n the direction of the town, but could not see it, on
account of the haze. Then he directed his attention to the terrifying
sight below him.

"It's a good thing it isn't very near the city," he said to Tom, who
was engaged in watching the automatic apparatus of the camera, to see
when he would have to put in a fresh film. "It wouldn't take much of
this sort of thing to destroy a big city. But I don't see any streams
of burning lava, such as they always say come out of a volcano."

"It isn't time for that yet," replied Tom. "The lava comes out last,
after the top layer of stones and ashes have been blown out. They are a
sort of stopper to the volcano, I guess, like the cork of a bottle,
and, when they're out of the way, the red-hot melted rock comes out.
Then there's trouble. I want to get pictures of that."

"Well, keep far enough away," advised Mr. Nestor, who had come forward.
"Don't take any chances. I guess your rivals won't get here in time to
take any pictures, for they can't travel as fast as we did."

"No," agreed the young inventor, "unless some other party of them were
here ahead of us. They'll have their own troubles, though, making
pictures anything like as good as we're getting."

"There goes another blast!" cried Ned, as a terrific explosion sounded,
and a shower of hot stuff was thrown high into the air. "If I lived in
Arequipa I'd be moving out about now."

"There isn't much danger I guess, except from showers of burning ashes,
and volcanic dust," spoke Mr. Nestor, "and the wind is blowing it away
from the town. If it continues this way the people will be saved."

"Unless there is so much of the red-hot lava that it will bury the
city," suggested Tom. "I hope that doesn't happen," and he could not
repress a shudder as he looked down on the awful scene below him.

After that last explosion the volcano appeared to subside somewhat,
though great clouds of smoke and tongues of fire leaped upward.

"I've got to put in a new reel of film!" suddenly exclaimed Tom. "While
I stop the camera, Mr. Damon, I think you and Mr. Nestor might put the
airship down to the ground. I want some views on the level."

"What! Go down to earth with this awful volcano spouting fire?" cried
Mr. Damon. "Bless my comb and brush!"

"We can get well down the side of the mountain," said Tom. "I won't go
into any danger, much less ask any one else to do so, and I certainly
don't want my ship damaged. We can land down there,"