The bomb was left inside the frail structure, the two brothers hurried away, and, standing at a safe distance from the hut of the captives, as well as the one that Tom had promised to destroy by lightning, they waved their hands to show that they were ready.
“Bless my admission ticket!” exclaimed Mr. Damon. “You’ve got quite an audience, Tom.”
And so he had, for there was a crowd in the market square, another throng about the king’s palace, while all about, hidden behind trees or huts, was nearly the whole population of the giant town.
“That’s what I want,” said the young inventor. “It will be all the more impressive.”
“And there’s the king himself!” exclaimed Ned. “He’s standing in the door of his royal hut.”
“Better yet!” cried Tom. “Are those wires all connected, Ned?”
“Yes,” answered his chum, after a quick inspection.
“Then here she goes!” cried Tom, as he pressed the button.
Instantly the hut, in which the bomb had been placed, arose in the air. The roof was lifted off, the sides spread out and there was a great flash of fire and a puff of smoke.
Then as the smoke cleared away Ned cried out:
“Look, Tom! Look! You’ve blown a hole in the hut next to the one you destroyed!”
“Yes, and bless my check book!” exclaimed Mr. Damon, “some one is running out of it. A white man, Tom! A white man!”
“It’s Poddington! Poor Jake Poddington. We’ve found him at last! This way, Mr. Poddington! This way! Mr. Preston sent us to rescue you!” cried Tom.
CHAPTER XXI
A ROYAL CONSPIRACY
Howls of terror, cries of anger, and a rushing to and fro on the part of the giants, followed the latest trick of Tom Swift to impress them with his power. But to all this the young inventor and his friends paid no attention. Their eyes were fixed on the ragged figure of the white man who was rushing toward their hut as fast as his legs, manacled as they were, would let him.
“Come on! Come on!” cried Tom.
“Look out!” yelled Ned. “Some of the giants are after him, Tom!”
Several of the big men, after their first fright, had recovered sufficiently to pursue the captive so strangely released by the explosion.
“Hand me an electric rifle, Ned!” cried Tom,
“Bless my shoe laces!” cried Mr. Damon. “You’re not going to kill any of the giants; are you, Tom?”
“Well, I’m not going to let them capture Jake Poddington again,” was the quick answer, “but I guess if I stun a few of them with the electric bullets that will answer.”
Poddington (for later the white captive did prove to be the missing circus man) ran on, and close behind him came two of the giants, taking long strides. Tom aimed his electric rifle at the foremost and pulled the trigger. There was no sound, but the big man crumpled up and fell, rolling over and over. With a yell of rage his companion pressed on, but a moment later, he, too, went down, and then the others, who had started in pursuit of their recent captive, turned back.
“I thought that would fix ’em,” murmured Tom gleefully.
In another five seconds Poddington was inside the hut, gasping from his run. He was very thin and pale, and the sudden exertion had been too much for him.
“Water—water!” he gasped, and Mr. Damon gave him some. He sank on one of the skin-covered benches, and his half-exhausted breath slowly came back to him.
“Boys,” he gasped. “I don’t know who you are, but thank heaven you came just in time. I couldn’t have stood it much longer. I heard you yell something about Preston. Is it possible he sent you to find me?”
“Partly that and partly to get a giant,” explained Tom. “We didn’t know you were in that hut, or we’d never have blown up the one next to it, though we suspected you might be held captive somewhere around here, from the queer way the giants acted when we asked about you.”
“And so you blew up that hut?” remarked the circus agent. “I thought it was struck by lightning. But it did me a good turn. I was chained to the wall of the hut next door, and your explosion split the beam to which my chains were fastened. I didn’t lose any time running out, I can tell you. Oh, but it’s good to be free once more and to see someone my own size!”
“How did you get here, and why did they keep you a prisoner?” asked Tom. Then Poddington told his story, while Ned and Mr. Damon aided Tom in filing off the rude iron shackles from his wrists and ankles.
As Mr. Preston had heard, Jake Poddington had started for giant land. But he lost his way, his escort of natives deserted him, just as Tom’s did, and he wandered on in the jungle, nearly dying. Then, merely by accident, he came upon giant land, but he had the misfortune to incur the anger of the big men who took him for an enemy. They at once made him a prisoner, and had kept him so ever since, though they did not harm him otherwise, and gave him good food.
“I think they were a bit afraid of me in spite of my small size,” explained the circus man. “I never thought to be rescued, for, though I figured that Mr. Preston might hear of my plight, he could never find this place. How did you get here?”
Then Tom told his story, and of how they themselves were held captives because of the treachery of Hank Delby.
“That’s just like him!” cried Poddington. “He was always mean, and always trying to get the advantage of his rivals. But I’m glad I’m with you. With what stuff you have here it oughtn’t to be difficult to get away from giant land.”
