IN WHICH BOB BECOMES A GIANT

The balloon was rapidly rising. Bob flew to the air-tank and frantically worked the pump. Gradually the primitive air-craft came to a stop, and floated motionless several hundred feet above the ground.

Then the boy hunkered upon the locker and peered over the edge of the car. Distinctly he could hear the clamorous cries and yells of the Portuguese; and in the center of the jeering, hooting mob, he could barely distinguish his diminutive friend. The sudden jerk of the car had thrown the goblin out, right among the villagers; and they were dancing delightedly around the green little sprite, clapping their hands and whooping themselves hoarse.

Bob caught up the binocular and directed it toward the scene below him. After a momentary inspection, he settled back with a sigh of partial relief.

“I guess they’re not going to kill him,” the boy muttered. “But I wonder what they’ll do with him; and I wonder what’s to become of me.”

[72]

Again he surveyed the scene below. The Portuguese were setting off toward their village, bearing the kicking, screaming Fitz Mee with them. A gigantic peasant carried the goblin in his arms.

“I don’t know what to do,” Bob murmured, in deep perplexity; “I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know the way to Goblinland; and so I can’t go there after help to rescue Fitz. I won’t go back home and leave him to his fate, though; that would be mean and cowardly. I—I don’t know what to—to do.”

A while he sat upon the locker, silently and thoughtfully peering over the edge of the basket, occasionally putting the binocular to his eyes. There was not a breath of air; and the balloon hung motionless as a fleecy summer cloud. The boy saw the peasants making their way up the valley to the outskirts of the village, and noted the hub-bub that was raised among the other villagers, at the advent of the goblin. Then the whole crowd disappeared among the trees and buildings of the little hamlet. With a start, Bob roused himself.

“I’ve got to do something,” he grumbled testily to himself; “I can’t just float here always. Poor old Spasms! I’ve got to help him out of the fix he’s got into, someway. I don’t believe he’d go back on me—I don’t believe he would; and I won’t go back on him. But what in the world can I do?” scratching his head and frowning. “Oh, I’d like to be a giant just for a little while! If I wouldn’t show those Portuguese a thing or two! I’d drop right down among[73] ’em, lick the last one of ’em—and carry Fitz away in the palm of my hand. Oh! but that would be fine!” And he chuckled and wagged his head.

Then an idea, suggested by his wish to be a giant, came to him; and he leaped from his seat and hurried to the locker on the opposite side of the car, and threw it open. After a momentary search, he drew forth the hand-satchel containing the food-tablets and drink-pellets.

“I’ll just see, anyhow,” he whispered excitedly. “If the goblins make tablets to shrink people, maybe they make some to swell ’em up—make giants of ’em. I’ll just see.”

He opened the satchel and, squinting his eyes and wrinkling his brows, commenced to mumble over the names upon the tiny bottles.

“Food-tablets—tiger-muscle, food-tablets—lion-heart, drink-pellets—pure water, food-tablets—fat, gob-tabs—for dwarfing purposes.”

He grinned and shook his head.

“I don’t want any more of those,” he grimaced; “I’m too small for any good use now. It’s funny there isn’t any—ah! What’s this? ‘Giant-tabs—to be used only in cases of extreme need.’ I’ll bet those are the very things I’m looking for. I’m going to try ’em, anyhow. If there ever was a case of extreme need, this is one.”

He shook out one of the little tablets and was about to pop it into[74] his mouth, when he started suddenly and sharply and shook his head, muttering:

“It won’t do to take it now—till I get to the ground. It might swell me up so big my weight would overcome the buoyancy of the feathers or break the ropes of the car; and then I’d fall like a gob of mud. I’ll have to wait till I’m out of the balloon before I make the experiment. And it may get me into trouble when I do take the stuff—I don’t know; it may poison me—or swell me up so fast I’ll burst. Well, I don’t know what else to try; so I’ve got to do it. Now I’ll just sail out over the town, the first thing, and see if I can find out what those Portuguese have done with Fitz—poor old chap! My! I almost wish I was out of all this mess of trouble, and back home.”

He set the needle of the selector as he had seen the goblin do, and gave a slight turn to the thumb-screw; and the balloon instantly began to move toward the village a mile or so away. When his vessel had reached a position directly over the little town, Bob shut off the power and brought it to a standstill. Then he took his glass and peered down among the roofs and treetops. He saw the people congregated in the central square of the place. It was evident they were holding some sort of public meeting. A speaker upon an improvised platform was wildly talking and gesticulating; and the other villagers were listening intently, mouths agape. Bob could[75] hear the words of the orator of the occasion, and was surprised and pleased to learn that he could understand their meaning. The man was saying:

“My people, I’ve called you together here to determine what we shall do with this strange being that has landed upon our shores. The first thing to do, however, is to ascertain what the thing is. It’s not a man—that’s plain; and I’d like an expression of opinion from you as to what you consider it to be. Speak out, now.”

