village, across the mountains, and when Tom sent his airship there,
the searchers only found an impenetrable jungle, filled with lions
and other wild beasts, but not a sign of the pygmies, and with no
elephants to reward their search.

"But we're not going to give up," declared Tom, and the others
agreed with him. Forward went the Black Hawk in the search for the
imprisoned ones, but, as the days passed, and no news was had, it
seemed to grow more and more hopeless.

"I'm afraid if we do find them now," remarked Mr. Anderson at
length, "that we'll only recover the bodies of the missionaries."

"Then we'll avenge them," said Tom quietly.

They had stopped at another native village to make inquiries, but
without result, and were about to start off again that night when a
runner came in to announce that a herd of big elephants was feeding
not many miles away.

"Well, we'll stay over a day or so, and get some more ivory,"
decided Mr. Durban and that night they got ready for what was to
prove a big hunt.




CHAPTER XVII

SHOTS FROM ABOVE