And Delby had brought with him some novelties in the way of toys and machinery that seemed greatly to take the fancy of the king.  Tom realized this when he saw his rival free to come and go, and one reason why our hero did the experiments just related was so that the king might hear of them, and wonder.

“Go tell the king that, strong as he is, I am stronger,” went on Tom boldly to the giant guards.  “I am not afraid of him.”

“Bless my war club, Tom, aren’t you a little rash to talk that way?” asked Mr. Damon.

“No.  As I said, I want things to happen.  If I can only get the king curious enough to come here I can show him things to open his eyes.  I’ll work the miniature circus, and explain that some of his subjects can take part in a real one if they will come with us.  I want to beat this Delby at his own game.”

“That’s the stuff!” cried Ned.  “Stick to it, Tom.  I’ll help you, and we’ll get a giant or two yet.  And maybe we can get some news of poor Jake Poddington.”

“I intend to make inquiries about him, now that these guards are a little more friendly,” said Tom.  “It may be that he is a prisoner in this very village.”

The giant guards, now that they had gotten over their fright at their own inability to raise the bar while Tom had lifted it with one finger, again crowded around, asking that the trick be repeated.  Tom did it, with the same result.

None of the giants could move the iron, yet Tom had no difficulty in doing so.  Of course my readers have already guessed how the trick was done.  It was worked by a strong magnet, hidden in the floor.  At a signal from Tom, Ned would switch on the current.  The iron would be held fast and immovable, but when Tom himself went to raise it Ned would cut off the electricity and the bar was lifted as easily as an ordinary piece of iron.  But simple as the trick was, it impressed the giants.  Then Tom did some other stunts for them, simple experiments in physics, that every High School lad has done in class.

“I want to get these guards friendly with me,” he explained.  “In time the news will reach the king and he’ll be so curious that he’ll come here and then—­well, we’ll see what will happen.”

But this did not take place as soon as Tom desired.  In fact, the giants were very slow to act.  The guards did get quite friendly, and every day they wanted the same two first tricks performed over again.  Tom did them many times, wondering when the king would come.

Then he played a bold game, and made open inquiries about a white man, one like the king’s captives, who might have come to giant land about a year previous.

“Is there a lone white captive here?” asked Tom.

The giant guard to whom he directed his question gave a start, for Tom could now speak the language fairly well, and, after the first indication of surprise, the guard muttered something to his companions.  There was a startled ejaculation, a curious glance at the captives, and then—­silence.  The guards filed silently away, and, a little later, could be seen going in the king’s big hut.