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TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY

OR

A Daring Escape by Airship

BY VICTOR APPLETON

AUTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS
WIRELESS MESSAGE," "TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED






CONTENTS


    I   A STRANGE REQUEST
   II   THE CIRCUS MAN
  III   TOM WILL GO
   IV   "LOOK OUT FOR MY RIVAL!"
    V   ANDY FOGER LEARNS SOMETHING
   VI   ALARMING NEWS
  VII   FIRE ON BOARD
 VIII   A NARROW ESCAPE
   IX   "FORWARD MARCH!"
    X   A WILD HORSE STAMPEDE
   XI   CAUGHT IN A LIVING ROPE
  XII   A NATIVE BATTLE
 XIII   THE DESERTION
  XIV   IN GIANT LAND
   XV   IN THE "PALACE" OF THE KING
  XVI   THE RIVAL CIRCUS MAN
 XVII   HELD CAPTIVES
XVIII   TOM'S MYSTERIOUS BOX
  XIX   WEAK GIANTS
   XX   THE LONE CAPTIVE
  XXI   A ROYAL CONSPIRACY
 XXII   THE TWIN GIANTS
XXIII   A SURPRISE IN THE NIGHT
 XXIV   THE AIRSHIP FLIGHT
  XXV   TOM'S GIANT--CONCLUSION




CHAPTER I

A STRANGE REQUEST


Tom Swift closed the book of adventures he had been reading, tossed
it on the table, and got up. Then he yawned.

"What's the matter?" asked his chum, Ned Newton, who was deep in
another volume.

"Oh, I thought this was going to be something exciting," replied
Tom, motioning toward the book he had discarded. "But say! the
make-believe adventures that fellow had, weren't anything compared to
those we went through in the city of gold, or while rescuing the
exiles of Siberia."

"Well," remarked Ned, "they would have to be pretty classy
adventures to lay over those you and I have had lately. But where
are you going?" he continued, for Tom had taken his cap and started
for the door.

"I thought I'd go out and take a little run in the aeroplane. Want
to come along? It's more fun than sitting in the house reading about
exciting things that never have happened. Come on out and--"

"Yes, and have a tumble from the aeroplane, I suppose you were going
to say," interrupted Ned with a laugh. "Not much! I'm going to stay
here and finish this book."

"Say," demanded Tom indignantly. "Did you ever know me to have a
tumble since I knew how to run an airship?"

"No, I can't say that I did. I was only joking."

"Then you carried the joke too far, as the policeman said to the man
he found lugging off money from the bank. And to make up for it
you've got to come along with me."

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, anywhere. Just to take a little run in the upper regions, and
clear some of the cobwebs out of my head. I declare, I guess I've
got the spring fever. I haven't done anything since we got back from
Russia last fall, and I'm getting rusty."

"You haven't done ANYTHING!" exclaimed Ned, following his chum's
example by tossing aside the book. "Do you call working on your new
invention of a noiseless airship nothing?"

"Well, I haven't finished that yet. I'm tired of inventing things. I
just want to go off, and have some good fun, like getting
shipwrecked on a desert island, or being lost in the mountains, or
something like that. I want action. I want to get off in the jungle,
and fight wild beasts, and escape from the savages!"

"Say! you don't want much," commented Ned. "But I feel the same way,
Tom."

"Then come on out and take a run, and maybe we'll get on the track
of an adventure," urged the young inventor. "We won't go far, just
twenty or thirty miles or so."

The two youths emerged from the house and started across the big
lawn toward the aeroplane sheds, for Tom Swift owned several speedy
aircrafts, from a big combined aeroplane and dirigible balloon, to a
little monoplane not much larger than a big bird, but which was the
most rapid flier that ever breathed the fumes of gasolene.

"Which one you going to take, Tom?" asked Ned, as his chum paused in
front of the row of hangars.

"Oh, the little double-seated monoplane, I guess that's in good
shape, and it's easy to manage. When I'm out for fun I hate to be
tinkering with levers and warping wing tips all the while. The Lark
practically flies herself, and we can sit back and take it easy.
I'll have Eradicate fill up the gasolene tank, while I look at the
magneto. It needs a little adjusting, though it works nearly to
perfection since I put in some of that new platinum we got from the
lost mine in Siberia."

