Tom Swift in Captivity | Page 9

of him. But I agree with Tom that an
airship won't be much good in the jungle. You might take along a small
one, if you could pack it, to scare the natives with. In fact it might be a
good thing to show to the giants, if you find them."
"That is my idea," declared Tom. "I'll take the Lark with me. That's a
mighty powerful machine for its size, and it can be taken apart in
sections. It will carry three on a pinch, and I have had five in her with
two auxiliary seats. I'll take the Lark, and she may come in handy."
"When can you start?" asked Mr. Preston.
"As soon as we can fit out an expedition," answered Tom. "It oughtn't
to take long. I don't have to build an air glider this time. It won't take
long to take the Lark apart. I haven't finished work on my noiseless
airship yet, but that can wait. Yes, we'll be ready as soon as you want
us to start, Mr. Preston."
"It can't be too soon for me. I'll deposit a certain sum in the bank to
your credit, Tom, and you can draw on it for expenses. I'll pay any
amount to get word of poor Jake, to say nothing of having a giant for
my circus. Now as to ways of getting there. Have you a large map of

South America?"
Tom had one, and he and the others were pouring over it when Tom's
father came into the room.
"Well, well!" he exclaimed. "What's this? What are you up to now,
Tom, my boy? Mrs. Baggert said you took down the South American
map. What's up?"
"Lots, dad? I'm going after giants this time!"
"Giants, Tom? Are you joking?"
"Not a bit of it, Mr. Swift," answered Mr. Damon. "Bless my check
book! I believe if some one wanted the moon Tom Swift would try to
get it for them."
Then Mr. Swift noticed the stranger present, and was introduced to the
circus man.
"Is it really true, Tom," asked the aged inventor, when the story had
been related, "are you going to have a try for giant land?"
"That's what I am, dad, and I wish you were going along."
"No, Tom, I'm getting too old for that. But I did hope you'd stay home
for a while, and help me work on my gyroscope invention. It is almost
completed."
"I will help you, dad, as soon as I get back with a giant or two. Who
knows? maybe I'll get one myself."
"What would you do with one?" asked Ned with a laugh.
"Have him help Eradicate," answered the young inventor. "Rad is
getting pretty old, and he needs an assistant."
"But are these giants black?" asked Mr. Swift.

"That's a point I don't know," answered the circus man frankly. "Jake
didn't say in his letter. They may be black, white or midway between.
That's what Tom has got to find out for us."
"And I'll do it!" exclaimed our hero. "Now let's see. I suppose the best
plan would be to take a ship right to the Rio de la Plata, landing say at
Buenos Ayres or Montevideo, and then organize an expedition to strike
into the interior."
"Why don't you do just as Mr. Poddington did?" asked Ned, "start from
the Amazon and work south?"
"It would take too long," declared Tom. "We know that the giants are
somewhere in the northern part of Argentina, or in Paraguay or
Uruguay. Or they may be on the other side of the Uruguay river in
Brazil. It's quite a stretch of territory, and we've got to take our time
exploring it. That's why I don't want to waste time working down from
the Amazon. We'll go right to Buenos Ayres, I think."
"That's what I'd do," advised the old circus man. "Now I can give you
some points on what to take, and how to act when you get there. The
South Americans are a queer people--very nice when treated right, but
very bad if not," and then he told some of his experiences as a circus
man in South America, for he had traveled there.
"I'd go again, if my business didn't keep me here," he concluded, "for
I'd ask nothing better than to hunt for giant land, or try to rescue poor
Jake. But I can't. I'm depending on you, Tom Swift."
"What's that? Giant land?" exclaimed Mrs. Baggert, the motherly
housekeeper, as she came in to announce that dinner was ready. "You
don't mean to tell me, Tom, that you're going off again?"
"That's what I am, Mrs. Baggert. You'd better put me up a few
sandwiches, for I don't know when I'll be back," and Tom winked at