“Bless my paddle wheel!  So it is!” cried Mr. Damon.  “I believe it’s them, Tom!”

“No, there are only natives in that craft,” answered the young inventor a moment later, as he brought the binoculars into focus.  “I wish it was them, though.”

A few more miles were covered down stream, and then Tom tried the opposite direction.  But all to no purpose.  A number of boats were seen, and several rafts, but they had no white men on them.

“Maybe the Englishmen disguised themselves like natives, Tom,” suggested Ned.

Our hero shook his head.

“I could see everything in the boats, through these powerful glasses,” he replied, “and there was nothing like my camera.  “I’d know that a mile off.  No, they didn’t take to this stream, though they probably crossed it.  We’ll have to keep on the way we were going.  It will soon be night, and we’ll have to camp.  Then we’ll take up the search to-morrow.”

It was just getting dusk, and Tom was looking about for a good place to land in the jungle, when Ned, who was standing in the bow, cried: 

“I say, Tom, here’s a native village just ahead.  There’s a good place to stop, and we can stay there over night.”

“Good!” exclaimed Tom.  “And, what’s more, we can make some inquiries as to whether or not the Englishmen have passed here.  This is great!  Maybe we’ll come out all right, after all!  They can’t travel at night—­or at least I don’t believe they will—­and if they have passed this village we can catch them to-morrow.  We’ll go down.”

They were now over the native town, which was in a natural clearing in the jungle.  The natives had by this time caught sight of the big airship over them, and were running about in terror.  There was not a man, woman or child in sight when the Flyer came down, for the inhabitants had all fled in fright.

“Not much of a chance to make inquiries of these folks,” said Mr. Nestor.

“Oh, they’ll come back,” predicted Tom.  “They are naturally curious, and when they see that the thing isn’t going to blow up, they’ll gather around.  I’ve seen the same thing happen before.”

Tom proved a true prophet.  In a little while some of the men began straggling back, when they saw our friends walking about the airship, as it rested on the ground.  Then came the children, and then the women, until the whole population was gathered about the airship, staring at it wonderingly.  Tom made signs of friendship, and was lucky enough to find a native who knew a few French words.  Tom was not much of a French scholar, but he could frame a question as to the Englishmen.

“Oui!” exclaimed the native, when he understood.  Then he rattled off something, which Tom, after having it repeated, and making signs to the man to make sure he understood, said meant that the Englishmen had passed through the village that morning.

“We’re on the right trail!” cried the young inventor.  “They’re only a day’s travel ahead of us.  We’ll catch them to-morrow, and get my camera back.”