Tom Swift in Captivity | Page 8

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, or, if he is dead, find out how it happened and give him
decent burial? Will you do this, Tom Swift?"
There was a silence in the room following the dramatic and simple
recital of the circus man. Tom was strangely moved, as was his chum
Ned As for Mr. Damon, he was softly blessing every thing he could
think of.
Tom looked out of the long, opened windows of the library. In fancy he
could see the forest and jungles of South America. He saw a sluggish
river flowing along between rank green banks, while, from the
overhanging trees, long festoons of moss hung down, writhing now and
then as the big water anacondas or boa constrictors looped their sinuous
folds over the low limbs.
In fancy he saw dark-skinned natives slinking along with their deadly
blow guns, and poisoned arrows. He thought he could hear the low
growls and whines of the treacherous jaguars and see their lithe bodies
slinking along. He saw the brilliant-hued flowers, saw the birds of
gorgeous plumage, and listened in fancy to their discordant cries.

Then, too, he saw a lonely white man in a miserable native hut
thousands of miles from civilization, waiting, waiting, waiting for he
knew not what fate. Again he saw monstrous men stalking along-- men
who towered ten feet or more, and who were big and brawny. All this
passed through the mind of Tom in an instant.
"Well?" asked Mr. Preston softly.
"I'll go!" suddenly cried the young inventor. "I don't know whether I
can get you a giant or not, Mr. Preston, but if it's possible I'll get poor
Jake Poddington, dead or alive!"
"Good!" cried the circus man, jumping up and clasping Tom's hand. "I
thought you were that kind of a lad, after I heard Mr. Damon describe
you. You've taken a big load off my heart, Tom Swift. Now to talk of
ways and means! I'll have a giant yet, and maybe I'll get back the best
man who ever shipped a consignment of wild animals, good Jake
Poddington! Now to business!"
CHAPTER IV
"LOOK OUT FOR MY RIVAL!"
"You'll go in an airship of course; won't you, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon,
when they had pulled their chairs up around a library table, and Mr.
Preston had taken some papers from his pocket.
"An airship? No, I don't believe I shall," replied the young inventor. "In
the first place, I'm a bit tired of scooting through the air so much,
though it isn't to be denied that it's the quickest way of going. But in
South America there are so many jungles that it will be hard to find a
level starting ground for a take-off, after we land. Of course we could
go up as a balloon, but this expedition is going to be different from any
we were ever on before."
"How so?" asked Ned.
"Well, in the first place we've got to start at one end of a trail, and make

careful inquiries all along the way. It isn't like when we went for the
city of gold. There we had to look for a certain ruined temple, which
was the landmark. When we went after the platinum in Siberia we had
to look for the place of the high winds, so I could use my air glider. But
now we're trying to locate a man who traveled on foot through the
jungles, and if we went in an airship we might just miss the connecting
link."
"So, I think the best way will be to do just as Mr. Poddington did--
travel on foot or by horses and mules, and go slowly, making inquiries
from time to time. Then we MAY get to giant land, we MAY find
him."
"I don't hope for all that," said the circus man, "but if you can only get
some news of him it will be a relief. If he died peaceably it would be
better than to be a captive among some of those savage tribes. It's been
a year now since I heard the last