e he isn't up to anything," suggested Ned. "He may not even
know you are going to make another try for the giants."

"Oh, yes, he does," replied the circus man. "He didn't succeed in
beating me when poor Jake was after them, for the simple reason that
it was a snap case, and even I didn't know that Poddington was
trying for the giants until he had started. But Waydell was soon
after him, and he knows that when I once set out for a freak or a
certain kind of animal I keep on until I get it. So he has probably
already figured out that I'm making new plans to get a giant."

"But how will he know that I am going?" inquired Tom.

"I don't know how he will know, but he will. We circus men have
queer ways of finding out things. I shouldn't be a bit surprised but
what he was already plotting and scheming to send an expedition on
my trail, to take advantage of anything you may learn."

"Well, we'll try and fool him, the same as we did the Mexicans when
we hunted for the city of gold," spoke Tom; and then putting aside
that worry, he and the others labored hard to get matters in shape
for a departure to South America.

"I suppose Eradicate is going," remarked Ned, in the intervals of
packing the aeroplane.

"Well, I've hinted it to him," replied Tom, "but I haven't asked him
outright. He said he wouldn't mind going to a hot country though.
Here he comes now. Guess I'll see how he takes it."

The colored man shuffled up with a hammer and nails, for he had been
putting covers on packing boxes.

"Then you are coming with us to South America; aren't you, Rad?"
asked Tom, winking at Ned.

"Souf America? Am dat de hot country yo'-all was referencin' to?"
asked Eradicate.

"That's it, Rad. It's nice and warm there. All you have to do is to
lie under a tree and cocoanuts will drop off into your mouth."

"Cocoanuts in mah mouf, Massa Tom! 'Scuse me! I doan't want t' go to
no sich country as dat. Cocoanuts in mah mouf! Why I ain't got but a
few teef left, an' a cocoanut droppin' offen a tree would shorely
knock dem teef out, shorely!"

"Oh, Rad, I didn't mean cocoanuts! I meant oranges and bananas--
they're soft," and Tom glanced quickly at Ned, for he saw that he
had made a mistake.

"Oh, well, den dat's diffunt, Massa Tom. I jes lubs oranges an'
bananas, an' ef yo'-all is shore dat I'll find some, why, I'll come
along."

"Find 'em? Of course you will!" cried Ned.

"And cocoanuts, too," added Tom. "Only, Rad, I meant t