CHAPTER XIX
WEAK GIANTS
A great silence followed the setting off of the fireworks--silenceand darkness--and even the circus man ceased to shout. He wanted tosee what the effect would be. So did Tom and the others. When theireyes had become used to the gloom again, after the glare of therockets and bombs, the young inventor said:
"Look out of the windows, Ned, and see if our guards have run away."
Ned did as requested, but for a few seconds he could make outnothing. Then he cried out:
"They've gone, but they're coming back again, and there are twice asmany. I guess they don't want us to escape, Tom, for fear we may doa lot of damage."
"Bless my hitching post!" cried Mr. Damon. "The guards doubled? WeARE in a predicament, Tom."
"Yes, I'm afraid so. The fireworks didn't just have the effect Iexpected. I thought they'd be glad to let us go, fearing that wecould work magic, and might turn it on them. Most of the natives aredeadly afraid of magic, the evil eye, witch doctors, and stuff likethat. But evidently we've impressed the giants in the wrong way. Ifwe could only speak their language now, we could explain that unlessthey let us go we might destroy their village, though of course wewouldn't do anything of the kind. If we could only speak theirlanguage but we can't."
"Do you suppose they understood what Delby said?" asked Ned.
"Not a bit of it! He was just desperate when he yelled out that way.He saw that we had an advantage on him--or at least I thought wedid, but I guess we didn't," and Tom gazed out of the windows infront of each of which stood two of the largest giants. By means ofthe torches it could be seen that the circus man was being taken toanother hut, some distance away from the royal one. Then, after anawed silence, there broke out a confused talking and shouting amongthe giant population, that was drawn up in a circle a respectfuldistance from the hut where the captives were confined. Doubtlessthey were discussing what had taken place, hoping and yet fearing,that there might be more fireworks.
"Well, we might as well go to bed," declared Tom at length. "Wecan't do any more to-night, and I'm dead tired. In the morning wecan talk over new plans. My box of tricks isn't exhausted yet."
In spite of their strange captivity our friends slept well, and theydid not awaken once during the night, for they had worked hard thatday, and were almost exhausted. In the morning they looked out andsaw guards still about the hut.
"Now for a good breakfast, and another try!" exclaimed Tom, as hewashed in a big earthen jar of water that had been provided.Freshened by the cool liquid, they were made hungry for the mealwhich was brought to them a little later. They noticed that thewomen cooks looked at them with fear in their eyes, and did notlinger as they had done before. Instead they set down the trays offood and hurried away.
"They're getting to be afraid of us," declared Tom. "If we couldonly talk their language--"
"By Jove!" suddenly interrupted Ned. "I've just thought ofsomething. Jake Poddington you know--the agent for Mr. Preston whoso mysteriously disappeared."
"Well, what about him?" asked Tom. "Did you see him?"
"No, but he may be here--a captive like ourselves. If he is he'sbeen here long enough to have learned the language of the giants,and if he could translate for us, we wouldn't have any trouble. Whydidn't we think of it before? If we could only find Mr. Poddington!"
"Yes, IF we only could," put in Tom. "But it's a slim chance. Ideclare I've forgotten about him in the last few days, so manythings have happened. But what makes you think he is here, Ned?"
"Why he started for giant land, you'll remember, and he may havereached here. Oh, if we could only find him, and save him and saveourselves!"
"It would be great!" admitted Tom. "But I'm afraid we can't do it.There's a chance, though, that Mr. Poddington may be here, or mayhave been here. If we could only get out and make some explorationsor some inquiries. It's tough to be cooped up here like chickens."
Tom looked from the window, vainly hoping that the guards might havebeen withdrawn. The giants were still before the windows and doors.
For a week this captivity was kept up, and in that time Tom and hisfriends had occasional glimpses of Hank Delby going to and from theking's hut. His majesty himself was not seen, but there appeared tobe considerable activity in the giant village.
From their prison-hut the captives could see the native market heldin the big open space, and giants from surrounding towns and theopen country came in to trade. There were also curious about thewhite captives, and there was a constant throng around the big hut,peering in. So also there was about the hut where the circus man hadhis headquarters. Delby seemed to be free to come and go as hechoose.
"I guess he's laying his plans to take a giant or two away withhim," remarked Tom one day. "I wonder what will become of us, whenhe does go?"
It was a momentous question, and no one could answer it. Tom wasdoing some hard thinking those days. Two weeks passed and there wasno change. Our friends were still captives in giant land. They hadtried, by signs, to induce their guards to take some message to theking, but the giants refused with shakes of their big heads.
Yet the adventurers could not complain of bad treatment. They werewell fed, and the guards seemed good natured, laughing amongthemselves, and smiling whenever they saw any of the captives. Butlet Tom or some of the others, step across the threshold of thedoor, and they were kindly, but firmly, shoved back.
"It's of no use!" exclaimed Tom in despair one day, after a boldattempt to walk out. "We've got to do something. If we can't getword to the king we've got to plan some way to gain the friendship,or work on the fear of the guards. We have about the same crowdevery time. If we can scare them they may keep far enough off so wecan have a chance to escape."
