is stuff by the regular route to Rosario, on the
Parana river in Argentina, and there he could make up his pack
train, hire native carriers, and start for the interior.

"Then we'll do that," he decided, "and take it easy until we get to
Rosario."

It took them the better part of a week to do this, but at last they
were on the ground, and felt for the first time that they were
really going into a wild and little explored country.

"Are you going to stick to the Parana river?" asked Ned.

"No," replied Tom, in the seclusion of their room, "if there are any
giants they will be found in some undiscovered, or at least little
traveled, part of the country. I don't believe they are in the
vicinity of the big rivers, or other travelers would have heard
about them, and, as far as we know, Mr. Preston's animal agent is
the only one who ever got a trace of them. We'll have to go into the
jungle on either side of the river."

"Bless my walking stick!" cried Mr. Damon. "Have we really to go
into the jungle, Tom?"

"I'm afraid we have, if we want to get any giants, and get a trace
of Mr. Poddington."

"All right, I'm game, but I do hope we won't run into a band of
fighting natives."

In Rosario it was learned that while the "war" was not regarded
seriously from the fact that the fighting tribes were far inland,
still it was going on with vigor, and large bands of natives were
roaming about, stealing each others' cattle and horses, burning
villages, and taking captives.

"I guess we're in for it," remarked Tom grimly. "But I'm not going
to back out now."

Unexpected complications, difficulties in the way of getting the
right kind of help, and a competent man to take charge of the native
drivers, so delayed our friends that it was nearly two weeks after
their arrival in Rosario before they could start for the interior.

Of course the object of the expedition was kept a secret, and Tom
let it be known that he and his friends were merely exploring, and
wanted rare plants, orchids, or anything in that line. The natives
were not very curious.

At last the day for the start came. The mules, which had been hired
as beasts of burdens, were loaded with boxes or bales on either
side, the natives were marshalled into line. Tom, Ned, and Mr.
Damon, each equipped with a rifle had a saddle animal to ride, and
Eradicate was similarly equipped, though for a weapon he depended on
a shotgun, which he said he understood better than the