Tom Swift in Captivity
or
A Daring Escape by Airship
by Victor Appleton
CONTENTS
I A Strange Request
II The Circus Man
III Tom Will Go
IV "Look Out for my Rival!"
V Andy Foger Learns Something
VI Alarming News
VII Fire On Board
VIII A Narrow Escape
IX "Forward March!"
X A Wild Horse Stampede
XI Caught in a Living Rope
XII A Native Battle
XIII The Desertion
XIV In Giant Land
XV In the "Palace" of the King
XVI The Rival Circus Man
XVII Held Captives
XVIII Tom's Mysterious Box
XIX Weak Giants
XX The Lone Captive
XXI A Royal Conspiracy
XXII The Twin Giants
XXIII A Surprise in the Night
XXIV The Airship Flight
XXV Tom's Giant--Conclusion
Chapter I A Strange Request
Tom Swift closed the book of adventures he had been reading, tossedit on the table, and got up. Then he yawned.
"What's the matter?" asked his chum, Ned Newton, who was deep inanother volume.
"Oh, I thought this was going to be something exciting," repliedTom, motioning toward the book he had discarded. "But say! the make-believeadventures that fellow had, weren't anything compared tothose we went through in the city of gold, or while rescuing theexiles of Siberia."
"Well," remarked Ned, "they would have to be pretty classyadventures to lay over those you and I have had lately. But whereare you going?" he continued, for Tom had taken his cap and startedfor the door.
"I thought I'd go out and take a little run in the aeroplane. Wantto come along? It's more fun than sitting in the house reading aboutexciting things that never have happened. Come on out and--"
"Yes, and have a tumble from the aeroplane, I suppose you were goingto say," interrupted Ned with a laugh. "Not much! I'm going to stayhere and finish this book."
"Say," demanded Tom indignantly. "Did you ever know me to have atumble since I knew how to run an airship?"
"No, I can't say that I did. I was only joking."
"Then you carried the joke too far, as the policeman said to the manhe found lugging off money from the bank. And to make up for ityou've got to come along with me."
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, anywhere. Just to take a little run in the upper regions, andclear some of the cobwebs out of my head. I declare, I guess I'vegot the spring fever. I haven't done anything since we got back fromRussia last fall, and I'm getting rusty."
"You haven't done anything!" exclaimed Ned, following his chum'sexample by tossing aside the book. "Do you call working on your newinvention of a noiseless airship nothing?"
"Well, I haven't finished that yet. I'm tired of inventing things. Ijust want to go