"Then it's all settled but the details," declared the youth, "and
now I'll call in Mr. Jackson, and we'll talk about how soon we can
have the airship ready."

"My, but you folks are almost as speedy as a herd of the big
elephants themselves!" exclaimed Mr. Durban, and with the advent of
the engineer the talk turned to things mechanical among Tom and Mr.
Jackson and Mr. Damon, while Mr. Durban told Mr. Swift hunting
stories which the old inventor greatly enjoyed.

The next day Tom engaged two machinists who had worked for him
building airships before, and in the next week rush work began on
the new Black Hawk. Meanwhile Mr. Durban was a frequent visitor at
Tom's home, where he learned to use the new rifle, declaring it was
even more wonderful than he had at first supposed.

"That will get the elephants!" he exclaimed. It did, as you shall
soon learn, and it also was the means of saving several lives in the
wilds of the African jungle.




CHAPTER VI

NEWS FROM ANDY


Tom Swift's former airship, the Red Cloud, had been such a fine