"Yes, that was a trip that amounted to something. I wouldn't mind
going on another like that, though we ran lots of risks."

"We sure did," agreed Tom, and then, raising his voice he called
out: "Rad, I say Rad! Where are you? I want you!"

"Comin', massa Tom, comin'," answered an aged <DW52> man, as he
shuffled around the corner of the shed. "What do yo'-all want ob
me?"

"Put some gasolene in the Lark, Rad. Ned and I are going to take a
little flight. What were you doing?"

"Jest groomin' mah mule Boomerang, Massa Tom, dat's all. Po'
Boomerang he's gittin' old jest same laik I be. He's gittin' old,
an' he needs lots ob 'tention. He has t' hab mo' oats dan usual,
Massa Tom, an' he doan't feel 'em laik he uster, dat's a fac', Massa
Tom."

"Well, Rad, give him all he wants. Boomerang was a good mule in his
day."

"An' he's good yet, Massa Tom, he's good yet!" said Eradicate
Sampson eagerly. "Doan't yo' all forgit dat, Massa Tom." And the
<DW52> man proceeded to fill the gasolene tank, while Tom adjusted
the electrical mechanism of his aeroplane, Ned assisting by handing
him the tools needed. Eradicate, who said he was named that because
he "eradicated" dirt, was a <DW52> man of all work, who had been in
the service of the Swift household for several years. He and his
mule Boomerang were fixtures.

"There, I guess that will do," remarked Tom, after testing the
magneto, and finding that it gave a fat, hot spark. "That ought to
send us along in good shape. Got all the gas in, Rad?"

"Every drop, Massa Tom."

"Then catch hold and help wheel the Lark out. Ned, you steady her on
that side. How are the tires? Do they need pumping up?"

"Hard as rocks," answered Tom's chum, as he tapped his toe against
the rubber circlets of the small bicycle wheels on which the
aeroplane rested.

"Then they'll do, I guess. Come on now, and we'll give her a test
before we start off. I ought to get a few hundred more revolutions
per minute out of the motor with the way I've adjusted the magneto.
Rad, you and Ned hold back, while I turn the engine over."

The youth and the <DW52> man grasped the rear supports of the long,
tail-like part of the monoplane while Tom stepped to the front to
twist the propeller blades. The first two times there was no
explosion as he swung the delicate wooden blades about, but the
third time the engine started off with a roar, and a succession of
explosions that were deafening, until Tom switched in the muffler,
thereby cutting down the noise. Faster and faster the propeller
whirled about as the motor warmed up, until the young inventor
exclaimed:

"That's the stuff! She's better than ever! Climb up Ned, and we'll
start off. You can turn her over, Rad; can't you?"

"Suah, Massa Tom," was the reply, for Eradicate had been on so many
trips with Tom, and had had so much to do with airships, that to
merely start one was child's play for him.

The two youths had scarcely taken their seats, and the <DW52> man
was about to twist around the fan-like blades of the big propeller
in front, when from behind there came a hail.

"Hold on there! Wait a minute, Tom Swift! Bless my admission ticket,
don't go! I've got something important to tell you! Hold on!"

"Humph! I know who that is!" cried Tom, motioning to Eradicate to
cease trying to start the motor.

"Mr. Damon, of course," agreed Ned. "I wonder what he wants?"

"A ride, maybe," went on Tom. "If he does we've got to take the
Scooter instead of this one. That holds four. Well, we may as well
see what he wants."

He jumped lightly from his seat in the monoplane and was followed by
Ned. They saw coming toward them, from the direction of the house, a
stout man, who seemed very much excited. He was walking so fast that
he fairly waddled, and he was smiling at the lads, for he was one of
their best friends.

"Glad I caught you, Tom." he panted, for his haste had almost
deprived him of breath. "I've got something important to tell you. I
hurried over as soon as I heard about it."

"Well, you're just in time," commented Ned with a laugh. "In another
minute we'd have been up in the clouds."

"What is it, Mr. Damon?" asked Tom. "Have you got wind of a city of
diamonds, or has some one sent you a map telling where we can go to
pick up ten thousand dollar bills by the basket?"

"Neither one, Tom, neither one. It's something better than either of
those, and if you don't jump at the chance I'm mistaken in you,
that's all I've got to say. Come over here."

