d Ned on deck.

"Bless my insurance policy!" cried Mr. Damon. "What a strange
happening! Where's Tom Swift?"

"Gone for his camera," answered his chum. "He's going to get some
pictures of the rescue."

"All hands man the life boats!" cried an officer, and several sailors
sprang to the davits, ready to lower the boats, when the steamers
should be near enough together.

Up on deck came Tom, with his wonderful camera.

"Here you go, Ned!" he called. "Give me a hand. I'm going to start the
film now."

CHAPTER XI

AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE

"Lower away!"

"Stand by the life boats!"

"Let go! Pull hearty!"

These and other commands marked the beginning of the rescue, as the
sailors manned the davit-falls, and put the boats into the water. The
burning steamer had now come to a stop, not far away from the Belchar,
which was also lay-to. There was scarcely any sea running, and no wind,
so that the work of rescuing was not difficult from an ordinary
standpoint. But there was grave danger, because the fire on the doomed
vessel was gaining rapidly.

"That's oil burning," remarked an officer, and it seemed so, from the
dense clouds of smoke that rolled upward.

"Is she working, Tom?" asked Ned, as he helped his chum to hold the
wonderful camera steady on the rail, so that a good view of the burning
steamer could be had.

"Yes, the film is running. Say, I wonder if they'll get 'em all off?"

"Oh, I think so. There aren't many passengers. I guess it's a tramp
freighter."

They could look across the gap of water, and see the terrified
passengers and crew crowding to the rail, holding out their hands
appealingly to the brave sailors who were lustily and rapidly, pulling
toward them in life boats.

At times a swirl of smoke would hide those on the doomed vessel from
the sight of the passengers on the Belchar, and on such occasions the
frightened screams of women could be heard. Once, as the smoke cleared
away, a woman, with a child in her arms, giving a backward glance
toward the flames that were now enveloping the stern of the vessel,
attempted to leap overboard.

Many hands caught her, however, and all this was registered on the film
of Tom's camera, which was working automatically. As the two vessels
drifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the lens so as to keep the burning
steamer, and the approaching lifeboats, in focus.

"There's the first rescue!" cried Ned, as the woman who had attempted
to leap overboar