Victor Appleton

“ Then he uttered a cry—a cry of fear—and spoke rapidly.
"What does he say?" asked Tom of San Pedro eagerly, when the chief had ceased speaking.
"He say—he say," began the mule driver and the words seemed to stick in his throat—"he say there are giants—many miles to the north. Terrible big men—very cruel—and they are fearful. Once they came here and took some of his people away. He is afraid of them. We are all afraid of them," and San Pedro looked around apprehensively, as though he might see one of the giants stalking into the chief's hut at any moment. ”

“ THE CIRCUS MAN
Without a word Tom and Ned followed Mr. Damon toward the Swift house. Truth to tell the youths did not know what to say, or they would have been bubbling over with questions. But the talk of the odd man, and his strange request to Tom to go off and capture a giant had so startled the young inventor and his chum that they did not know whether to think that Mr. Damon was joking, or whether he had suddenly taken leave of his senses. ”

“ For a few moments there was confusion inside the hut that was to be the last stronghold of our friends against the approaching force of giants. Confusion and not a little fear were mingled, for Tom's words sent a chill to every heart. Then, after the first panic, there came a calmer feeling—a feeling that each one would do his duty in the face of danger and, if he had to die, he would die fighting.
"Everyone take a window!" yelled Tom. "Don't kill any one if you can help it. ”

“ Tom and Mr. Preston had selected the things with great care, and at the last moment the young inventor had packed a box of his own, and said nothing about it. Included in it were some of his own and his father's inventions, and had one been given a glance into that same box he would have wondered at the queer things.
"What in the world are you taking with you, anyhow?" asked Ned, of his chum, noticing the mysterious box.
"You'll see, if we ever get to giant land," replied Tom with a smile. ”

“ In the shadows he saw the two royal brothers, Tola and Koku.
"Here they are!" whispered Tom to Jake Poddington, who came forward.
"Come!" invited the circus man in the giants' tongue, and the brothers entered the hut.
How Jake persuaded them to throw in their fortunes with the captives the circus man hardly knew himself. Perhaps it was due as much as anything to the dislike they felt toward the king, and the mean way he had treated them.
"Come, and you will be kings among the small men in our country," invited Poddington. ”

“ FIRE ON BOARD
"Your electric rifles!" exclaimed Ned Newton, as he followed his chum to the storeroom, where Tom kept a number of spare guns. "It's a good thing you thought of them, Tom."
"Yes, I didn't think we'd need them, for I believe peaceable means are the best to use on natives. But if there's a war, and we have to defend ourselves against the tribes, we'll take along something that will do more damage than an ordinary rifle, and yet I can regulate it so that it will only stun, and not kill."
"That's the stuff, Tom. No use in being needlessly cruel. How many will you take?" ”

“ We have about the same crowd every time. If we can scare them they may keep far enough off so we can have a chance to escape."
"Escape! That's the thing!" cried Mr. Damon. "Why can't we put the airship together in this hut, Tom, and fly away in it?"
"We can, when the right time comes—if it ever does—but first we've got to work on the guards. Let me see what I can do? Ha! I have it. Ned, come here, I want your help. I'm going to -show these giants that, with all their strength, I can make each of them as weak as a baby, and, at the same time prove that they can't lift even a light weight." ”

“ The glaring fire of them lighted up the scene better than did the flaming torches of the giants, and truly it was a wonderful sight. There, in that lonely hut, in the midst of a South American jungle, four intrepid white persons, and an aged but brave negro, stood against hundreds of giants—mighty men, who, had they come to a personal contact, any one of which would have been more than a match for the combined strength of Tom and his party. ”

“ Between them was the figure of the circus man, looking like a dwarf. He was not so far away but what the smile of triumph on his face could be seen as he glanced in the direction of the darkened hut where Tom and his friends were captives.
"Now's our chance!" cried the young inventor. "Set 'em off, Ned. You help, Mr. Damon. The more noise and fuss we make at once, the more impressive it will be. ”

“ Of course Tom had said good-bye to Mary Nestor and half-jokingly, he had promised to bring back a giant of his own, that she might see one outside of a circus.
"But, Tom," Mary exclaimed with a laugh, "what will you do with one of the big creatures if you get one?"
"Have him help me on my newest invention—the noiseless airship," answered the young inventor. "I need some one to lift heavy weights. It will save putting up a derrick. Yes, I think I'll get a giant of my own." ”

“ Damon.
"If they had rifles they wouldn't be at it hand to hand," spoke Tom. "Maybe it's just as well they haven't, for there won't be so many killed, But say, we'd better be thinking of ourselves. They may make up their quarrel and turn against us any minute.
"No—never—no danger of them being friends—they are rival tribes," said San Pedro. "But either one may attack us—the one that is the victor. It is better that we keep away."
"I guess you're right," agreed Tom. "Lead the way, San Pedro, and we'll get out of sight." ”

