“Good!” cried the circus man, jumping up and clasping Tom’s hand.  “I thought you were that kind of a lad, after I heard Mr. Damon describe you.  You’ve taken a big load off my heart, Tom Swift.  Now to talk of ways and means!  I’ll have a giant yet, and maybe I’ll get back the best man who ever shipped a consignment of wild animals, good Jake Poddington!  Now to business!”

CHAPTER IV

“Look out for my rival!”

“You’ll go in an airship of course; won’t you, Tom?” asked Mr. Damon, when they had pulled their chairs up around a library table, and Mr. Preston had taken some papers from his pocket.

“An airship?  No, I don’t believe I shall,” replied the young inventor.  “In the first place, I’m a bit tired of scooting through the air so much, though it isn’t to be denied that it’s the quickest way of going.  But in South America there are so many jungles that it will be hard to find a level starting ground for a take-off, after we land.  Of course we could go up as a balloon, but this expedition is going to be different from any we were ever on before.”

“How so?” asked Ned.

“Well, in the first place we’ve got to start at one end of a trail, and make careful inquiries all along the way.  It isn’t like when we went for the city of gold.  There we had to look for a certain ruined temple, which was the landmark.  When we went after the platinum in Siberia we had to look for the place of the high winds, so I could use my air glider.  But now we’re trying to locate a man who traveled on foot through the jungles, and if we went in an airship we might just miss the connecting link.”

“So, I think the best way will be to do just as Mr. Poddington did—­ travel on foot or by horses and mules, and go slowly, making inquiries from time to time.  Then we may get to giant land, we may find him.”

“I don’t hope for all that,” said the circus man, “but if you can only get some news of him it will be a relief.  If he died peaceably it would be better than to be a captive among some of those savage tribes.  It’s been a year now since I heard the last of him.  But I agree with Tom that an airship won’t be much good in the jungle.  You might take along a small one, if you could pack it, to scare the natives with.  In fact it might be a good thing to show to the giants, if you find them.”

“That is my idea,” declared Tom.  “I’ll take the Lark with me.  That’s a mighty powerful machine for its size, and it can be taken apart in sections.  It will carry three on a pinch, and I have had five in her with two auxiliary seats.  I’ll take the Lark, and she may come in handy.”

“When can you start?” asked Mr. Preston.

“As soon as we can fit out an expedition,” answered Tom.  “It oughtn’t to take long.  I don’t have to build an air glider this time.  It won’t take long to take the Lark apart.  I haven’t finished work on my noiseless airship yet, but that can wait.  Yes, we’ll be ready as soon as you want us to start, Mr. Preston.”