“Misstatements?” inquired Ned.

“Yes.  I don’t doubt but what he told the king a lot of stuff that isn’t true, to cause his majesty to make us captives here.  Probably he said we came to destroy the giant city with magic, or something like that, and he represented himself as a simple traveler.  He’s used to that sort of business, for he has often tried to get ahead of Mr. Preston in securing freaks or valuable animals for the circus.  He wants to make it look bad for us, and good for himself.  So far he has succeeded.  But I’ve got a plan.”

“What is it?” asked Mr. Damon.

“I’ll tell you when I’ve got it more worked out.  The thing to do now is to get in shape to stand off the giants if they should attack us.  This hut is pretty strong, and we can risk a siege in here.  Let’s arrange the boxes and bales into a sort of breastwork, and then we’ll take the electric rifles inside.”

This was soon done, and, though there was considerable noise attending the moving about of the boxes and bales, the giant guards did not seem at all alarmed.  They did not even take the trouble to stop the work, though they looked in the windows.  In a short time there was a sort of hollow square formed in the middle of the big main room, and inside of this our friends could give battle.

“And now for my plan of teaching these giants a lesson,” said Tom, when this work was finished.  “Ned, help me open this box,” and he indicated one with his initials on in red letters.

“That’s the same one you saved from the fire in the ship,” commented Ned.

“Yes, and I can’t put it to just exactly the use I intended, as the situation has changed—­for the worse I may say.  But this box will answer a good purpose,” and Tom and Ned proceeded to open the mysterious case which the young inventor had transported with such care.

“Bless my cannon cracker!” exclaimed Mr. Damon who watched them.  “You’re as careful of that as if it contained dynamite.”

“It does contain something like that,” answered Tom.  “It has some blasting powder in, and I was going to use it to show the giants how little their strength would prevail against the power which the white man could secure from some harmless looking powder.  There are also a lot of fireworks in the box, and I intend to use them to scare these big men.  That’s why I was so afraid when I heard that there was a blaze near my box.  I was worried for fear the ship would be blown up.  But I can’t use the blasting powder—­at least not now.  But we’ll give these giants an idea of what Fourth of July looks like.  Come on, Ned, we’ll take a look and see from which window it will be safest to set off the rockets and other things, as I don’t want to set fire to any of the grass huts.”

Eradicate and Mr. Damon looked on wonderingly while Tom and his chum got out the packages of fireworks which had been kept safe and dry.  As for the giant guards, if they saw through the windows what was going on, they made no effort to stop Tom.