“ When it first became sure that San Pedro and the other natives had deserted—fled in the night, for fear of the giants—there was a reactionary feeling of despondency and gloom among Tom and his three friends. But the boldness and energy of the young inventor, his vigorous words, his determination to proceed at any cost to the unknown land that lay before them—these served as a tonic, and after a few moments, Ned, Mr. Damon, and even Eradicate looked at things with brighter spirits.
"Do you really mean it, Tom?" asked Ned. "Will you go on to giant land?" ”

“ The answer came quickly and from the man himself. Riding forward toward the king's hut or palace, while the populace of wondering giants followed behind, the man raised his voice in a triumphant announcement.
"Here at last!" he cried. "In giant land! And I'm ahead of Tom Swift for all his tricks. I've got Tom Swift beat a mile."
"Oh, you have!" shouted our hero with a sudden resolve, as he stepped into view. "Well, you've got another guess coming. I'm here ahead of you, and there's standing room only."
"Tom Swift!" gasped the rival circus man. "Tom Swift here in ahead of me!" ”

“ Tom Swift gazed fearlessly into the face of the giant ruler who confronted him. The young inventor said later that he had made up his mind that to show no fear was the only way of impressing the big king, for surely no show of strength could have done it. With one hand the giant could have crushed the life from our hero. ”

“ Better unpack, Tom."
For a moment there was a silence in the room. Then the young inventor leaped to his feet and faced the circus man.
"Unpack?" cried Tom in ringing tones. "Never! I'm going to giant land, fight or no fight! Ned, come with me and we'll put in some of my electric rifles. I wasn't going to take them along, but I will now. Unpack? I guess not! I'm going to get a giant for you, Mr. Preston, and save Jake Poddington if he's alive, Come on, Ned. ”

“ But hardly had they made a detour of the burned huts than one of the native drivers, who was in the rear, came riding up with a shout.
"Now what's the matter?" cried Tom, looking back.
There was a voluble chattering in Spanish between the driver and San Pedro.
"He says the natives that lived in this village have driven their enemies away, and are coming back—after us," translated the head mule driver.
"After us!" gasped Ned.
"Yes," replied San Pedro simply. "They are coming even now. They will fight too, for all their wild nature is aroused." ”

“ Damon's tent.
"Bless my burglar alarm!" shouted the odd gentleman. "Tom—Ned—am I dreaming? There's a man here as big as a mountain. Tom! Ned!"
"It's all right, Mr. Damon!" called Tom. "We're among the giants all right. They won't hurt you." ”

“ Even the skeptical giants agreed on that.
"Now I shall show you that I am stronger than you!" exclaimed Tom, and though the giants smiled increduously so it was, for the magnet trick worked as well as before. There were murmurs of surprise from the two immense brothers, and they talked rapidly together.
"I will now show you that I can call the lightning from the sky to do my bidding," went on Tom. "Is that possible to any of you giants?"
"Never! Never! No man can do it!" cried Tola and Koku together.
"Then watch me!" invited Tom. "Is there an empty hut near here?" he asked. ”

“ With shouts and yells the big men came on. Evidently their indifference toward their captives had turned to anger because of the freeing of Poddington, and now they were determined to use harsh measures. They advanced with wild yells, brandishing their clubs and other weapons, while the weird sound of the tom-toms and natives drums added to the din.
When a short distance from the hut the giants stopped, and began firing arrows and darts from the blow guns.
"Look out for those!" warned Tom. "They probably are poisoned, and a scratch may mean death. ”

“ Back of our friends stretched out their pack train, the beasts carrying the boxes and bales. Surrounding them were nearly all the inhabitants of the giants' town, and when the cavalcade had come to a halt in front of the "palace," Oom raised his voice in a mighty shout. It was taken up by the populace, and then every one of them knelt down.
"I guess His Royal Highness is about to appear," said Tom grimly.
"Yes, maybe we'd better kneel, too," spoke Ned.
"Not much! We're citizens of the United States, and we don't kneel to anybody. I'm going to stand up." ”

“ The guards filed silently away, and, a little later, could be seen going in the king's big hut.
"By Jove, Tom!" cried Ned. "You touched 'em that time. There's something up, as sure as you're born!"
"I believe so myself," agreed the young inventor. "And now to throw a real scare into these giants," he added, as he went to a distant room of the hut where he had hidden some of the things he had taken from his "box of tricks," as Ned dubbed it. ”

“ As San Pedro had predicted, they came upon evidences of a native village. Scattered huts, made of plastered mud and grass, with thatched roofs of palm leaves, were met with, as they advanced, but none of the places seemed to be inhabited, though rude gardens around them showed that they had been the homes of natives up to recently.
"No one seems to be at home," remarked Tom, when they had gone past perhaps half a dozen of these lonely huts. ”