As it was, they had a hazardous time getting the missionary and his
wife away from the jungle. It was this same missionary who, as told
in the first chapter of this book, sent Tom the letter about the
city of gold. Mr. Illingway and his wife wanted to stay in Africa in
an endeavor to christianize the natives, even after their terrible
experience. So Tom landed them at a white settlement. It was from
there that the letter came.

But the missionaries were not the only ones whom Tom saved from the
red pygmies. Andy Foger, a Shopton youth, was Tom's enemy, and he
had interfered with our hero's plans in his trips. He even had an
airship made, and followed Tom to Africa. There Andy Foger and his
companion, a German were captured by the savages. But though Tom
saved his life, Andy did not seem to give over annoying the young
inventor. Andy was born mean, and, as Eradicate Sampson used to say,
"dat meanness neber will done git whitewashed outer him--dat's a
fack!"

But if Andy Foger was mean to Tom, there was another Shopton lad who
was just the reverse. This was Ned Newton, who was Tom's particular
chum, Ned had gone with our hero on many trips, including the one to
Africa after elephants. Mr. Damon also accompanied Tom many times,
and occasionally Eradicate went along on the shorter voyages. But
Eradicate was getting old, like Mr. Swift, who, of late years, had
not traveled much with his son.

When I add that Tom still continued to invent things, that he was
always looking for new adventures, that he still cared very much for
Mary Nestor, and thought his father the best in the world, and liked