led with
flying arrows and spears. The sound of the old-fashioned muzzle-loading
guns could be heard, and clouds of smoke arose. Tilting his camera, and
arranging the newly attached reflecting mirrors so as to give the
effect as if a spectator was looking at the battle from in front,
instead of from above, Tom Swift took picture after picture.

The fight was now on. With yells of rage and defiance the Africans came
together, giving blow for blow. It was a wild melee, and those on the
airship looked on fascinated, though greatly wishing that such horrors
could be stopped.

"How about it, Tom?" cried Ned.

"Everything going good! I don't like this business, but now I'm in it
I'm going to stick. Put me down a little lower," answered the young
inventor.

"All right. I say Tom, look over there."

"Where?"

"By that lightning-struck gum tree. See those two men, and some sort of
a machine they've got stuck up on stilts? See it?"

"Sure. Those are the two Englishmen--my rivals! They're taking
pictures, too!"

And then, with a crash and roar, with wild shouts and yells, with
volley after volley of firearms, clouds of smoke and flights of arrows
and spears, the native battle was in full swing, while the young
inventor, sailing above it in his airship, reeled off view after view
of the strange sight.

CHAPTER XIX

A HEAVY LOSS

"Bless my battle axe, but this is awful!" cried Mr. Damon.

"War is always a fearful thing," spoke Mr. Nestor. "But this is not as
bad as if the natives fought with modern weapons. See! most of them
are fighting with clubs, and their fists. They don't seem to hurt each
other very much."

"That's so," agreed Mr. Damon. The two gentlemen were in the main
cabin, looking down on the fight below them, while Tom, with Ned to
help him change the reels of films, as they became filled with
pictures, attended to the camera. Koku was steering the craft, as he
had readily learned how to manage it.

"Are those Englishmen taking pictures yet?" asked Tom, too busy to turn
his head, and look for himself.

"Yes, they're still at," replied Ned. "But they seem to be having
trouble with their machine," he added as he saw one of the men leave
the apparatus, and run hurriedly back to where they had made a
temporary camp.

"I guess it's an old-fashioned kind," commented Tom. "Say, this is
getting fierce!" he cried, as the natives got in closer contact with
each other. It was now a hand-to-hand bat