vanced into the "palace" of the giant king.

CHAPTER XVI

THE RIVAL CIRCUS MAN

Tom Swift gazed fearlessly into the face of the giant ruler who
confronted him. The young inventor said later that he had made up
his mind that to show no fear was the only way of impressing the big
king, for surely no show of strength could have done it. With one
hand the giant could have crushed the life from our hero. But
evidently he had no such intentions, for after gazing curiously at
the four travelers who stood before him, and looking for some time
at the honest, black face of Eradicate, the king made a motion for
them to sit down. They did, upon grass mats in the big hut that
formed the palace of the ruler.

It was not a very elaborate place, but then the king's wants were
few and easily satisfied. The place was clean, Tom was glad to note.

The king, who was addressed by his subjects as Kosk, as nearly as
Tom could get it, asked some questions of Oom, who seemed to be the
chief of the hunters. Thereupon the man who had looked into Tom's
and Ned's tent that morning, and who had followed them into the
palace, began a recital of how he had found the little travelers.
Though Tom and his friends could not understand a word of the
language, it was comparatively easy to follow the narrative by the
gestures used.

Then the king asked several questions, others of the hunting party
were sent for and quizzed, and finally the ruler seemed satisfied,
for he rattled off a string of talk in his deep, booming voice.

Truly he was a magnificent specimen of manhood, being as I have
said, about ten feet tall, and built in proportion. On either side
of him, upon rude benches covered with soft jaguar skins, sat two
men, evidently his brothers, for they looked much like the king. One
was called Tola and the other Koku, for the ruler addressed them
from time to time, and seemed to be asking their advice.

"They're making up their minds what to do with us," murmured Tom. "I
only hope they let us stay long enough to learn the language, and
then I can make an offer to take one back to the United States with
me."

"Jove! Wouldn't it be great if you could get the king!" exclaimed
Ned.

"Oh, that's too much, but I'd like one of his brothers. They're each
a good nine feet tall, and they must be as strong as horses."

In contrast to some giants of history, whose only claim to notoriety
lay in their height, these giants were very powerful.