“Is that you, Mr. Damon?” he asked, the odd gentleman having a tent adjoining that of the boys.

There was no answer.

“Rad, are you getting breakfast?” asked the young inventor.  “What time is it?”

Still no answer.

“What’s the matter?” asked Ned, who had been awakened by Tom’s inquiries.

Before our hero had a chance to reply the flap of his tent was pulled back, and a head was thrust in.  But such a head!  It was enormous!  A head covered with a thick growth of tawny hair, and a face almost hidden in a big tawny, bushy beard.  Then an arm was thrust in—­an arm that terminated in a brawny fist that clasped a great club.  There was no mistaking the, object that gazed in on the two youths.  It was a gigantic man—­a man almost twice the size of any Tom had ever seen.  And then our hero knew that he had reached the end of his quest.

“A giant!” gasped Tom.  “Ned!  Ned, we’re in the big men’s country, and we didn’t know it!”

“I—­I guess you’re right, Tom!”

The giant started at the sounds of their voices, and then his face breaking into a broad grin, that showed a great mouth filled with white teeth, he called to them in an unknown tongue and in a voice that seemed to fairly shake the frail tent.

CHAPTER XV

IN THE “PALACE” OF THE KING

For a few moments after their first ejaculations neither Tom nor Ned knew what to do.  The giant continued to gaze at them, with the same good-natured grin on his face.  Possibly he was amused at the small size of the persons in the tent.  Then Tom spoke.

“He doesn’t look as if he would bite, Ned.”

“No, he seems harmless enough.  Let’s get up, and see what happens.  I wonder if there are any more of them?  They must have come out on an early hunt, and stumbled upon our camp.”

At this moment there arose a cry from Mr. Damon’s tent.

“Bless my burglar alarm!” shouted the odd gentleman.  “Tom—­Ned—­am I dreaming?  There’s a man here as big as a mountain.  Tom!  Ned!”

“It’s all right, Mr. Damon!” called Tom.  “We’re among the giants all right.  They won’t hurt you.”

“Fo’ de good land ob massy!” screamed Eradicate, a second later, and then they knew that he, too, had seen one of the big men.  “Fo’ de lub ob pork chops!  Am dis de Angel Gabriel?  Listen to de blowin’ ob de trump!  Oh, please good Massa Angel Gabriel, I ain’t nebber done nuffin!  I’s jest po’ ol’ Eradicate Sampson, an’ I got a mule Boomerang, and’ dat’s all I got.  Please good Mr. Angel—­”

“Dry up, Rad!” yelled Tom.  “It’s only one of the giants.  Come on out of your tent and get breakfast.  We’re on the borders of giant land, evidently, and they seem as harmless as ordinary men.  Get up, everybody.”

As Tom spoke he rose from the rubber blanket on which he slept.  Ned did the same, and the giant slowly pulled his head out from the tent.  Then the two youths went outside.  A strange sight met their gaze.