CHAPTER XXIII

AT THE VOLCANO

"And you've got to snap-shot a volcano?" remarked Ned to his chum,
after a moment of surprised silence. "Any particular one? Is it
Vesuvius? If it is we haven't far to go. But how does Mr. Period know
that it's going to get into action when we want it to?"

"No, it isn't Vesuvius," replied Tom. "We've got to take another long
trip, and we'll have to go by steamer again. The message says that the
Arequipa volcano, near the city of the same name, in Peru, has started
to 'erupt,' and, according to rumor, it's acting as it did many years
ago, just before a big upheaval."

"Bless my Pumice stones!" cried Mr. Damon. "And are you expected to get
pictures of it shooting out flames and smoke, Tom?"

"Of course. An inactive volcano wouldn't make much of a moving picture.
Well, if we go to Peru, we won't be far from the United States, and we
can fly back home in the airship. But we've got to take the Flyer
apart, and pack up again."

"Will you have time?" asked Mr. Nestor. "Maybe the volcano will get
into action before you arrive, and the performance will be all over
with."

"I think not," spoke Tom, as he again read the cablegram. "Mr. Period
says he has advices from Peru to the effect that, on other occasions,
it took about a month from the time smoke was first seen coming from
the crater, before the fireworks started up. I guess we've got time
enough, but we won't waste any."

"And I guess Montgomery and Kenneth won't be there to make trouble for
us," put in Ned. "It will be some time before they get away from that
African town, I think."

They began work that day on taking the airship apart for transportation
to the steamer that was to carry them across the ocean. Tom decided on
going to Panama, to get a series of pictures on the work of digging
that vast canal. On inquiry he learned that a steamer was soon to sail
for Colon, so he took passage for his friends and himself on that, also
arranging for the carrying of the parts of his airship.

It was rather hard work to take the Flyer apart, but it was finally
done, and, in about a week from the time of arriving in Paris, they
left that beautiful city. The pictures already taken were forwarded to
Mr. Period, with a letter of explanation of Tom's adventures thus far,
and an account of how his rivals had acted.

Just before sailing, Tom received another message from his strange
employer. The cablegram read:

"Understand our rival