k out of the windows, Ned, and see if our guards have run away."

Ned did as requested, but for a few seconds he could make out
nothing. Then he cried out:

"They've gone, but they're coming back again, and there are twice as
many. I guess they don't want us to escape, Tom, for fear we may do
a lot of damage."

"Bless my hitching post!" cried Mr. Damon. "The guards doubled? We
ARE in a predicament, Tom."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. The fireworks didn't just have the effect I
expected. I thought they'd be glad to let us go, fearing that we
could work magic, and might turn it on them. Most of the natives are
deadly afraid of magic, the evil eye, witch doctors, and stuff like
that. But evidently we've impressed the giants in the wrong way. If
we could only speak their language now, we could explain that unless
they let us go we might destroy their village, though of course we
wouldn't do anything of the kind. If we could only speak their
language but we can't."

"Do you suppose they understood what Delby said?" asked Ned.

"Not a bit of it! He was just desperate when he yelled out that way.
He saw that we had an advantage on him--or at least I thought we
did, but I guess we didn't," and Tom gazed out of the windows in
front of each of which stood two of the largest giants. By means of
the torches it could be seen that the circus man was being taken to
another hut, some distance away from the royal one. Then, after an
awed silence, there broke out a confused talking and shouting among
the giant population, that was drawn up in a circle a respectful
distance from the hut where the captives were confined. Doubtless
they were discussing what had taken place, hoping and yet fearing,
that there might be more fireworks.

"Well, we might as well go to bed," declared Tom at length. "We
can't do any more to-night, and I'm dead tired. In the morning we
can talk over new plans. My box of tricks isn't exhausted yet."

In spite of their strange captivity our friends slept well, and they
did not awaken once during the night, for they had worked hard that
day, and were almost exhausted. In the morning they looked out and
saw guards still about the hut.

"Now for a good breakfast, and another try!" exclaimed Tom, as he
washed in a big earthen jar of water that had been provided.
Freshened by the cool liquid, they were made hungry for the meal
which was brought to them a little later. They noticed that the
women cooks looked at them w