Swift. "I can see which way the wind is blowing. You want to go to
Africa with your new rifle."

"Well, Dad, not exactly--that is--"

"Now, Tom, you needn't deny it," and Mr. Swift laughed. "Well, I
don't blame you a bit. You have been rather idle of late."

"I would like to go, Dad," admitted the young inventor, "only I'd
never think of it while you weren't well."

"Don't worry about me, Tom. Of course I will be lonesome while you
are gone, but don't let that stand in the way. If you want to go to
Africa, you may start to-morrow, and take your new rifle with you."

"The rifle part would be all right, Dad, but if I went I'd want to
take an airship along, and it will take me some little time to
finish the Black Hawk, as I have named my new craft."

"Well, there's no special hurry, is there?" asked Mr. Swift. "The
elephants in Africa are likely to stay there for some time. If you
want to go, why don't you get right to work on the Black Hawk and
make the trip? I'd like to go myself."

"I wish you would, Dad," exclaimed Tom eagerly.

"No, son, I couldn't think of it. I want to stay here and get well.
Then I am going to resume work on my wireless motor. Perhaps I'll
have it finished when you come back from Africa with an airship load
of elephants' tusks."

"Perhaps," admitted the young inventor. "Well, Dad, I'll think of
it. But now I'm going after my rifle, and--"

Tom was interrupted by a ring of the front-door bell, and Mrs.
Baggert, the housekeeper, who was almost like a mother to the youth,
went to answer it.

"It's Ned Newton, I guess," murmured Tom, and, a little later, his
chum entered the room.

"Oh, I guess I'm early," said Ned. "Haven't you had supper yet,
Tom?"

"Yes, we're just finished. Come on out and we'll try the gun."

"And practice shooting elephants," added Mr. Swift with a laugh, as
he mentioned to Ned the latest idea of Tom.

"Say! That would be great!" cried the bank clerk. "I wish I could
go!"

"Come along!" invited Tom cordially. "We'll have more fun than we
did in the caves of ice," for Ned had gone on the voyage to Alaska.

The two youths went out to the shed where the rifle gallery had been
built. The new electric weapon was out there, and Eradicate Sampson,
the colored man, who was a sort of servant and man-of-all-work about
the Swift household, had set up the scarecrow figure at the end of
the gallery.

"Now we'll try some shots," said Tom, as he took the gun out of the