The bottom was ground very smooth.
"This is very small and light," explained Tom, partly by signs, and
partly by words. "I can easily lift it by one finger, and to a giant
it is but a feather's weight."
He let the giants handle it, and of course they could feel scarcely
any weight at all, for it tipped the scales at only a pound. But it
was shortly to be much heavier.
"See," went on the young inventor. "I place the weight on the floor,
and lift it easily. Can you do it?"
The giants laughed at such a simple trick. Tom set the iron bar down
and raised it several times. So did several of the giants.
"Now for the test!" cried Tom with a dramatic gesture. "I shall put
my magic upon you, and you shall all become as weak as babies. You
cannot lift the bar of iron!"
As he spoke he made a signal to Ned, who stood in a distant corner
of the room. Then Tom carefully placed the weight on a sheet of
white paper on a certain spot on the floor of the hut and motioned
to the largest giant to pick up the iron bar.
With a laugh of contempt and confidence, the big man stooped over
and grasped the handle.
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