g the
passengers, and, gradually, they began to feel that they had left their
enemies behind.

The weather was pleasant, and the voyage very enjoyable. Tom and the
others had little to do, and they were getting rather impatient for the
time to come when they could put the airship together, and sail off
over the jungle, to get moving pictures of the elephants.

"Have you any films in the camera now?" asked Ned of his chum on day,
as they sat on deck together.

"Yes, it's all ready for instant use. Even the storage battery is
charged. Why?"

"Oh, I was just wondering. I was thinking we might somehow see
something we could take pictures of."

"Not much out here," said Tom, as he looked across the watery expanse.
As he did so, he saw a haze of smoke dead ahead. "We'll pass a steamer
soon," he went on, "but that wouldn't make a good picture. It's too
common."

As the two lads watched, the smoke became blacker, and the cloud it
formed grew much larger.

"They're burning a lot of coal on that ship," remarked Ned. "Must be
trying for a speed record."

A little later a sailor stationed himself in the crow's nest, and
focused a telescope on the smoke. An officer, on deck, seemed to be
waiting for a report from the man aloft.

"That's rather odd," remarked Ned. "I never knew them to take so much
interest in a passing steamer before; and we've gone by several of
late."

"That's right," agreed Tom. "I wonder--"

At that moment the officer, looking up, called out:

"Main top!"

"Aye, aye, sir," answered the sailor with the glass. "She's a small
steamer, sir, and she's on fire!"

"That's what I feared. Come down. I'll tell the captain. We must crowd
on all steam, and go to the rescue."

"Did you hear that?" cried Ned to Tom, as the officer hurried to the
bridge, where the captain awaited him. "A steamer on fire at sea, Tom!
why don't you--"

"I'm going to!" interrupted the young inventor, as he started for his
cabin on the run. "I'm going to get some moving pictures of the rescue!
That will be a film worth having."

A moment later the Belchar, the vessel on which our friends had
embarked, increased her speed, while sudden excitement developed on
board.

As the Belchar approached the burning steamer, which had evidently seen
her, and was making all speed toward her, the cloud of smoke became
more dense, and a dull flame could be seen reflected in the water.

"She's going fast!" cried Mr. Nestor, as he joine