"Good!" cried the young inventor. "Then we'll keep right on. Hurrah! I'm on the right track at last, and I'll have a giant for the circus and we may be able to rescue Mr. Poddington!"
"Is the senor in earnest?" asked San Pedro, looking at Tom curiously. "Is he really going among these terrible giants?"
"Yes, but I don't believe they'll be so terrible. They may be very gentle. I'm sure they'll be glad to come with me and join a circus—some of them—and earn a hundred dollars a week. Of course we're going on to giant land!"
"Very good," said San Pedro quietly, and then he followed Tom out of the chief's hut.
"It's all right, Ned old sport, we'll get to giant Jand after all!" cried Tom to his chum as they reached the hut where they were quartered.
The next morning when Tom got up, and looked for San Pedro and his men, to give orders about the march that day, the mule drivers were nowhere to be seen. Nor were the mules in the places where they had been tethered. Their packs lay in a well ordered heap, but the animals and their drivers were gone.
"This is queer," said Tom, rubbing his eyes to make sure that he saw aright. "I wonder where they are? Rad, look around for them."
The colored man did so, and came back soon,
