tawny hair, and a
face almost hidden in a big tawny, bushy beard. Then an arm was
thrust in--an arm that terminated in a brawny fist that clasped a
great club. There was no mistaking the object that gazed in on the
two youths. It was a gigantic man--a man almost twice the size of
any Tom had ever seen. And then our hero knew that he had reached
the end of his quest.

"A giant!" gasped Tom. "Ned! Ned, we're in the big men's country,
and we didn't know it!"

"I--I guess you're right, Tom!"

The giant started at the sounds of their voices, and then his face
breaking into a broad grin, that showed a great mouth filled with
white teeth, he called to them in an unknown tongue and in a voice
that seemed to fairly shake the frail tent.

CHAPTER XV

IN THE "PALACE" OF THE KING

For a few moments after their first ejaculations neither Tom nor Ned
knew what to do. The giant continued to gaze at them, with the same
good-natured grin on his face. Possibly he was amused at the small
size of the persons in the tent. Then Tom spoke.

"He doesn't look as if he would bite, Ned."

"No, he seems harmless enough. Let's get up, and see what happens. I
wonder if there are any more of them? They must have come out on an
early hunt, and stumbled upon our camp."

At this moment there arose a cry from Mr. Damon's tent.

"Bless my burglar alarm!" shouted the odd gentleman. "Tom--Ned--am I
dreaming? There's a man here as big as a mountain. Tom! Ned!"

"It's all right, Mr. Damon!" called Tom. "We're among the giants all
right. They won't hurt you."

"Fo' de good land ob massy!" screamed Eradicate, a second later, and
then they knew that he, too, had seen one of the big men. "Fo' de
lub ob pork chops! Am dis de Angel Gabriel? Listen to de blowin' ob
de trump! Oh, please good Massa Angel Gabriel, I ain't nebber done
nuffin! I's jest po' ol' Eradicate Sampson, an' I got a mule
Boomerang, and' dat's all I got. Please good Mr. Angel--"

"Dry up, Rad!" yelled Tom. "It's only one of the giants. Come on out
of your tent and get breakfast. We're on the borders of giant land,
evidently, and they seem as harmless as ordinary men. Get up,
everybody."

As Tom spoke he rose from the rubber blanket on which he slept. Ned
did the same, and the giant slowly pulled his head out from the
tent. Then the two youths went outside. A strange sight met their
gaze.

There were about ten natives standing in the camp--veritable giants,
big men in