the
welcome hiss of the gas.

"Hurrah!" cried Ned.

The young inventor turned the machine on at full power. In a few
minutes the Black Hawk trembled through her length.

"She's going up! Bless my balloon basket! She's going up!" cried Mr.
Damon.

The natives must have suspected that something unusual was going on,
for they made a sudden rush, yelling and beating their drums. Mr.
Durban and the others hurried out on deck and fired at them, but
there was little more need. With a bound the airship left the earth,
being rapidly carried up by the gas. The blacks sent a final shower
of spears after her, but only one was effective, slightly wounding
the German. Then Tom started the motor, the propellers whizzed, and
the Black Hawk was once more under way, just as night settled over
the jungle, and upon the horde of black and howling savages that
rushed around, maddened over the escape of their intended victims.

No further accidents marred the trip to the coast, which was reached
in due time, and very glad our friends were to be away from the
jungle and the land of the red pygmies.

A division was made of the ivory, and Tom's share was large enough
to provide him with a substantial amount. Ned and Mr. Damon were
also given a goodly sum from the sale of the tusks. The big ones,
from the "rogue," were shipped to the man who had commissioned Mr.
Durban to secure them for him.

"Well, now for home," said Tom, when the airship had been taken
apart for shipment. "I guess you'll be glad to get back to the
United States, won't you, friends?"

"That's what," agreed Andy Foger. "I think I'm done with airships.
Ugh! When I think of those red dwarfs I can't sleep nights!"

"Yah, dot iss so!" agreed the German.

"Well, I'm going to settle down for a time," declared Tom. "I've had
enough adventures for a while, but those in elephant land--"

"They certainly put it all over the things that happen to some
people!" interrupted Ned with a laugh.

"Bless my fish-line, that's so!" agreed Mr. Damon.

But Tom Swift was not done with adventures, and what farther
happened to him may be learned by reading the next volume of this
series, which will be entitled, "Tom Swift in the City of Gold; or,
Marvelous Adventures Underground."

They all made a safe and pleasant voyage home, and as news of the
rescue of the missionaries had been cabled to America, Tom and his
friends were met, as they left the steamer, by a crowd of newspaper
re