Tom Swift in Captivity, Or, A Daring Escape By Airship

told him the queer news. "Well, do you know I've been suspici

How so? You d

o fool people. He may be a card sharper himself. Well, we won't have anything more to do with him. It won't be

th a laugh. "You forget, Tom, that there's a wa

we can make out all right. I'm going to have the elec

trike up a friendship with Tom, or his chum, but they were on their guard now, and, failing to get into

him at first, until a quiet hint

r. Damon. "You don't say so! No

a journey his rivals were to undertake, so that he, too, might prepar

h one of the black race unless for some selfish object, Eradicate fairly snubbed the seeming minister,

muttered, "and I'll get their giants

the fireproof compartments of the ship, and now, as a few days more would see the vessel entering the harbor of the Rio de

Damon one afternoon, when the captain announced that the f

e best, if we can get them. Then I've got to hire some drivers and some porters, camp-makers and the like. In fact we'll have quite a party. I guess I'll need ten natives, and a head man and

od hunting expedition since we went to elephant lan

lp me get a list ready of the things we've got to

ade Montevideo, where part of the cargo was to be discharged. As they would lay over there a day

ive him his right name, was not in evidence. In fact he was turning over scheme after scheme in his mind in order to hit

seclusion of his stateroom, "even if I have to take some other disguise and follow that Swift

much to interest them in the capital of Uruguay, and they we

rked Tom, as the steamer started off for Buenos

seeing to the unloading of their stuff, arranging for hotel accommodations, seeing to hiring natives for the expedition into the interior,

a good dinner in a hotel that, while it was in far-off South America, yet was as good

ith a mixture of the native tongues, and as both Ned and Tom, as well as Mr. Damon, had a worki

ff by the regular route to Rosario, on the Parana river in Argentina, and there h

decided, "and take it eas

t they were on the ground, and felt for the first time that t

stick to the Paran

, part of the country. I don't believe they are in the vicinity of the big rivers, or other travelers would have heard about them, and, as far a

ed Mr. Damon. "Have we really

ant to get any giants, and g

do hope we won't run into

fighting tribes were far inland, still it was going on with vigor, and large bands of natives w

emarked Tom grimly. "But I'm

a competent man to take charge of the native drivers, so delayed our friends that it was

e known that he and his friends were merely exploring, and wanted rare pla

de, the natives were marshalled into line. Tom, Ned, and Mr. Damon, each equipped with a rifle had a saddle animal to ride, and Eradic

e box of which Tom took such care--all these were on the backs of the beasts of burden. Some food was taken along

looking at the rather imposing c

replied Ned.

amon. "If we've got to start do it

asked the colored

ay dat I'd radder hab Boomerang dan

l ready, forward march!" cried Tom, and with cal

been narrowly watching one of the natives, hurried u

ll, we'll see about that! Halt!" he cried in Spanish, a