"Shall we set them off?"
"Pretty soon now. Wait until it gets a little darker, and the effect
will be better." The room was dimly lighted by a small portable
electric lamp, one of several Tom had brought along in his
mysterious box. The lamps were operated by miniature but powerful
dry batteries. The giant guards were still outside, but they showed
no disposition to interfere with our friends.
"There's something going on at the palace," reported Mr. Damon, who
was watching the big hut. "There are a lot of giants around it with
torches."
"Maybe they're going to escort Delby to a hut with the same honors
they paid us," suggested Tom. "If they do, we'll set off the
fireworks as he comes out and maybe they'll think he is afflicted
with bad magic, and they'll give us our freedom."
"Good idea!" cried Ned. "Say, that's what they're going to do," he
added a moment later as, in the glare of a number of torches, there
could be seen issuing from the king's palace, the two big giants,
evidently his brothers. Between them was the figure of the circus
man, looking like a dwarf. He was not so far away but what the smile
of triumph on his face could be seen as he glanced in the direction
of the darkened hut where Tom and his friends were captives.
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