“But I want a giant,” insisted Tom. “I told Mr. Preston I’d bring him back one, and I’m going to do it.”
“You can’t!” cried the circus man. “They won’t come with you, and it’s almost impossible to make a prisoner of one. You’d better escape. I want to get away from giant land. I’ve had enough.”
“We’ll get away,” said Tom confidently, “and we’ll have a giant or two when we go.”
“You’ll have some before you go I guess!” suddenly interrupted Ned. “There’s a whole crowd of ’em headed this way, and they’ve got clubs, bows and arrows and those blow guns! I guess they’re going to besiege us.”
“All right!” cried Tom. “If they want to fight we can give ’em as good as they send. Ned, you and Mr. Damon and I will handle the electric rifles. Eradicate, use your shotgun, and fire high. We don’t want to hurt any of the big men. We’ll merely stun them with the electric bullets, but the noise of Rad’s gun will help some.”
“What can I do?” asked Mr. Poddington.
“You’re too weak to do much,” replied Tom. “You just keep on the lookout, and tell us if they try any surprises. I guess we can handle ’em all right.”
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. Give ’em a few shots now, Ned and Mr. Damon! Rad, give ’em a salute, but fire high!”
“Dat’s what I will, Massa Tom!”
The gun of the colored man barked out a noisy welcome, and, at the same time three giants fell, stunned by the electric bullets, for the rifles were adjusted to send out only mild charges.
Thrice they charged, and each time they were driven back, and then, finding that the captives were ever ready for them, they gave up the attempt to overwhelm them, and hurried away, many going into the king’s hut. His royal majesty did not show himself during the fight.
“Well, I guess they won’t try that right away again,” remarked Tom, as he saw the stunned giants slowly arouse themselves and crawl away. “We’ve taught them a lesson.”
&
nbsp; They felt better after that, and then, when they had eaten and drank, they began to consider ways and means of escape. But Tom would not hear of going until he could get at least one giant for the circus.
“But you can’t!” insisted Mr. Poddington.
“Well, it’s too soon to give up yet,” declared Tom. “I’d like to take the king’s two brothers with me.”
“By Jove!” exclaimed Mr. Poddington, “I never thought of that. There is just a bare chance. Did you know that the two brothers, who are twins, dislike the king, for he is younger than they, and he practically took the throne away from them. They should rule jointly by rights. If we could enlist Tola and Koku on our side we might win out yet.”
“Then we’ll try!” exclaimed Tom.
Jake Poddington, who had been a captive in the giant city long enough to know something of its history, and had learned to talk the language, explained how Kosk had usurped the throne. His brothers were subject to him, he said, but several times they had tried in vain to start a revolution. To punish them for their rebellious efforts the king made them his personal servants, and this explained why he sent them to see the tricks Tom performed.
“If we could only get into communication with the big twins,” went on the circus man, “we could offer to take them with us to a country where they would be bigger kings than their brother is here. It’s a royal conspiracy worth trying.”
“Then we’ll try it!” cried Tom enthusiastically.
CHAPTER XXII
THE TWIN GIANTS
Daring indeed was the scheme decided on by the captives, and yet its very boldness might make it possible for them to carry it out. The king would never suspect them of plotting to carry off his two royal brothers, and this made it all the easier to lay their plans. In this they were much helped by Poddington, who knew the language and who had made a few friends among the more humble people of the village, though none dared assist him openly.
“The first thing to do,” said the circus man, “is to get into communication with the twins.”
That proved harder than they expected, for a week passed, and they did not have a glimpse of Tola and Koku. Meanwhile the giant guard was still maintained about the hut night and day. No more food was given the prisoners, and they would have starved had not Tom possessed a good supply of his own provisions. It was evidently the intention of the king to starve his captives into submission.
“Suppose you do get those big brothers to accompany you, Tom?” asked Ned one day. “How are you going to manage to get away, and take them with you?”
“My aeroplane!” answered Tom quickly. “I’ve got it all planned out. You and I with Mr. Damon, Mr. Poddington and Eradicate will skip away in the aeroplane. We can put it together in here, and I’ve got enough gasolene to run it a couple of hundred miles if necessary.”
“But the giants—you can’t carry them in it.”
“No, and I’m not going to try. If they’ll agree to go they can set off through the woods afoot. We’ll meet them in a certain place—where there’s a good land mark which we can easily distinguish from the aeroplane. We’ll take what stuff we can with us, and leave the rest here. Oh, it can be done, Ned.”
“But when you start out with the aeroplane they’ll make a rush and overwhelm us.”
“No, for I’ll do it so quickly that they won’t have a chance. I’m going to saw through the beams of one side of this hut. To the rear there is level ground that will make a fine starting place. When everything is ready, say some night, we’ll pull the side wall down, start the aeroplane out as it falls, and sail away. Then we’ll pick up the giant brothers out in the woods, and travel to civilization again.”
