soon as definite news was received, our church held a meeting,
raised a fund, and decided to send me off to find Mr. and Mrs.
Illingway, if alive, or give them decent burial, if I could locate
their bones. The reason they selected me was because I had been in
Africa, and knew the country."

"I made hurried arrangements, packed up, said good-by to my wife,
and here I am. But to think of meeting you, Tom Swift! And to hear
that you are also going to Africa. I wish I could command an airship
for the rescue. It might be more easily accomplished!"

"That's just what I was going to propose!" exclaimed Tom. "We are
going to the land of the red pygmies, and while I have promised to
help Mr. Durban in getting ivory, and while I want to try my
electric rifle on big game, still we can do both, I think. You can
depend on us, Mr. Anderson, and if the Black Hawk can be of any
service to you in the rescue, count us in!"

"Gosh!" cried the former castaway of Earthquake Island. "This is the
best piece of luck I could have! Now tell me all about your plans."
which Tom and the others did, listening in turn, to further details
about the missionaries.

Just how they would go to work to effect the rescue, or how they
could locate the particular tribe of little red men who had Mr. and
Mrs. Illingway, they did not know.

"We may be able to get hold of this Tomba," said Mr. Durban. "If not
I guess between Mr. Anderson and myself we can get on the trail,
somehow. I'm anxious to get to the coast, see the airship put