With the stolidity of their race the Britishers did not show any surprise, as, some time afterward, they strolled down toward Tom’s big craft, after supper, and looked it over.  Soon they went back to their own camp, and a little later, Koku, who walked toward it, brought word that the Englishmen were packing up.

“They’re going to start for the seat of war the first thing in the morning,” decided Tom.  “Well, we’ll get ahead of them.  Though we can travel faster than they can, we’ll start now, and be on the ground in good season.  Besides, I don’t like staying all night in the same neighborhood with them.  Get ready for a start, Ned.”

Tom did not stop to say good-bye to the Englishmen, though he bade farewell to the missionaries, who had been so kind to him.  There was much excitement in the native town, for many of the tribesmen were getting ready to depart to help their friends or relatives in the impending battle.

As dusk was falling, the big airship arose, and soon her powerful propellers were sending her across the jungle, toward Stanley Falls in the vicinity of which the battle was expected to take place.

CHAPTER XVIII — THE NATIVE BATTLE

“By Jove, Tom, here they come!”

“From over by that drinking pool?”

“Yes, just as the spies said they would.  Wow, what a crowd of the black beggars there are!  And some of ’em have regular guns, too.  But most of ’em have clubs, bows and arrows, blow guns, or spears.”

Tom and Ned were standing on the forward part of the airship, which was moving slowly along, over an open plateau, in the jungle where the native battle was about to take place.  Our friends had left the town where the missionaries lived, and had hovered over the jungle, until they saw signs of the coming struggle.  They had seen nothing of their English rivals since coming away, but had no doubt but that the Britishers were somewhere in the neighborhood.

The two forces of black men, who had gone to war over a dispute about some cattle, approached each other.  There was the beating of tom-toms, and skin drums, and many weird shouts.  From their vantage point in the air, Tom and his companions had an excellent view.  The Wizard Camera was loaded with a long reel of film, and ready for action.

“Bless my handkerchief!” cried Mr. Damon, as he looked down on the forces that were about to clash.  “I never saw anything like this before!”

“I either,” admitted Tom.  “But, if things go right, I’m going to get some dandy films!”

Nearer and nearer the rival forces advanced.  At first they had stared, and shouted in wonder at the sight of the airship, hovering above them, but their anger soon drew their attention to the fighting at hand, and, after useless gestures toward the craft of the air, and after some of them had vainly fired their guns or arrows at it, they paid no more attention, but rushed on with their shouts and cries and amid the beating of their rude drums.