CHAPTER XVIII
TOM'S MYSTERIOUS BOX
The young inventor walked slowly back to the middle of the hut--aprison now it was--and sat down on a bench. The others followed hisexample, and the elaborate toy, with which they had hoped to win theking's favor, was laid aside. For a moment there was silence in thestructure--a silence broken only by the pacing up and down of thegiant guards outside. Then Eradicate spoke.
"Massa Tom," began the aged negro, "can't we git away from heah?"
"It doesn't seem so, Rad."
"Can't we shoot some of dem giants wif de 'lectric guns, an' carry acouple ob 'em off after we stun 'em like?"
"No, Rad; I'm afraid violent measures won't do, though now that youspeak of the guns I think that we had better get them ready."
"You're not going to shoot any of them, are you, Tom?" asked Mr.Damon quickly.
"No, but if they continue to turn against us as easily as they have,there is no telling what may happen. If they attack us we will haveto defend ourselves. But I think they are too gentle for that,unless they are unduly aroused by what misstatements Hank Delby maymake against us."
"Misstatements?" inquired Ned.
"Yes. I don't doubt but what he told the king a lot of stuff thatisn't true, to cause his majesty to make us captives here. Probablyhe said we came to destroy the giant city with magic, or somethinglike that, and he represented himself as a simple traveler. He'sused to that sort of business, for he has often tried to get aheadof Mr. Preston in securing freaks or valuable animals for thecircus. He wants to make it look bad for us, and good for himself.So far he has succeeded. But I've got a plan."
"What is it?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I'll tell you when I've got it more worked out. The thing to do nowis to get in shape to stand off the giants if they should attack us.This hut is pretty strong, and we can risk a siege in here. Let'sarrange the boxes and bales into a sort of breastwork, and thenwe'll take the electric rifles inside."
This was soon done, and, though there was considerable noiseattending the moving about of the boxes and bales, the giant guardsdid not seem at all alarmed. They did not even take the trouble tostop the work, though they looked in the windows. In a short timethere was a sort of hollow square formed in the middle of the bigmain room, and inside of this our friends could give battle.
"And now for my plan of teaching these giants a lesson," said Tom,when this work was finished. "Ned, help me open this box," and heindicated one with his initials on in red letters.
"That's the same one you saved from the fire in the ship," commentedNed.
"Yes, and I can't put it to just exactly the use I intended, as thesituation has changed--for the worse I may say. But this box willanswer a good purpose," and Tom and Ned proceeded to open themysterious case which the young inventor had transported with suchcare.
"Bless my cannon cracker!" exclaimed Mr. Damon who watched them."You're as careful of that as if it contained dynamite."
"It does contain something like that," answered Tom. "It has someblasting powder in, and I was going to use it to show the giants howlittle their strength would prevail against the power which thewhite man could secure from some harmless looking powder. There arealso a lot of fireworks in the box, and I intend to use them toscare these big men. That's why I was so afraid when I heard thatthere was a blaze near my box. I was worried for fear the ship wouldbe blown up. But I can't use the blasting powder--at least not now.But we'll give these giants an idea of what Fourth of July lookslike. Come on, Ned, we'll take a look and see from which window itwill be safest to set off the rockets and other things, as I don'twant to set fire to any of the grass huts."
Eradicate and Mr. Damon looked on wonderingly while Tom and his chumgot out the packages of fireworks which had been kept safe and dry.As for the giant guards, if they saw through the windows what wasgoing on, they made no effort to stop Tom.
Tom had brought along a good collection of sky rockets, aerialbombs, Roman candles and similar things, together with the blastingpowder. The latter was put in a safe place in a side room, and then,with some boards, the young inventor and his chum proceeded to makea sort of firing stand. One big window opened out toward a vacantstretch of woods into which it would not be dangerous to aim thefireworks.
Building the stand took some time, and they knocked off to make ameal from the food that had been brought, and which they had beenabout to eat when the circus man had appeared. The food was good,and it made them feel better.
"I hope they won't forget us to-morrow," observed Tom, for there wasenough of the first meal left for supper. "But if they do we havesome food of our own."
"Oh, I don't think they mean to starve us," remarked Ned. "I thinkthey are just acting on suggestions from that circus man."
"Perhaps," agreed Tom. "Well, they may sing another tune when we getthrough with them."
As night approached the giant guards about the hut were changed, andagain the women came, bearing platters of food. There was plenty ofit, showing that the king, however fickle his friendship might be,did not intend to starve his captives. Tom and his friends had notseen Delby come out of the royal palace, and they concluded that hewas still with his giant majesty.
"Is it dark enough now, Tom?" asked Ned of his chum, as they satabout the rude wooden platform which they had made to hold thefireworks. "Shall we set them off?"
"Pretty soon now. Wait until it gets a little darker, and the effectwill be better." The room was dimly lighted by a small portableelectric lamp, one of several Tom had brought along in hismysterious box. The lamps were operated by miniature but powerfuldry batteries. The giant guards were still outside, but they showedno disposition to interfere with our friends.
"There's something going on at the palace," reported Mr. Damon, whowas watching the big hut. "There are a lot of giants around it withtorches."
"Maybe they're going to escort Delby to a hut with the same honorsthey paid us," suggested Tom. "If they do, we'll set off thefireworks as he comes out and maybe they'll think he is afflictedwith bad magic, and they'll give us our freedom."
"Good idea!" cried Ned. "Say, that's what they're going to do," headded a moment later as, in the glare of a number of torches, therecould be seen issuing from the king's palace, the two big giants,evidently his brothers. Between them was the figure of the circusman, looking like a dwarf. He was not so far away but what the smileof triumph on his face could be seen as he glanced in the directionof the darkened hut where Tom and his friends were captives.
"Now's our chance!" cried the young inventor. "Set 'em off, Ned. Youhelp, Mr. Damon. The more noise and fuss we make at once, the moreimpressive it will be. Set off everything in sight!"
There was a flicker of matches as they were applied to the fuses,and then a splutter of sparks. An instant later it seemed as if thewhole heavens had been lighted up.
Sky rockets shot screaming toward the zenith, aerial bombs wentwhirling slantingly upward amid a shower of sparks, then to burstwith deafening reports, sending out string after string of coloredlights. Red and green fire gleamed, and the hot balls from Romancandles burst forth. There was a whizz, a rush and a roar. Blindingflashes and startling reports followed each other as Tom and hisfriends set off the fireworks. It was like the Independence Daycelebration of some little country village, and to the simple giantsit must have seemed as if a volcano had suddenly gone into action.
For several minutes the din and racket, the glare and explosions,kept up, pouring out of the big window of the hut. And then, as thelast of the display was shot off, and darkness seemed to settle downblacker than ever over the giant village, there arose howls of fearand terror from the big men and their women and children. They criedaloud in their thunderous voices, and there was fear in every cry.