He turned a quick glance over his shoulder as he spoke and advanced
toward the two lads on tiptoe as though he feared some one would see
or hear him. Yet it was broad daylight, the place was the starting
ground for Tom's aeroplanes and save Eradicate there was no one
present except Mr. Damon, Ned and the young inventor himself.

"What's up?" asked Tom in wonderment.

"Hush!" cautioned the odd gentleman. "Bless my walking stick, Tom!
but this is going to be a great chance for you--for us,--for I'm
going along."

"Going where, Mr. Damon?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. Is there any one here?"

"No one but us?"

"You are sure that Andy Foger isn't around."

"Sure. He's out of town, you know."

"Yes, but you never can tell when he's going to appear on the scene.
Come over here," and taking hold of the coat of each of the youths,
Mr. Damon led them behind the big swinging door of the aeroplane
shed.

"You haven't anything on hand; have you, Tom?" asked the odd
gentleman, after peering through the crack to make sure they were
unobserved.

"Nothing at all, if you mean in the line of going off on an
adventure trip."

"That's what I mean. Bless my earlaps! but I'm glad of that. I've
got just the thing for you. Tom, I want you to go to a strange land,
and bring back one of the biggest men there--a giant! Tom Swift, you
and I and Ned--if he wants to go--are going after a giant!"

Mr. Damon gleefully clapped Tom on the back, with such vigor that
our hero coughed, and then the odd gentleman stepped back and gazed
at the two lads, a look of triumph shining in his eyes.

For a moment there was a silence. Tom looked at Ned, and Ned gave
his chum a quick glance. Then they both looked sharply at Mr. Damon.

"A--a giant," murmured Tom faintly.

"That's what I said," replied Mr. Damon. "I want you to help me
capture a giant, Tom."

Once more the two youths exchanged significant glances, and then
Tom, in a low and gentle voice said:

"Yes, Mr. Damon, that's all right. We'll get you a giant right away.
Won't we, Ned? Now you'd better come in the house and lie down, I'll
have Mrs. Baggert make you a cup of tea, and after you have had a
sleep you'll feel better. Come on," and the young inventor gently
tried to lead his friend out from behind the shed door.

"Look here, Tom Swift!" exclaimed the odd gentleman indignantly. "Do
you think I'm crazy? Lie down? Rest myself? Go to sleep? Say, I'm
not crazy! I'm not tired! I'm not sleepy! This is the greatest
chance you ever had, and if we get one of those giants--"

"Yes, yes, we'll get one," put in Ned soothingly.

"Of course," added Tom. "Come on, now, Mr. Damon. You'll feel better
after you've had a rest. Dr. Perkinby is coming over to see father
and I'll have him--"

Mr. Damon gave one startled glance at the young inventor and his
chum, and then burst into a peal of hearty laughter.

"Oh, my!" he exclaimed at intervals in his paroxysms. "Oh, dear! He
thinks I'm out of my head! He can't stand that talk about giants! Oh
dear! Tom Swift, this is the greatest chance you ever had! Come on
in the house and I'll tell you all I know about giant land, and then
if you want to think I'm crazy you can, that's all I've got to say!"




CHAPTER II

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.

And while I have a few minutes that are occupied in the journey to
the house I will introduce my new readers more formally to Tom Swift
and his friends.

Tom though only a young man, was an inventor of note, as his father
was before him. Father and son lived in a fine house in the town of
Shopton, in New York state, and Mrs. Swift being dead, the two were
well looked after by Mrs. Baggert their housekeeper. Eradicate
Sampson, as I have said, was the man of all work about the place.
Ned Newton who had a position in a Shopton bank, was Tom's
particular chum, and Mr. Wakefeld Damon, of the neighboring town of
Waterfield, was a friend to all who knew him. He had the odd habit
of blessing anything and everything he could think of, interspersing
it in his talk.

In the first volume of this series, called "Tom Swift and His
Motor-Cycle," I related how Tom made the acquaintance of Mr. Damon,
afterward purchasing a damaged motor-cycle from the odd gentleman.
On this machine Tom had many adventures, incidentally saving some of
his father's valuable patents from a gang of conspirators. Later Tom
got a motor boat, and had many races with his rivals on Lake
Carlopa, beating Andy Foger, the red-haired bully of the town, in
signal fashion. After his adventures on the water Tom sighed for
some in the air, and he had them in his airship the Red Cloud.

"Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat." is a story of a search after
sunken treasure, and, returning from that quest Tom built an
electric runabout, the speediest car on the road. By means of a
wireless message, later, Tom was able to save himself and the
castaways of Earthquake Island, and, as a direct outcome of that
experience, he was able to go in search of the diamond makers, and
solve the secret of Phantom Mountain, as told in the book dealing
with that subject.

When he went to the caves of ice Tom had bad luck, for his airship
was wrecked, and he endured many hardships in getting home with his
companions, particularly as Andy Foger sought revenge on him.

But Tom pluckily overcame all obstacles and, later, he built a sky
racer, in which he made the quickest trip on record. After that,
with his electric rifle, he went after elephants in the interior of
Africa and was successful in rescuing some missionaries from the
terrible red pygmies.

One of the mission workers, later, sent Tom details about a buried
city of gold in Mexico, and Tom and his chum together with Mr. Damon
located this mysterious place after much trouble, as told in the
book entitled, "Tom Swift in the City of Gold." The gold did not
prove as valuable as they expected, as it was of low grade, but they
got considerable money for it, and were then ready for more
adventures.

The adventures soon came, as those of you who have read the book
called, "Tom Swift and His Air Glider," can testify. In that I told
how Tom went to Siberia, and after rescuing some Russian political
exiles, found a valuable deposit of platinum, which to-day is a more
valuable metal than gold. Tom needed some platinum for his
electrical machines, and it proved very useful.

He had been back from Russia all winter and, now that Spring had
come again, our hero sighed for more activity, and fresh adventures.
And with the advent of Mr. Damon, and his mysterious talk about
giants, Tom seemed likely to be gratified.

The two chums and the odd gentleman continued on to the house, no
one speaking, until finally, when they were seated in the library,
Mr. Damon said:

"Well, Tom, are you ready to listen to me now, and have me explain
what I meant when I asked you to get a giant?"

"I--I suppose so," hesitated the young inventor. "But hadn't I
better call dad? And are you sure you don't want to lie down and
collect your thoughts? A nice hot cup of tea--"

"There, there, Tom Swift; If you tell me to lie down again, or
propose any more tea I'll use you as a punching bag, bless my boxing
gloves if I don't!" cried Mr. Damon and he laughed heartily. "I know
what you think, Tom, and you, too, Ned," he went on, still
chuckling. "You think I don't know what I'm saying, but I'll soon
prove that I do. I'm fully in my senses, I'm not crazy, I'm not
talking in my sleep, and I'm very much in earnest. Tom, this is the
chance of your life to get a giant, and pay a visit to giant land.
Will you take it?"

"Mr. Damon, I--er--that is I--"

Tom stammered and looked at Ned.

"Now look here, Tom Swift!" exclaimed the odd man. "When you got
word about the buried city of gold in Mexico you didn't hesitate a
minute about making up your mind to go there; did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"Well, that wasn't any more of a strain on your imagination than
this giant business; was it?"

"Well, I don't know, as--"

"Bless my spectacles! Of course it wasn't! Now, look here. Tom, you
just make up your mind that I know what I'm talking about, and we'll
get along better. I don't blame you for being a bit puzzled at
first, but just you listen. You believe there are such things as
giants; don't you?"

"I saw a man in the circus once, seven feet high. They called him a
giant," spoke Ned.

"A giant! He was a baby compared to the kind of giants I mean," said
Mr. Damon quickly. "Tom, we are going after a race of giants, the
smallest one of which is probably eight feet high, and from that
they go on up to nearly ten feet, and they're not slim fellows
either, but big in proportion. Now in giant land--"

"Here's Mrs. Baggert with a quieting cup of tea," interrupted Tom.
"I spoke to her as we came in, and asked her to have some ready. If
you'll drink this, Mr. Damon, I'm sure--"

"Bless my sugar bowl, Tom! You make a man nervous, with your cups of
tea. I'm more quiet than you, but I'll drink it to please you. Now
listen to me."

"All right, go ahead."

"A friend of mine has asked me if I knew any one who could undertake
to go to giant land, and get him one or two specimens of the big men
there. I at once thought of you, and I said I believed you would go.
And I'll go with you, Tom! Think of that! I've got faith enough in
the proposition to go myself!"

There was no mistaking Mr. Damon's manner. He was very much in
earnest, and Tom and Ned looked at each other with a different light
in their eyes.

