CHAPTER XVII
HELD CAPTIVES
There was a great commotion among the giants. Men, women andchildren ran to and fro, and a number of the largest of the big mencould be seen hurrying into the palace hut of King Kosk. If thearrival of Tom and his friends had created a surprise it was morethan doubled when the circus man, and his small caravan, advancedinto the giants' city. His approach had been unheralded because thegiants were so taken up with Tom and his party that no one thoughtto guard the paths leading into the village. And, as a matter offact, the giants were so isolated, they were so certain of their ownstrength, and they had been unmolested so many years, that they didnot dream of danger.
As for our hero, he stood in the hut gazing at his rival, while HankDelby, in turn, stared at the young inventor. Then Hank dismountedfrom his mule and approached Tom's hut.
"Bless my railroad ticket!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "This is a curiousstate of affairs! What in the world are we to do, Tom?"
"I don't know, I'm sure. We'll have to wait until we see what HEdoes. He's been following us all along. He was that fake minister onthe boat. It's a wonder we didn't get on to him. I believe he's beentrying to learn our secret ever since Mr. Preston warned us abouthim. Now he's here and he'll probably try to spoil our chances forgetting a giant so that he may get one for himself. Perhaps AndyFoger gave him a tip about our plans."
"But can't we stop him?" asked Ned.
"I'm going to try!" exclaimed Tom grimly.
"Here he comes," spoke Mr. Damon quickly. "I wonder what he wants?"
Hank Delby had started toward the big hut that sheltered ourfriends, while the gathered crowd of curious giants looked on andwondered what the arrival of two white parties so close togethercould mean.
"Well, what do you want?" asked Tom, when, his rival had come withinspeaking distance.
"There's no use beating about the bush with you, Tom Swift," was thefrank answer. "I may as well out with it. I came after a giant, andI'm going to get one for Mr. Waydell."
"Then you took advantage of our trail, and followed us?" asked theyoung inventor.
"Oh, you can put it that way if you like," replied Delby calmly. "IHAVE followed you, and a hard time I've had of it. I tried to do itquietly, but you got on to my tricks. However it doesn't matter. I'mhere now, and I'm going to beat you out if I can."
"I remember now!" exclaimed Ned whispering in Tom's ear, "he wasdisguised as one of the mule drivers and you fired him because hehad a revolver. Don't you remember, Tom?"
"That's right!" exclaimed the young inventor as he noted the faceand form of Delby more closely. Then our hero added: "You played alow-down trick, Mr. Delby, and it won't do you any good. I caughtyou trying to sneak along in my company and I'll catch you again.I'm here first, and I've got the best right to try and get a giantfor Mr. Preston, and if you had any idea of fair play--"
"All's fair in this business, Tom Swift," was the quick answer. "I'mgoing to do my best to beat you, and I expect you to do your best tobeat me. I can't speak any fairer than that. It's war between us,from now on, and you might as well know it. One thing I will promiseyou, though, if there's any danger of you or your party getting hurtby these big men I'll fight on your side. But I guess they are toogentle to fight."
"We can look after ourselves," declared Tom. "And since it's to bewar between us look out for yourself."
"Don't worry!" exclaimed Tom's rival with a laugh. "I've gonethrough a lot to get here, and I'm not going to give up without astruggle. I guess--"
But he did not finish his sentence for at that moment Oom, the bighunting giant, came up behind him, tapped him on the shoulder, andpointed to the king's hut, motioning to indicate that Mr. Delby waswanted there.
"Very good," said the circus agent in what he tried to make soundlike a jolly voice, "I'm to call on his majesty; am I? Here's whereI beat you to it, Tom Swift."
Tom did not answer, but there was a worried look on his face, as heturned to join his friends in the big hut. And, as he looked from awindow, and saw Delby being led into the presence of Kosk, Tom couldhear the strains of the big phonograph he had presented to the king.
"I guess his royal highness will remain friends with us," said Nedwith a smile, as he heard the music. "He can see what a lot ofpresents and other things we have, and as for that Delby, he doesn'tseem to have much of anything."
