ely anchored to our craft while waiting for a supper
to come along."

"It was a very odd thing," said Tom. "I couldn't imagine what held
us. After this I'll see that all is clear before I try to go up.
Next time we may be held by a troop of baboons and it strains the
machinery to have it pull against dead weight in that way."

However, it was found no harm had resulted from this experience,
and, after reducing the gas pressure, which was taking them too
high, Tom set the automatic rudders.

"We'll keep on at slow speed through the night," he explained, "and
in the morning we'll be pretty well into the interior. Then we can
lay our course for wherever we want to go. Where had we better head
for?"

"I don't want to interfere with your plans," said Mr. Anderson, "but
I would like to rescue those missionaries. But the trouble is, I
don't know just where to look for them. We couldn't get much of a
line in Majumba on where the country of the red pygmies is located.
What do you think about it, Mr. Durban?"

"As far as elephant hunting goes we can probably do as well in the
pygmy land as anywhere else," answered the veteran, "and perhaps it
will be well to head for that place. If we run across any elephant
herds in the meanwhile, we can stop, get the ivory, and proceed."

They discussed this plan at some length, and agreed that it was the
best thing to do. Mr. Durban had a map of the country around the
center of Africa, and he marked on it, as nearly as he could, the
location of the pygmies' country, while Mr. Anderson also had a
chart, showing the location of the mission which had been wiped out
of existence. It was in the midst of a wild and desolate region.

"We'll do the best we can," declared Tom, "and I think we'll
succeed. We ought to be there in about a week, if we have no bad
luck."

All that night the Black Hawk flew on over Africa, covering mile
after mile, passing over jungle, forest, plains, rivers and lakes,
and, doubtless, over many native villages, though they could not be
seen.

Morning found the travelers above a great, grassy plain, dotted here
and there with negro settlements which were separated by rivers,
lakes or thin patches of forest.

"Well, we'll speed up a bit," decided Tom after breakfast, which was
eaten to the weird accompaniment of hundreds of native warning-drums,
beaten by the superstitious blacks.

Tom went to the engine room, and turned on more speed. He was about
to go back t