"Who is your friend, and where in the world is giant land?" asked
Tom. "I haven't heard of such a place since I read the accounts of
the early travelers, before this continent was discovered. Who is
your friend that wants a giant?"

"If you'll let me, I'll have him here in a minute, Tom."

"Of course I will. But good land! Have you got him concealed up your
sleeve, or under some of the chairs? Is he a dwarf?" and Tom looked
about the room as if he expected to see some one in hiding.

"I left him outside in the garden, Tom," replied the odd man. "I
told him I'd come on ahead, and see how you took the proposition.
Don't tell him you thought me insane at first. I'll have him here in
a jiffy. I'll signal to him."

Not waiting for a word from either of the boys, Mr. Damon went to
one of the low library windows, opened it, gave a shrill whistle and
waved his handkerchief vigorously. In a moment there came an
answering whistle.

"He's coming," announced the odd gentleman.

"But who is he?" insisted Tom. "Is he some professor who wants a
giant to examine, or is he a millionaire who wants one for a body
guard?"

"Neither one, Tom. He's the proprietor of a number of circuses, and
a string of museums, and he wants a giant, or even two of them, for
exhibition purposes. There's lots of money in giants. He's had some
seven, and even eight feet tall, but he has lately heard of a land
where the tallest man is nearly ten feet high, and very big, and
he'll pay ten thousand dollars for a giant alive and in good
condition, as the animal men say. I believe we can get one for him,
and--Ah, here he is now," and Mr. Damon interrupted himself as a
small, dark-complexioned man, with a very black mustache, black
eyes, a watch chain as big around as his thumb, a red vest, a large
white hat, and a suit of large-sized checked clothes appeared at the
open library window.

"Is it all right?" this strange-appearing man asked of Mr. Damon.

"I believe so," replied the odd gentleman. "Come in, Sam."

With one bound, though the window was some distance from the ground,
the little man leaped into the library. He landed lightly on his
feet, quickly turned two hand springs in rapid succession, and then,
without breathing in the least rapidly, as most men would have done
after that exertion, he made a low bow to Tom and Ned.

"Boys, let me introduce you to my friend, Sam Preston, an old
acrobat and now a circus proprietor," said Mr. Damon. "Mr. Preston,
this is Tom Swift, of whom I told you, and his chum, Ned Newton."

"And will they get the giant for me?" asked the circus man quickly.

"I think they will," replied Mr. Damon. "I had a little difficulty
in making the matter clear to them, and that's why I sent for you.
You can explain everything."

"Have a chair," invited Tom politely. "This is a new one on me--going
after giants. I've done almost everything else, though."

"So Mr. Damon said," spoke Mr. Preston gravely. He was much more
sedate and composed than one would have supposed after his
sensational entrance into the room. "I am very glad to meet you, Tom
Swift, and I hope we can do business together. Now, if you have a
few minutes to spare, I'll tell you all I know about giant land."




CHAPTER III

TOM WILL GO


"Jove! That sounds interesting!" exclaimed Ned, as he settled
himself comfortably in his chair.

"It is interesting," replied the circus man. "At least I found it so
when I first listened to one of my men tell it. But whether it is
possible to get to giant land, and, what is more bring away some of
the big men, is something I leave to you, Tom Swift. After you have
heard my story, if you decide to go, I'll stand all the expenses of
fitting out an expedition, and if you fail I won't have a word to
say. If, on the other hand, you bring me back a giant or two, I'll
pay you ten thousand dollars and all expenses. Is it a bargain?"

"Let me hear the story first," suggested our hero, who was a
cautious lad when there was need for it. Yet he liked Mr. Preston,
even at first sight, in spite of his "loud" attire, and the rather
"circusy" manner in which he had entered the room. Then too, if he
was a friend of Mr. Damon, that was a great deal in his favor.

"I am, as you know, in the circus business," began Mr. Preston. "I
have a number of traveling shows, and several large museums in the
big cities. I am always on the lookout for new attractions, for the
public demands them. Once get in the rut of having nothing new, and
your business will fall off. I know, for I've been in the business,
man and boy, for nearly forty years. I began as a performer, and I
can still do a double somersault over fifteen elephants in a row. I
always keep in practice for there's nothing like showing a performer
how to do a thing yourself."