“By Jove! I believe that will work!” cried the circus man.
“Bless my corn plaster, I think so myself!” added Mr. Damon.
“But first we’ve got to get the brothers to agree,” went on Tom, “and that is going to be hard work.”
It was not so difficult as it was tedious. Through an aged woman, with whom he had made friends when a captive, Jake Poddington managed to get word to the royal twins that he and the other captives would like to see them privately. Then they had to wait for an answer.
In the meanwhile the giants tried several times to surprise Tom and his friends by attacks, but the captives were on the alert, and the electric rifles drove them back.
One night nearly all the guards were observed to be absent. There were not more than half a dozen scattered about the hut.
“I wonder what that means?” asked Tom, who was puzzled.
“I know!” exclaimed Jake Poddington after a moment’s thought. “It’s their big annual feast. Even the king goes to it. They were just getting over it when I struck here last year, and maybe that’s what set them so against me. Boys, this may be our chance!”
“How?” asked Ned.
“The king’s brothers may find an opportunity to come and talk to us when the feast is at its height,” was the reply.
Anxiously they waited, and in order that the royal brothers might come in unobserved, if they did conclude to speak to the captives, Tom and his companions hung some pieces of canvas over the windows and doors, and had only a single light burning.
It was at midnight that a cautious knock sounded at the side of the hut and Tom glided to the main door. 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. The brothers looked at each other, talked together in low tones, and then Koku exclaimed:
“We will come, and we will help you to escape. We have spoken, and we will talk with you again.”
Then they glided out into the darkness, while from afar came the sounds of revelry at the big feast.
CHAPTER XXIII
A SURPRISE IN THE NIGHT
Tom and his friends could scarcely believe their good fortune. It seemed incredible that they should have induced two of the biggest giants to accompany them back, and, not only that, but that they had the promise of the strong men to aid them.
“Now we must get busy,” declared Tom, when their visitors had gone. “We’ve got lots of work to do on the aeroplane, and we must try out the engine. Then we’ve got to fix the side of the hut so it will fall out when we’re ready for it. And we’ve got to plan how to meet the giants later in the forest.”
“Yes,” agreed the circus man, “and we must take care that Hank Delby doesn’t spoil our plans.”
Then ensued busy days. In the seclusion of their hut the prisoners could work undisturbed at the aeroplane, which had been almost assembled.
The engine was installed and tried, and, when the motor began its thundering explosions, there was consternation among the giants, who had again surrounded the hut to see that the prisoners did not escape.
Meanwhile Delby seemed to be unusually active. He could be observed going in and out from his hut to that of the king, and he often carried large bundles.
“He’s making himself solid with his royal highness,” declared Tom. “Well, if all goes right, we won’t have to worry much longer about what he does.”
“If only those twin giants don’t fail us,” put in Ned.
“Oh, you can depend on them,” said Mr. Poddington. “These giants are curious creatures, but once they give their word they stick to it.”
He told much about the strange big men, confirming Tom’s theory that favorable natural conditions, for a number of generations, had caused ordinary South American natives to develope into such large specimens.
Our friends
were under quite a nervous tension, for they could not be sure of what would happen from day to day. They continued to work on the aeroplane, and then, finding that it would work in the seclusion of the hut, they were anxious for the time to come when they could try it in the open.
“Do you think it will carry the five of us with safety?” asked the circus man, as he gazed rather dubiously at the somewhat frail-appearing affair.
“Sure!” exclaimed Tom. “We’ll get away all right if I can get enough of a start. Now we must see to opening the side of the hut.”
This work had to be done cautiously, yet the prisoners had a certain freedom, for the guards were afraid to approach too closely.
The supporting and cross beams were sawed through, for Tom had brought a number of carpenter tools along with him. Then, in the silence of the night, the two royal brothers brought other beams that could be put in place temporarily to hold up the roof when the others were pulled out to allow the aeroplane to rush forth.
In due time all was in readiness for the attempt to escape. The royal twins had agreed to slip off at a certain signal, and await Tom and his party in the forest at the foot of a very large hill, that was a landmark for miles around. The giants could travel fast, but not as fast as the aeroplane, so it was planned that they were to have a day and night’s start. They would take along food, and would arrange to have a number of Tom’s mules hidden in the woods, so that our hero and his friends would have means of transportation back to the coast, after they had ended their flight in the airship.
“I wish we had brought along the larger one, so we could take the giants with us,” said Tom, “but I guess they’re strong enough to walk to the coast. We’ll take what provisions we can carry, our electric rifles, and the rest of the things we’ll leave here for the king, though he doesn’t deserve them.”
“What do you think Delby will do?” asked Ned.
“Give it up. He’s got some plan though. I only hope he doesn’t get a giant. Then ours will be a greater attraction.”
The Tom Swift Megapack Page 164