match for the combined strength of Tom and his
party. It was a weird picture that the young inventor looked out
upon, but his heart did not quail.

Giant after giant went down under the fierce rain of the electric
bullets, stunned, but not otherwise injured. There was a shower of
sparks, and a hail of burning balls from the Roman candles, but
still the advance was kept up. Eradicate was banging away with his
shotgun.

"Dis suah am hot work!" cried the colored man, as his hand came in
contact with the barrel. "Wow! It's most RED hot!" he added with a
cry of pain.

"Use the other gun," advised Tom, never turning his head from the
window through which he was aiming. "That one may get choked, and
explode in here."

"All right," answered Eradicate.

"Duck!" yelled Ned with sudden energy. "They're going to fire!" A
number of the giants could be seen fitting arrows to bow strings,
while others raised to their lips the long hollow reeds, from which
the blow guns were made. It was the first time the enemy had fired
and doubtless they had held back because they hoped to capture Tom
and his friends alive. But they did not count on such a stubborn
resistance.

Every one moved away from the windows, and not an instant too soon,
for, a moment later, a shower of arrows and darts came in,
fortunately injuring no one.

Then, above the shouting and yelling of the giants, whose deep, bass
voices had a terrorizing effect, there came the din of the tom-toms,
making a weird combination of sound.

"We've got 'em on the run again!" cried Ned, and so it proved, for
the larger body of giants, who had approached the hut from the front
and two sides, were running back.

"Guess they've given it up," exclaimed Tom. "I'm glad of it, too,
for--"

He paused and glanced behind him. A tiny spurt of flame at the base
of the rear wall of the hut had caught his eye. Instantly the flame
grew larger, and a puff of smoke followed.

"Fire!" cried Ned. "We're on fire!"

"Bless my water bucket!" gasped Mr. Damon. "They've set fire to the
hut!"

It was but too true. While Tom and the others had been standing off
the giants in front, a smaller force had crept around to the rear,
and set the inflamable side of the hut ablaze.

Desperately Tom looked around. There was no means at hand of
fighting fire. Hardly a bucket of water was in the place, and the
structure was filled with quick-burning stuff, while the fireworks
that remained, and the blas