第50章

THE EARTHQUAKE--CONCLUSION

"Here, Mr.Tom.Me carry you an' Ned.You hold picture machine!" cried the giant."Me run faster."As he spoke he lifted Ned up under one arm, and caught Tom in the other.For they were but as children to his immense strength.Tom held on to his camera, and, thus laden down, Koku ran as he had never run before, toward the waiting airship.

"Come on! Come on!" shouted Mr.Damon, for he could see what Tom, Ned and Koku could not, that the stream of lava was nearing them rapidly.

"It's hot!" cried Ned, as a wave of warm air fanned his cheek.

"I should say so!" cried Tom."The volcano is full of red-hot melted stone."There came a sickening shake of the earth.Koku staggered as he ran on, but he kept his feet, and did not fall.Again came a tremendous explosion, and a shower of fine ashes sifted over the airship, and on Koku and his living burdens.

"This is the worst ever!" gasped Tom."But I've got some dandy pictures, if we ever get away from here alive to develop them.""Hurry, Koku! Hurry!" begged Mr.Nestor."Bless my shoe laces!" yelled Mr.Damon, who was fairly jumping up and down on the deck of the Flyer."I'll never go near a volcano again!"Once more the ground shook and trembled, as the earthquake rent it.Several cracks appeared in Koku's path, but he leaped over them with tremendous energy.A moment later he had thrust Tom and Ned over the rail, to the deck, and leaped aboard himself.

"Let her go!" cried Tom."I'll do the rest of my moving picture work, around volcanoes and earthquakes, from up in the air!"The Flyer shot upward, and scarcely a moment too soon, for, an instant after she left the ground, the stream of hot, burning and bubbling lava rolled beneath her, and those on board could feel the heat of it ascending.

"Say, I'm glad we got out of that when we did," gasped Ned, as helooked down."You're all right, Koku."

"That no trouble," replied the giant with a cheerful grin."Me carry four fellows like you," and he stretched out his big arms.Tom had at once set his camera to working again, taking view after view.

It was a terrifying but magnificent sight that our friends beheld, for the earth was trembling and heaving.Great fissures opened in many places.Into some of them streams of lava poured, for now the volcano had opened in several places, and from each crack the melted rocks belched out.The crater, however, was not sending into the air such volumes of smoke and ashes as before, as most of the tremendous energy had passed, or was being used to spout out the lava.

The earthquake was confined to the region right about the volcano, or there might have been a great loss of life in the city.As it was, the damage done was comparatively slight.

Tom continued to take views, some showing the earth as it was twisted and torn, and other different aspects of the crater.Then, as suddenly as the earthquake had begun, it subsided, and the volcano was less active.

"My! I'm glad to see that!" exclaimed Mr.Damon."I've had about enough of horrors!""And I have too," added Tom."I'm on my last roll of film, and I can't take many more pictures.But I guess I have all Mr.Period needs, and we'll start for home, as soon as I finish the next roll.But I'm going to save that for a night view.That will he a novelty."The volcano became active again after dark, and presented a magnificent though terrifying aspect.As the airship hovered above it, Tom got some of his best pictures, and then, as the last bit of film slipped along back of the lens, the airship was headed north.

"Now for Shopton!" cried Tom."Our trip is ended.""It's too had you didn't have more film," said Ned."I thought you had plenty.""Well, I used more than I counted on, but there are enough pictures as it is.""Plenty," agreed Mr.Nestor."I'm sure our company will be very well satisfied with them, Tom.We can't get home any too soon to suit me.I'vehad enough excitement."

"And we didn't see anything of those other fellows whom we heard about," spoke Mr.Damon, as the big airship flew on.

"No," said Tom."But I'm not worrying about them."They made another stop in Lima, on their homeward trip, to renew their supply of gasolene, and there learned that the rival picture men had arrived at the volcano too late to see it in operation.This news came to a relative of one of the two men who lived in Lima.