"Oh, I haven't shown half the things I have as yet," spoke Tom. "ButI don't like this, just the same. Those giants may turn from us, andfavor him on the slightest pretence. I guess we've got our work cutout for us."
"Then let's plan some way to beat him," suggested Mr. Damon. "Lookover your goods, Tom, and make the king a present that will bind hisfriendship to us."
"I believe I will," decided the young inventor and then he and Nedbegan overhauling the boxes and bales, while a crowd of curiousgiants stood without their hut, and another throng surrounded thepalace of the giant king.
"There goes Delby out to get something from his baggage," announcedNed, looking from the window. Tom saw his rival taking somethingfrom one of the packs slung across the back of a mule. Soon thecircus agent hurried back into the king's hut, and a moment laterthere was heard the strains of a banjo being picked by anunpracticed hand. It was succeeded by a rattling tune played in goodstyle.
"Bless my fiddlestick!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, "Does your phonographhave a banjo record, Tom?"
"No." was the somewhat hesitating answer of the young inventor."Delby who can play a banjo himself must have given Kosk one for apresent, and, like a child, the king is amused by the latestnovelty. So far he has scored one on us," he added, as once morethey heard the unmelodious strains of the banjo slowly picked. "Theking is evidently learning to play the instrument, and he'd ratherhave that than a phonograph, which only winds up."
"But haven't you some other things you can give the king to off-setthe banjo?" asked Mr. Damon.
"Plenty of them," replied Tom. "But if I give him--say a toy steamengine, for I have one among our things--what is to prevent Delbygiving him some other novelty that will take his attention? In thatway we'll sea-saw back and forth, and I guess Delby has had moreexperience in this business than I have. It's going to be a questionwhich of us gets a giant."
"Bless my reserved seat ticket!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I never heardof such a thing! But, Tom, I'm sure we'll win out."
"Get something startling to give the king," advised Ned, and Tombegan opening one of the boxes that had been transported with suchlabor from the coast.
"Delby had much better luck with his mule drivers than we did Tom,"remarked Ned as he saw the two natives standing by the pack animalsof the rival circus man. "They evidently didn't get scared off bythe giants."
"No, but probably he didn't tell them where they were headed for.Though, as a matter of fact, I don't believe any one has anything tofear from these big men. All they ask is to be let alone. They'renot at all warlike, and I don't believe they'd attack the othernatives. But probably their size makes them feared, and when ourdrivers heard the word 'giant' they simply wilted."
"Guess you're right. But come on, Tom. If we're going to make theking a present that will open his eyes, and get him on our sideinstead of Delby's, we'd better be getting at it."
"I will. This is what I'm going to give him," and Tom brought outfrom a box a small toy circus, with many performing animals andacrobats, the whole being worked by a small steam engine that burnedalcohol for fuel. A little water put in the boiler of the toyengine, a lighting of the alcohol wick and there would be a toy thateven a youngster of the United States might be proud to own.
"Mah land a massy!" exclaimed Eradicate as Tom got the apparatusready to work. "Dat shore will please him!"
"It ought to," replied the young inventor. "Come on, now I'm ready."
Delby had not yet come from the king's hut, and as Tom and hisfriends, bearing the new toy, were about to leave the structure thathad been set aside for their use, they saw a crowd of the giant men
approaching. Each of the big men carried a club and a spear.
"Bless my eye glasses!" gasped Mr. Damon. "Something is wrong. Whatcan it be?"
He had his answer a moment later. With a firm but gentle motion thechief giant shoved our four friends back into the hut, and thenpulled the grass mat over the opening. Then, as Tom and the otherscould see by looking from a crack, he and several others took theirposition in front, while other giants went to the various windows,stationing themselves outside like sentries around a guard house.
"Bless my--" began Mr. Damon, but words failed him.
"We're prisoners!" gasped Ned.
"It looks like it," admitted Tom grimly. "Evidently Delby hascarried out his threat and set the king against us. We are to beheld captives here, and he can do as he pleases. Oh, why didn't Ithink sooner."
Tom Swift in Captivity, Or, A Daring Escape By Airship Page 17
