had
tried, by signs, to induce their guards to take some message to the
king, but the giants refused with shakes of their big heads.

Yet the adventurers could not complain of bad treatment. They were
well fed, and the guards seemed good natured, laughing among
themselves, and smiling whenever they saw any of the captives. But
let Tom or some of the others, step across the threshold of the
door, and they were kindly, but firmly, shoved back.

"It's of no use!" exclaimed Tom in despair one day, after a bold
attempt to walk out. "We've got to do something. If we can't get
word to the king we've got to plan some way to gain the friendship,
or work on the fear of the guards. We have about the same crowd
every time. If we can scare them they may keep far enough off so we
can have a chance to escape."

"Escape! That's the thing!" cried Mr. Damon. "Why can't we put the
airship together in this hut, Tom, and fly away in it?"

"We can, when the right time comes--if it ever does--but first we've
got to work on the guards. Let me see what I can do? Ha! I have it.
Ned, come here, I want your help. I'm going to show these giants
that, with all their strength, I can make each of them as weak as a
baby, and, at the same time prove that they can't lift even a light
weight."

"How you going to do it?" asked Mr. Damon.

"I'll soon show you. Come on, Ned."

Tom and his chum were busy for several days among the various boxes
and bales that formed the baggage. They rigged up two pieces of
apparatus which I will describe in due time. They also opened
several boxes of trinkets and trading goods, which had been brought
along for barter. These they distributed among the guards, and,
though the giants were immensely pleased, they did not get friendly
enough to walk off and leave our friends free to do as they pleased.

"Well, I guess we're ready for the lesson now," remarked Tom one
afternoon, when they had been held captives for about three weeks.
"If they won't respond to gentle treatment we'll try some other kind
of persuasion."

The guards had become so friendly of late that some of them often
spent part of the day inside the hut, looking at the curious things
Tom and his party had brought with them. This was just what the
young inventor wanted, as he was now ready to give them a second
lesson in white man's magic.

Tom and Ned had learned a few words of the giant's language, which
was quite simple, though it sounded hard, and