"Escape! That's the thing!" cried Mr. Damon. "Why can't we put theairship together in this hut, Tom, and fly away in it?"
"We can, when the right time comes--if it ever does--but first we'vegot 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 giantsthat, with all their strength, I can make each of them as weak as ababy, and, at the same time prove that they can't lift even a lightweight."
"How you going to do it?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I'll soon show you. Come on, Ned."
Tom and his chum were busy for several days among the various boxesand bales that formed the baggage. They rigged up two pieces ofapparatus which I will describe in due time. They also openedseveral boxes of trinkets and trading goods, which had been broughtalong for barter. These they distributed among the guards, and,though the giants were immensely pleased, they did not get friendlyenough to walk off and leave our friends free to do as they pleased.
"Well, I guess we're ready for the lesson now," remarked Tom oneafternoon, when they had been held captives for about three weeks."If they won't respond to gentle treatment we'll try some other kindof persuasion."
The guards had become so friendly of late that some of them oftenspent part of the day inside the hut, looking at the curious thingsTom and his party had brought with them. This was just what theyoung inventor wanted, as he was now ready to give them a secondlesson in white man's magic.
Tom and Ned had learned a few words of the giant's language, whichwas quite simple, though it sounded hard, and one day, after he hadshown them simple toys, the young inventor brought forth a simple-lookingbox, with two shining handles.
"Here is a little thing," explained Tom, partly by words, and partlyby using signs, "a simple little thing which, if one of you will buttake hold of, you cannot let go of again until I move my finger. Doyou believe that a small white man like myself can make this littlething stronger than a giant?" he asked.
One of the biggest of the guards shook his head.
"Try," invited Tom. "Take hold of the handles. At first you will beable to let go easily. But, when I shall move my finger though but alittle, you will be held fast. Then, another movement, and you willbe loose again. Can I do it?"
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Once more the giant shook his head.
"Try," urged Tom, and he put the two shining handles into the bigpalms of the giant. The native grinned and some of his companionslaughed. Then to show how easy it was he let go. He took hold again.
"Now!" cried Tom, and he moved his finger.
Instantly the giant leaped up into the air. He uttered a howl thatseemed to shake the very roof of the hut, and his arms were as rigidas poles. They were drawn up in knots, and though he tried with allhis great might, he could not loose his fingers from the shinyhandles. He howled in terror, and his companions murmured inamazement.
"It is as I told you!" exclaimed Tom. "Is it enough?"
"Loose me! Loose me! Loose me from the terrible magic!" cried thegiant, and, with a movement of his finger, Tom switched off thecurrent from the electric battery. Instantly the giant's armsdropped to his side, his hands relaxed and the handles droppedclattering to the floor.
With a look of fear, and a howl of anguish, the big guard fled, butto the surprise and gratification of Tom and his friends the othersseemed only amused, and they nodded in a friendly fashion to thecaptives. They all pressed forward to try the battery.
One and all endeavored to loose their hands after Tom, by a movementof his forefinger, had turned the switch of the battery, and one andall of the giant guards were unable to stir, as the electricitygripped their muscles. They were evidently awed.
"This is working better than the fireworks did," murmured Tom. "Nowif I can only keep up the good work, and get ahead of Delby I'll beall right. Now for the other test, Ned."
Ned brought from a box what looked to be a small iron bar, with alarge handle on the top. The bottom was ground very smooth.
"This is very small and light," explained Tom, partly by signs, andpartly by words. "I can easily lift it by one finger, and to a giantit is but a feather's weight."
He let the giants handle it, and of course they could feel scarcelyany weight at all, for it tipped the scales at only a pound. But itwas shortly to be much heavier.
"See," went on the young inventor. "I place the weight on the floor,and lift it easily. Can you do it?"
The giants laughed at such a simple trick. Tom set the iron bar downand raised it several times. So did several of the giants.
"Now for the test!" cried Tom with a dramatic gesture. "I shall putmy magic upon you, and you shall all become as weak as babies. Youcannot lift the bar of iron!"
As he spoke he made a signal to Ned, who stood in a distant cornerof the room. Then Tom carefully placed the weight on a sheet ofwhite paper on a certain spot on the floor of the hut and motionedto the largest giant to pick up the iron bar.
With a laugh of contempt and confidence, the big man stooped overand grasped the handle. But he did not arise. Instead, the musclesof his naked arm swelled out in great bunches.
"See, you are as a little babe!" taunted Tom. "Another may try!"
Another did, and another and another, until it came the turn of themightiest giant of all the guard that day. With a sudden wrench hesought to lift the bar. He tugged and strained. He bent his back andhis legs; his shoulders heaved with the terrific effort he made--butthe bar still held to the floor of the hut as though a part of thebig beams themselves.
"Now!" cried Tom. "I shall show you how a white man's magic makeshim stronger than the biggest giant."
Once more he made a hidden sign to Ned, and then, stooping over, Tomcrooked his little finger in the handle of the iron bar and liftedit as easily as if it was a feather.