imps.
Their yell of rage had now turned to shouts of terror, for the
gleaming beam of light frightened them more than did the airship, or
the bullets of the white men. The red pygmies fled to their huts.

"I guess we gave them a lesson," remarked Tom, as he started the
propellers and sent the ship on through the night.

"Why, Tom! You're hurt!" cried Ned, who came into the pilot house at
that moment, and saw blood on his chum.

"Only a scratch," the young inventor declared.

"It's more than that," said Mr. Durban who looked at it a little
later. "It must be bound up, Tom."

And, while Ned steered the ship back to the jungle clearing whence
they had come to make the night attack, Tom's wound was dressed.

Meanwhile the two missionaries had been well taken care of. They
were given other garments, even some dresses being provided for Mrs.
Illingway, for when the voyage was begun Tom had considered the
possibility of having a woman on board, and had bought some ladies'
garments. Then, having cast down to earth the ill-smelling skins
which formed their clothes while captives, Mr. and Mrs. Illingway,
decently dressed, thanked Tom and the others over and over again.

"We had almost given up hope," said the lady, "when we saw them
drive you back after the first attack. Oh, it is wonderful to think
how you saved us, and in an airship!" and she and her husband began
their thanks over again.

A good meal was prepared by Mr. Damon, for the rescuers and rescued
ones were hungry, and since they had been held prisoners the two
missionaries had not been given very good food.

"Oh, it hardly seems possible that we are eating with white men
again," said Mr. Illingway, as he took a second cup of coffee,
"hardly possible!"

"And to see electric lights, instead of a camp-fire," added his
wife. "What a wonderful airship you have, Tom Swift."

"Yes, it's pretty good," he admitted. "It came in useful to-night,
all right."

They were now far enough from the savages, and the pygmies' fires,
which had been set aglow anew when the attack began, could no longer
be observed.

"We'll land at the place where we camped before," said Tom, who had
again assumed charge of the ship, "and in the morning we'll start
for civilization."

"No can get two other white men?" suddenly asked Tomba, who had been
sitting, gazing at his recovered master and mistress. "Fly-ship go
back, an' leave two white mans here?" the black asked.

"What in the