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.  But he did not arise.  Instead, the muscles of his naked arm swelled out in great bunches.

“See, you are as a little babe!” taunted Tom.  “Another may try!”

Another did, and another and another, until it came the turn of the mightiest giant of all the guard that day.  With a sudden wrench he sought to lift the bar.  He tugged and strained.  He bent his back and his legs; his shoulders heaved with the terrific effort he made—­but the bar still held to the floor of the hut as though a part of the big beams themselves.

“Now!” cried Tom.  “I shall show you how a white man’s magic makes him stronger than the biggest giant.”

Once more he made a hidden sign to Ned, and then, stooping over, Tom crooked his little finger in the handle of the iron bar and lifted it as easily as if it was a feather.

CHAPTER XX

THE LONE CAPTIVE

The murmurs of astonishment that greeted Tom’s seemingly marvelous feat of strength was even greater than that which had marked his trick with the electric battery.  The giants stared at him as though they feared the next moment he might suddenly turn upon them and hurl them about like ten-pins.

“You see, it is easy when one knows the white man’s magic,” spoke Tom, making many gestures to help along.  “Go tell your king that it is not well that he keeps us prisoners here, for if he does not soon let us go the magic may break loose and destroy his palace!”

There was a gasp of dismay from the giants at this bold talk.

“Better go easy, Tom,” counseled Ned.

“I’m tired of going easy,” replied the young inventor.  “Something has got to happen pretty soon, or it will be all up with us.  I’m getting weary of being cooped up here.  Not that the king doesn’t treat us well, but I don’t want to be a prisoner.  I want to get out and see if we can’t arrange to take a couple of these giants back for Mr. Preston.  That Delby sneak has things all his own way.”

And this was so, for the circus man had poisoned the king’s mind against Tom and his friends, representing (as our hero learned later) that the first arrivals in giant land were dangerous people, and not to be trusted.  On his own part, Hank Delby intimated that he would always be a friend to the king, would teach him many of the white man’s secrets, and would make him powerful.  Thus the circus man was making plans for his own ends, and he was scheming to get a couple of giants for himself, who he intended to hurry away, leaving Tom and his friends to escape as best they could.