Take a tree, Tom!" cried Mr. Nestor.
The elephant paid no attention to any one but Tom, whom he seemed tothink had caused all his trouble. The young inventor dashed to oneside, and then started to run toward the airship, for which Ned and Mr.Nestor were already making. The elephant hunters at last succeeded inclosing the gate, blocking the chance of any more animals to escape.
"Run, Tom! Run!" yelled Ned, and Tom ran as he had never run before.The elephant was close after him though, crashing through the jungle.Tom could see the airship just ahead of him.
Suddenly he felt something grasp him from behind. He thought surely itwas the elephant's trunk, but a quick glance over his shoulder showedhim the friendly face of Koku, the giant.
"Me run for you," said Koku, as he caught Tom up under one arm, and,carrying the camera under the other, he set off at top speed. Now Kokucould run well at times, and this time he did. He easily outdistancedthe elephant, and, a little later, he set Tom down on the deck of theairship, with the camera beside him. Then Ned and Mr. Nestor came uppanting, having run to one side.
"Quick!" cried Tom. "We must get away before the elephant charges theFlyer."
"He has stopped," shouted Mr. Nestor, and it was indeed so. The bigbeast, seeing again the strange craft that had frightened him before,stood still for a moment, and then plunged off into the jungle,trumpeting with rage.
"Safe!" gasped Tom, as he looked at his camera t
o see if it had beendamaged. It seemed all right.
"Bless my latch key!" cried Mr. Damon. "This moving picture businessisn't the most peaceful one in the world."
"No, it has plenty of perils," agreed Mr. Nestor.
"Come on, let's get out of here while we have the chance," suggestedTom. "There may be another herd upon us before we know it."
The airship was soon ascending, and Tom and his companions could lookdown and see the tame elephants in the stockade trying to calm the wildones. Then the scene faded from sight.
"Well, if these pictures come out all right I'll have some fine ones,"exclaimed Tom as he carried his camera to the room where he kept thefilms. "I fancy an elephant drive and stampede are novelties in thisline."
"Indeed they are," agreed Mr. Nestor. "Mr. Period made no mistake whenhe picked you out, Tom, for this work. What are you going to try fornext?"
"I'd like to get some lion and tiger pictures," said the younginventor. "I understand this is a good district for that. As soon asthose elephants get quieted down, I'm going back to the stockade andhave a talk with the hunters."
This he did, circling about in the airship until nearly evening. Whenthey again approached the stockade all was quiet, and they came toearth. A native showed them where the white hunters had theirheadquarters, in some bungalows, and Tom and his party were madewelcome. They apologized for frightening the big beasts, and thehunters accepted their excuses.
"As long as we got 'em, it's all right," said the head man, "though forawhile, I didn't like your bloomin' machine." Tom entertained thehunters aboard his craft, at which they marvelled much, and they gavehim all the information they had about the lions and tigers in thevicinity.
"You won't find lions and tigers in herds, like elephants though," saidthe head hunter. "And you may have to photograph 'em at night, as thenis when they come out to hunt, and drink."
"Well, I can take pictures at night," said Tom, as he showed his cameraapparatus.
The next day, in the airship, they left for another district, where, sothe natives reported, several lions had been seen of late. They haddone much damage, too, carrying off the native cattle, and killingseveral Indians.
For nearly a week Tom circled about in his airship, keeping a sharplookout down below for a sign of lions that he might photograph them.But he saw none, though he did get some pictures of a herd of Indiandeer that were well worth his trouble.
"I think I'll have to try for a night photograph," decided Tom at last."I'll locate a spring where wild beasts are in the habit of coming, setthe camera with the light going, and leave it there."
"But will the lions come up if they see the light?" asked Ned.
"I think so," replied his chum. "I'll take a chance, anyhow. If thatdoesn't work then I'll hide near by, and see what happens."
"Bless my cartridge belt!" cried Mr. Damon. "You don't mean that; doyou Tom?"
"Of course. Come to think of it, I'm not going to leave my camera outthere for a lion to jump on, and break. As soon as I get a series ofpictures I'll bring it back to the ship, I think."
By inquiry among the natives they learned the location of a springwhere, it was said, lions were in the habit of coming nightly to drink.
"That's the place I want!" cried Tom.
Accordingly the airship was headed for it, and one evening it camegently to earth in a little clearing on the edge of the jungle, whileKoku, as was his habit, got supper.
After the meal Tom and Ned set the camera, and then, picking out a goodspot nearby, they hid themselves to wait for what might happen. Thelens was focused on the spring, and the powerful electric light setgoing. It glowed brightly, and our hero thought it might have theeffect of keeping the beasts away, but Tom figured that, after they hadlooked at it for a while, and seen that it did not harm them, theywould lose their suspicions, and come within range of his machine.
"The camera will do the rest," he said. In order not to waste filmsuselessly Tom arranged a long electric wire, running it from the camerato where he and Ned were hid. By pressing a button he could start orstop the camera any time he wished, and, as he had a view of the springfrom his vantage point, he could have the apparatus begin takingpictures as soon as there was some animal within focus.
"Well, I'm getting stiff," said Ned, after an hour or so had passed insilent darkness, the only light being the distant one on the camera.
"So am I," said Tom.
"I don't believe anything will come to-night," went on his chum. "Let'sgo back and--"
He stopped suddenly, for there was a crackling in the underbrush, andthe next moment the jungle vibrated to the mighty roar of a lion.
"He's coming!" hoarsely whispered Tom.
Both lads glanced through the trees toward the camera, and, in thelight, they saw a magnificent, tawny beast standing on the edge of thespring. Once more he roared, as if in defiance, and then, as ifdeciding that the light was not harmful, he stooped to lap up the water.
Hardly had he done so than there was another roar, and a moment later asecond lion leaped from the dense jungle into the clearing about thespring. The two monarchs of the forest stood there in the glare of thelight, and Tom excitedly pressed the button that started the shutter toworking, and the film to moving back of the lens.
There was a slight clicking sound in the camera, and the lions turnedstartedly. Then both growled again, and the next instant they sprang ateach other, roaring mightily.
"A fight!" cried Tom. "A lion fight, and right in front of my camera!It couldn't be better. This is great! This will be a film."
"Quiet!" begged Ned. "They'll hear you, and come for us. I don't wantto be chewed up!"
"No danger of them hearing me!" cried Tom, and he had to shout to beheard above the roaring of the two tawny beasts, as they bit and clawedeach other, while the camera took picture after picture of them.