showing that at least he understood
something, and then spoke to his companions. They conversed in their
loud voices for some time, and then motioned to the pack animals.

"I guess they want us to come along," said Torn, "but let's have
breakfast first. Rad, get things going. Maybe the giants will have
some coffee and condensed milk, though they'll have to take about
ten cupsful to make them think they've had anything. Make a lot of
coffee, Rad."

"But good land a massy, dey'll eat up eberyt'ing we got, Massa Tom,"
objected the colored man.

"Can't help it, Rad. They're our guests and we've got to be polite,"
replied the youth. "It isn't every day that we have giants to
breakfast."

The big men watched curiously while Rad built a fire, and when the
colored man was trying to break a tough stick of wood with the axe,
one of the giants picked up the fagot and snapped it in his fingers
as easily as though it were a twig, though the stick was as thick as
Tom's arm.

"Some strength there," murmured Ned to his chum admiringly.

"Yes, if they took a notion to go on a rampage we'd have trouble.
But they seem kind and gentle."

Indeed the giants did, and they liked the coffee which they tasted
rather gingerly at first. After their first sip they wanted more,
made as sweet as possible, and they laughed and talked among
themselves while Eradicate boiled pot after pot.

"Dey suah will eat us out of house an' home, Massa Tom," he wailed.

"Never mind, Rad. They will feed us well when we get to their town."

Then the pack animals were laden with their burdens. This was always
a task, but for the giants it was child's play. With one hand they
would lift a box or bale that used to tax the combined strength of
the four travelers, and soon the steers, horses and mules were ready
to proceed. The giants went on ahead, to show the way, the first
one, who seemed to be called "Oom," for that was the way his
companions addressed him, walked beside Tom, who rode on a mule. In
fact the giant had to walk slowly, so as not to get ahead of the
animal. Oom tried to talk to Tom, but it was hard work to pick out
the signs that meant something, and so neither gained much
information.

Tom did gather, however, that the giants were out on an early hunt
when they had discovered our friends, and their chief town lay about
half a day's journey off in the jungle. The path along which they
proceeded, was better than the forest trails, and showe