第22章

AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE

"Lower away!"

"Stand by the life boats!" "Let go! Pull hearty!"These and other commands marked the beginning of the rescue, as the sailors manned the davit-falls, and put the boats into the water.The burning steamer had now come to a stop, not far away from the Belchar, which was also lay-to.There was scarcely any sea running, and no wind, so that the work of rescuing was not difficult from an ordinary standpoint.But there was grave danger, because the fire on the doomed vessel was gaining rapidly.

"That's oil burning," remarked an officer, and it seemed so, from the dense clouds of smoke that rolled upward.

"Is she working, Tom?" asked Ned, as he helped his chum to hold the wonderful camera steady on the rail, so that a good view of the burning steamer could be had.

"Yes, the film is running.Say, I wonder if they'll get 'em all off?""Oh, I think so.There aren't many passengers.I guess it's a tramp freighter."They could look across the gap of water, and see the terrified passengers and crew crowding to the rail, holding out their hands appealingly to the brave sailors who were lustily and rapidly, pulling toward them in life boats.

At times a swirl of smoke would hide those on the doomed vessel from the sight of the passengers on the Belchar, and on such occasions the frightened screams of women could be heard.Once, as the smoke cleared away, a woman, with a child in her arms, giving a backward glance toward the flames that were now enveloping the stern of the vessel, attempted to leap overboard.

Many hands caught her, however, and all this was registered on the film of Tom's camera, which was working automatically.As the twovessels drifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the lens so as to keep the burning steamer, and the approaching lifeboats, in focus.

"There's the first rescue!" cried Ned, as the woman who had attempted to leap overboard, was, with her child, carefully lowered into a boat."Did you get that, Tom?""I certainly did.This will make a good picture.I think I'll send it back to Mr.Period as soon as we reach port.""Maybe you could develop it on board here, and show it.I understand there's a dark room, and the captain said one of his officers, who used to be in the moving picture business, had a reproducing machine.""Then that's what I'll do!" cried Tom."I'll have our captain charge all the Belchar passengers admission, and we'll get up a fund for the fire sufferers.They'll probably lose all their baggage.""That will be great!" exclaimed Ned.

The rescue was now in full swing, and, in a short time all the passengers and crew had been transferred to the life boats.Tom got a good picture of the captain of the burning steamer being the last to leave his vessel.Then the approaching life boats, with their loads of sailors, and rescued ones, were caught on the films.

"Are you all off?" cried the captain of the Belchar to the unfortunate skipper of the doomed ship.

"All off, yes, thank you.It is a mercy you were at hand.I have a cargo of oil.You had better stand off, for she'll explode in a few minutes.""I must get a picture of that!" declared Tom as the Belchar got under way again."That will cap the climax, and make a film that will be hard to beat."A few moments later there was a tremendous explosion on the tramp oiler.A column of wreckage and black smoke shot skyward, and Tom secured a fine view of it.Then the wreck disappeared beneath the waves, while the rescuing steamer sailed on, with those who had been saved.They had brought off only the things they wore, for the fire had occurred suddenly, and spread rapidly.Kind persons aboard the Belchar looked after the unfortunates.Luckily there was not a large passenger list on the tramp.And the crew was comparatively small, so it was not hard work tomake room for them, or take care of them, aboard the Belchar.

Tom developed his pictures, and produced then in one of the large saloons, on a machine he borrowed from the man of whom Ned had spoken.A dollar admission was charged, and the crowd was so large that Tom had to give two performances.The films, showing the burning steamer and the rescue, were excellent, and enough money was realized to aid, most substantially, the unfortunate passengers and crew.

A few days later a New York bound steamer was spoken, and on it Tom sent the roll of developed films to Mr.Period, with a letter of explanation.

I will not give all the details of the rest of the voyage.Sufficient to say that no accidents marred it, nor did Tom discover any suspicious characters aboard.In due time our friends arrived at Calcutta, and were met by an agent of Mr.Period, for he had men in all quarters of the world, making films for him.