Then, above the shouting and yelling of the giants, whose deep, bass voices had a terrorizing effect, there came the din of the tom-toms, making a weird combination of sound.

“We’ve got ’em on the run again!” cried Ned, and so it proved, for the larger body of giants, who had approached the hut from the front and two sides, were running back.

“Guess they’ve given it up,” exclaimed Tom.  “I’m glad of it, too, for—­”

He paused and glanced behind him.  A tiny spurt of flame at the base of the rear wall of the hut had caught his eye.  Instantly the flame grew larger, and a puff of smoke followed.

“Fire!” cried Ned.  “We’re on fire!”

“Bless my water bucket!” gasped Mr. Damon.  “They’ve set fire to the hut!”

It was but too true.  While Tom and the others had been standing off the giants in front, a smaller force had crept around to the rear, and set the inflamable side of the hut ablaze.

Desperately Tom looked around.  There was no means at hand of fighting fire.  Hardly a bucket of water was in the place, and the structure was filled with quick-burning stuff, while the fireworks that remained, and the blasting powder, made it doubly dangerous.  Then Tom’s eyes lighted on the big aeroplane, ready for instant service.

“That’s it!” he cried suddenly.  “It’s our only hope, and the last one!  Come on, everybody!  Down with that wall!  Pull on the ropes and it will come!  We’ve got to go now.  In another minute it will be too late.  Climb up, Mr. Poddington, Mr. Damon, Ned, and I will start the machine.”

“The wall first!  The wall!” cried Ned.

“Sure,” answered Tom.  He and his friends grasped the two ropes that had been attached to the key-beams in the structure.  It had been so arranged that when the supports were pulled out the wall would fall outward, making a fairly smooth and level gangplank, on which the aeroplane could rush from the hut.

There was a creaking of timbers, a straining of ropes, and then, with a crash, the wall fell.  Instantly there was a yell of surprise from the giants, and a brighter glare from the torches, as those carrying them rushed up to see what had happened.  The din of the tom-toms was well-nigh deafening.  Fortunately the enemy forgot to take advantage of the opening and pour in a flight of arrows or darts.

“Start the motor!” cried Tom to his chum.

There was a rattling, banging noise, like a salvo of small arms, and the big propellers revolved with incredible swiftness.  The two white men were already in place, and now Eradicate, still carrying his shotgun, clambered up.

“Up with you, Ned!” yelled Tom.  “I’m going to head her around and make a flying start.”

CHAPTER XXV

TOM’S GIANT—­CONCLUSION

“I don’t see anything of them, do you?”

“No, and yet this is the place where they said they’d meet us.”