"But about the giants, which is what I'm interested in most now. Of
course I've had giants in my circuses and museums, from the
beginning. The public wanted 'em and we had to have 'em. Some of 'em
were fakes--men on stilts with long pants to cover up their legs,
and others were the real, genuine, all-wool-and-a-yard-wide article.
But none of them were very big. A shade under eight feet was the
limit with me."

"I also have lots of wild animals, and it was when some of my men
were out after some tapirs, jaguars and leopards that I got on the
track of the giants. It was about a year ago, but up to this time I
haven't seen my way clear to send after the big men. It was this
way:"

Mr. Preston assumed a more comfortable position in his chair, nodded
at Mr. Damon, who was listening attentively to all that was said,
and resumed.

"As I said I had sent Jake Poddington, one of my best men, after
tapirs and some other South American animals. He didn't have very
good luck hunting along the Amazon. In the first place that region
has been pretty well cleaned out of circus animals, and another
thing it's getting too well populated. Another thing is that you
can't get the native hunters and beaters to work for you as they did
years ago."

"So Poddington wrote to me that he was going to take his assistants,
make a big jump, and hike it for the Argentine Republic. He had a
tip that along the Salado river there might be something doing, and
I told him to go ahead."

"He shipped me what few animals he had, and lit out for a three
thousand mile journey. I didn't hear from him for some time, and,
when I did, I got the finest collection of animals I had ever laid
eyes on. I got them about the same time I did a letter from Jake,
for the mail service ain't what you could call rushing in that part
of South America."

"But what about the giants?" interrupted Mr. Damon.

"I'm coming to them," replied the circus man calmly. "It was this
way: At the tail of his letter which he sent with the shipment of
animals Jake said this, and I remember it almost word for word:"

"'If all goes well,' he wrote, 'I'll have a big surprise for you
soon. I've heard a story about a race of big natives that have their
stamping ground in this section, and I'm going to try for a few
specimens. I know how much you want a giant.'"

"Well?" asked Tom, after a pause, for the circus man had ceased
talking and was staring out of the opened library window into the
garden that was just becoming green.

"That was all I ever heard from poor Jake," said Mr. Preston softly.

"Bless my insurance policy!" gasped Mr. Damon. "You didn't tell me
that! What happened to him."

"I never could find out," resumed Mr. Preston. "I never heard
another word from him, and I've never seen him from the time I
parted with him to go after the animals. The letter saying he was
going after the giants was the last line of his I've seen."

"But didn't you try to locate him?" asked Tom. "Didn't he have some
companions--some one who could tell what became of him?"

"Of course I tried!" exclaimed Mr. Preston. "Do you think I'd let a
man like Jake disappear without making some effort to find him? But
he was the only white man in his party, the rest were natives. That
was Jake's way. Well, when some time past and I didn't hear from
him, I got busy. I wrote to our consuls and even some South American
merchants with whom I had done business. But it didn't amount to
anything."

"Couldn't you get any news?" asked Ned softly.

"Oh, yes, some, but it didn't amount to much. After a long time, and
no end of trouble, I had a man locate a native named Zacatas, who
was the head beater of the black men under Jake."

"Zacatas said that he and Jake and the others got safely to the
Salado river section, but I knew that before, for that was where the
fine shipment of animals came from. Then Jake got that tip about the
giants, and set off alone into the interior to locate them, for all
the natives were afraid to go. That was the last seen of poor Jake."

"Bless my fire shovel!" cried Mr. Damon. "What did Zacatas say
became of the poor fellow?"

"No one knew. Whether he reached giant land and was killed there, or
whether he was struck down by some wild beast in the jungle, I never
could find out. The natives under Zacatas waited in camp for him for
some time, and then went back to the Amazon region where they
belonged. That's all the news I could get."

"But I'm sure there are giants in the interior of South America, for
Jake always knew what he was talking about. Now I want to do two
things. I want to get on the trail of poor Jake Poddington if I can,
and I want a giant--two or three of them if it can be managed."

"Ever since Jake disappeared I've been trying to arrange things to
make a search for him, and for the giants, but up to now something
has been in the way. I happened to mention the matter to my friend,
Mr. Damon, and he at once spoke of you, Tom Swift."

"Now, what I want to know is this: Will you undertake to get a giant
for me, rescue Jake Poddington if he is alive in the interior of
South America,