Then I"d know we had nothing to fear. But I guess--"
Tom did not finish his sentence for, at that moment, there came a peal at the door bell. Instinctively every one started, and Mr.
Damon exclaimed:
"Bless my burglar alarm! What"s that?"
"Someone at the door, Tom," replied Mr. Swift calmly. "That"s nothing unusual. It"s early yet."
But, in spite of his rea.s.suring words, there was a feeling of vague alarm.
"I"ll see who it is," volunteered Ned. "If it"s Andy Foger--"
Mrs. Baggert entered the room at that moment. She had hurried to the door, and, as she entered she announced:
"Mr. Preston!"
"Yes, it is I!" added the circus man following her quickly into the room. "I came on to-night instead of waiting for the morning, Tom. I have bad news for you!"
"Bad news!" gasped the young inventor. "Has Waydell got hold of your plans."
"I"ll wager it has something to do with Andy Foger!" exclaimed Ned.
"Neither one," spoke the circus man. "But I have just had a cable dispatch from one of my animal agents in Brazil, saying that war has broken out among the tribes in the central part of South America. A big native war is being waged all around giant land, as near as we can figure it out."
"War among the native tribes!" exclaimed Mr. Swift.
"Yes, and one of the worst in years. Of course, Tom, after such alarming news as this I won"t hold you to your promise to go. It"s all off. I"m sorry, but you"d better wait. It won"t be safe to go there now. Better unpack, Tom."
For a moment there was a silence in the room. Then the young inventor leaped to his feet and faced the circus man.
"Unpack?" cried Tom in ringing tones. "Never! I"m going to giant land, fight or no fight! Ned, come with me and we"ll put in some of my electric rifles. I wasn"t going to take them along, but I will now. Unpack? I guess not! I"m going to get a giant for you, Mr.
Preston, and save Jake Poddington if he"s alive. Come on, Ned."
CHAPTER VII
FIRE ON BOARD
"Your electric rifles!" exclaimed Ned Newton, as he followed his chum to the storeroom, where Tom kept a number of spare guns. "It"s a good thing you thought of them, Tom."
"Yes, I didn"t think we"d need them, for I believe peaceable means are the best to use on natives. But if there"s a war, and we have to defend ourselves against the tribes, we"ll take along something that will do more damage than an ordinary rifle, and yet I can regulate it so that it will only stun, and not kill."
"That"s the stuff, Tom. No use in being needlessly cruel. How many will you take?"
"Two or three. We may need "em all."
A little later the two lads returned to the library where Mr. Damon, Mr. Swift and the circus man were anxiously awaiting them. Mr.
Preston looked curiously at several objects which Tom and Ned carried. The objects looked like guns but were different from any the giant-seeker had seen.
"What are they?" he asked Tom.
"Electric rifles. One of my inventions," and Tom showed how the weapon worked. Those of you who have read the volume ent.i.tled, "Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle" will remember this curious weapon. It was worked by a stored charge of magnetism of the wireless kind. By this a concentrated globule of electricity was projected from the muzzle, and it could be made strong or weak at the will of the marksman. It could be made so powerful that it would totally annihilate a whale, as Tom had once proved, or it could be made so mild that it would put an enemy, or several of them, to sleep almost as gently as some narcotic, and they would awaken after several hours, little the worse for their experience.
A charge of electricity as powerful as five thousand volts could be concentrated into a small wireless globule the size of a bullet, and this would fly through s.p.a.ce, or even through solid objects until, reaching the limit of the range set, would strike the object aimed at. With his wonderful electric rifle Tom had not only killed elephants, and other big game, but fought off the red pygmies of Africa.
"And we may have a use for it in South America," he added as he explained the workings to Mr. Preston.
"Well, I"m glad you didn"t back out," commented the circus man, "and this may come in mighty handy. I"ll feel easier about you now, Tom, when I know you have some electric rifles with you."
The circus man was told of what Eradicate had said to Andy, but he was of the opinion that no harm would result from it.
"As far as I can learn," went on Mr. Preston, "my old rival Waydell has given up the giant idea. He is looking for a two-headed crocodile, said to be somewhere along the Nile river, and he"s fitting out an expedition there I understand. I guess we won"t be bothered with him. But the giant for mine! If I get that sort of an attraction his two-headed crocodile won"t be in it. I hope you have luck, Tom Swift."
The last details of the expedition were considered. Nothing seemed to have been left undone, and though carrying the electric rifles would make a little more baggage, no one minded that.
"I kin carry dem," said Eradicate. "I ain"t got much baggage of mah own."
So it was arranged, and early the next morning the little band of intrepid travelers, who were going in search of giant land, started for New York. They little knew what was ahead of them, nor what dire perils they were to pa.s.s through.
Of course Tom had said good-bye to Mary Nestor and half-jokingly, he had promised to bring back a giant of his own, that she might see one outside of a circus.
"But, Tom," Mary exclaimed with a laugh, "what will you do with one of the big creatures if you get one?"
"Have him help me on my newest invention--the noiseless airship,"
answered the young inventor. "I need some one to lift heavy weights.
It will save putting up a derrick. Yes, I think I"ll get a giant of my own."
The last good-byes were said, and the parting between Tom and his father was affecting.
"I"ll soon be back, dad," he said in as cheerful a tone as he could a.s.sume, "and I"ll help you finish your gyroscope."
"I hope you will, Tom," and then, with a pressure of his son"s hand, Mr. Swift turned away and went into the house, closing the door after him.
The first part of the trip to New York was rather a silent one, no one caring to talk much. Eradicate was the only cheerful member of the party, which included the circus man, who was going as far as the steamer with Tom and his friends.
"Say," Ned exclaimed finally, "any one would think we were going to a funeral!"
"That"s right," agreed Tom. "I guess something is on all our nerves.
Let"s do something to take it off. Here comes a boy with some funny papers. We"ll buy some and read all the jokes."
This proved a diversion, and before the train had gone many miles more the giant-hunters were talking and laughing as though they were merely starting on a short pleasure trip, instead of an expedition to the dangerous jungles of South America.
They put up at a good hotel in New York, and as soon as they were established Tom and Mr. Preston went to the steamer Calaban which was to land them at Buenos Ayres. They found that there was some confusion about their luggage and boxes, and it took them the better part of a day to get the tangle straightened out, and their stuff stored together in one hold.
"It will be easier to get it out if it"s all together," said Tom, at the conclusion of their labors, and then he and the circus man returned to the hotel. The ship was to sail two days later, and, several hours before the time set for the departure, Tom and his friends were on board.