ting powder, made it doubly dangerous.
Then Tom's eyes lighted on the big aeroplane, ready for instant
service.

"That's it!" he cried suddenly. "It's our only hope, and the last
one! Come on, everybody! Down with that wall! Pull on the ropes and
it will come! We've got to go now. In another minute it will be too
late. Climb up, Mr. Poddington, Mr. Damon, Ned, and I will start the
machine."

"The wall first! The wall!" cried Ned.

"Sure," answered Tom. He and his friends grasped the two ropes that
had been attached to the key-beams in the structure. It had been so
arranged that when the supports were pulled out the wall would fall
outward, making a fairly smooth and level gangplank, on which the
aeroplane could rush from the hut.

There was a creaking of timbers, a straining of ropes, and then,
with a crash, the wall fell. Instantly there was a yell of surprise
from the giants, and a brighter glare from the torches, as those
carrying them rushed up to see what had happened. The din of the
tom-toms was well-nigh deafening. Fortunately the enemy forgot to
take advantage of the opening and pour in a flight of arrows or
darts.

"Start the motor!" cried Tom to his chum.

There was a rattling, banging noise, like a salvo of small arms, and
the big propellers revolved with incredible swiftness. The two white
men were already in place, and now Eradicate, still carrying his
shotgun, clambered up.

"Up with you, Ned!" yelled Tom. "I'm going to head her around and
make a flying start."

CHAPTER XXV

TOM'S GIANT--CONCLUSION

"I don't see anything of them, do you?"

"No, and yet this is the place where they said they'd meet us."

It was Tom who asked the question, and Ned who answered it. It was
the day after their sensational escape from the giants' prison, and
they were circling about in the aeroplane which had been the means
of getting them away from giant land. For they were safely away from
that strange and terrible place, and they were now seeking the two
giant brothers who had promised to meet them at a certain big hill.

For an hour that night Tom and his friends had traveled on the wings
of the Lark and when a rising moon showed them a level spot for a
landing, they had gone down and made a camp. They had provisions
with them, and plenty of blankets and it was so warm that more
shelter was not necessary.

The next day, leaving Mr. Damon, Eradicate and the circus man in the
temporary camp, Tom an