can manage to kill
him, but--"

He paused as another suggestion came to him.

The red pygmies! They went barefoot! Perhaps they were swarming
about the ship which they might have discovered in the darkness.

Tom Swift's heart beat rapidly. He got softly out of his bunk, and,
with his rifle in hand made his way to the door opening on deck. On
his way he gently awakened Ned and Mr. Durban, and whispered to them
his fear.

"If the red pygmies are out there we'll need all our force," said
the old elephant hunter. "Call Mr. Damon and Mr. Anderson, Ned, and
tell them to bring their guns."

Soon they were all ready, fully armed. They listened intently. The
airship was all in darkness, for lights drew a horde of insects. The
campfire had died down. The soft footsteps could still be heard
moving about the deck.

"That sounds like only one person or animal," whispered Ned.

"It does," agreed Tom. "Wait a minute, I'll fire an illuminating
charge, and we can see what it is."

The others posted themselves at windows that gave a view of the
deck. Tom poked his electric rifle out of a crack of the door, and
shot forth into the darkness one of the blue illuminations. The deck
of the craft was instantly lighted up brilliantly, and in the glare,
crouched on the deck, could be seen a powerful black man, nearly
naked, gazing at the hunters.

"A black!" gasped Tom, as the light died out. "Maybe it is one from
the village we just left. What do you want? Who are you?" called the
lad, forgetting that the Africans spoke only their own language. To
the surprise of all, there came his reply in broken English:

"Me Tomba! Me go fo' help for Missy Illingway--fo' Massy Illingway.
Me run away from little red men! Me Christian black man. Oh, if you
be English, help Missy Illingway--she most die! Please help. Tomba
go but Tomba be lost! Please help!"

CHAPTER XX

THE FIGHT

Surprise, for the moment, held Tom and the others speechless. To be
answered in English, poor and broken as it was, by a native African,
was strange enough, but when this same African was found aboard the
airship, in the midst of the jungle, at midnight, it almost passed
the bounds of possibility.

"Tomba!" mused Tom, wondering where he had heard that name before.
"Tomba?"

"Of course!" cried Mr. Anderson, suddenly. "Don't you remember?
That's the name of the servant of Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, who
escaped and brought news of their capture by the pygmie