Part 24 (1/2)

The brothers conferred for a moment and then, seeming to arrive at a decision, Koku, who was slightly the larger, took the bomb, looked curiously at it, and walked with it toward the empty hut, the electric wire being reeled out behind him by Tom.

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 b.u.t.ton.

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 rus.h.i.+ng 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 rus.h.i.+ng 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.