s. That's who
Tomba is."

"Yes, but Tomba escaped," objected Mr. Durban. "He went to the white
settlements with the news. How comes he here?"

"We'll have to find out," said Tom, simply. "Tomba, are you there?"
he called, as he fired other illuminating charge. It disclosed the
black man standing up on the deck, and looking at them appealingly.

"Yes, Tomba here," was the answer. "Oh, you be English, Tomba know.
Please help Missy and Massy Illingway. Red devils goin' kill 'em
pretty much quick."

"Come in!" called Tom, as he turned on the electric lights in the
airship. "Come in and tell us all about it. But how did you get
here?"

"Maybe there are two Tombas," suggested Ned.

"Bless my safety razor!" cried Mr. Damon "perhaps Ned is right!"

But he wasn't, as they learned when they had questioned the African,
who came inside the airship, looking wonderingly around at the many
strange things he saw. He was the same Tomba who had escaped the
massacre, and had taken news of the capture of his master and
mistress to the white settlement. In vain after that he had tried to
organize a band to go back with him to the rescue, but the whites in
the settlement were too few, and the natives too timid. Then Tomba,
with grief in his heart, and not wanting to live while the
missionaries whom he had come to care for very much, were captives,
he went back into the jungle, determined, if he could not help them,
that at least he would share their fate, and endeavor to be of some
service to them in their captivity.

After almost unbelievable hardships, he had found the red pygmies,
and had allowed himself to be captured by them. They rejoiced
greatly in the possession of the big black man, and for some strange
reason had not killed him. He was allowed to share the captivity of
his master and mistress.

Time went on, and the pygmies did not kill their prisoners. They
even treated them with some kindness but were going to sacrifice
them at their great annual festival, which was soon to take place.
Mr. and Mrs. Illingway, Tomba told our friends in his broken
English, had urged him to escape at the first opportunity. They knew
if he could get away he would travel through the jungle. They could
not, even if they had not been so closely guarded that escape was
out of the question.

But Tomba refused to go until Mr. Illingway had said that perhaps he
might get word to some white hunters, and so send help to the
captives. This Tomba