“It’s a big green frog,” said one man.

Bob smiled as he listened.

“It’s a green parrot without feathers,” said another.

Bob grinned.

“It’s a green devil,” ventured a third.

Bob chuckled.

[76]

“It’s a green monkey,” opined a fourth.

Bob laughed outright.

And the peasants heard him, and cast their gaze aloft; and immediately began to gesticulate and vociferate excitedly.

“I’m a goblin, you fools!” croaked a familiar voice. “I’m a goblin, I tell you!”

Bob then saw his friend. The latter was confined in a parrot cage hanging upon a post in front of a building. The speaker—who, it was plain, was in authority—quieted the populace; and then he continued:

“As you will perceive, there’s another one of the strange beings up there in that balloon. Now, my opinion is that they’re moon-men from the moon. As you all know, the moon’s made of green cheese; and that would account for the color of them.”

“But the one up there isn’t green,” a woman objected; “he’s gray.”

“No doubt he’s old and faded,” the speaker explained.

Bob laughed heartily; then listened intently, for the official was saying:

“My opinion is that these moon-men have come to bring a pestilence upon us, my children; and if we do not rid ourselves of them, we will suffer greatly. So I condemn them to death. This one that, by your great prowess and bravery, you have already captured,[77] we will execute at sunset; and bury him with a great stone upon him, that he may know no resurrection. The other one must be captured. We must think of some plan to entice him within our reach. Let us adjourn to my official residence, there to consider the grave matter.”

Soon the street was apparently deserted; but the boy could see guards peeping from places of concealment.

“Bob!” Fitz Mee called softly. “Hello, Bob!”

“Hello, Fitz!” the lad answered.

“Come down and get me—quick!”

“I don’t dare, Fitz; they’re watching.”

“But you must get me out of this fix, Bob, somehow.”

“Of course, Fitz. But how?”

“Can’t you think of a plan? I’m so scared I can’t think.”

“I’ve thought of one plan.”

“What is it?”

Bob gave a few strokes to the air-pump; and the balloon sank almost to the level of the treetops. Then the boy said, cautiously:

“Fitz, do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Well, this is the plan I’ve thought of: I’ve found some giant-tabs in your portable pantry; and I think of taking one of them.”

“That’s the thing,” Fitz interrupted gleefully. “You’re a genius, Bob.”

[78]

“It won’t hurt me—the medicine, will it?”

“Not a bit.”

“Just make a giant of me?”

“That’s all.”

“And I can go back to boy size or goblin size, when I want to?”

“Yes; all you’ll have to do is to take a few gob-tabs.”

“Ugh! more pills. Well, all right; I’ll do it, then. I’ll make a giant of myself, and sail in and knock these Portuguese galley-west—and carry you off.”

“Well, do it right now,” Fitz cried impatiently.

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?” peevishly.

“I don’t dare take the giant-tabs till I’m upon the ground, you understand; my size would wreck the balloon. And I don’t dare to come to the ground, right here and right now; the Portuguese would capture me before I could do anything. See?”

“Y-e-s,” Fitz Mee admitted, disappointment in his voice. “But what are you going to do?”

“I’m going over the hills out of sight, drop to the ground there, and hide the balloon, and then come back afoot.”

“Well, don’t be very long about it, Bob.”

“Oh! there’s no hurry. They don’t mean to kill you till sunset, Fitz.”

[79]

“Well, do you think I want to stay cooped up here all day?”

“You mustn’t get impatient, Fitzy,” the boy giggled.

“You stop your laughing,” the goblin grumbled. “It isn’t funny.”

“Isn’t it?” tauntingly.

“No, it isn’t, Roberty-Boberty!”

“Yeah—yeah! Old Epilepsy!”

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

“Say, Bob?”

“What?”

“You will hurry, won’t you?”

“Yes! But say, Fitz?”

“Well?”

“How is it that I can understand what these Portuguese say?”

“Well, you know we goblins can understand any language.”

“We goblins?” the boy cried sharply.

“Yes,” Fitz chuckled.

“I’m no goblin,” Bob asserted stoutly; “I’m a Yankee.”

“You’re a goblin—half goblin, anyhow.”

“I’m not!”

“You are! You’ve taken gob-tabs; and that makes you partly goblin.”

[80]

“Fitz Mee,” the boy yelled, “you mean old thing! You say that again, and I’ll sail off home—and leave you right where you are.”

“I won’t say it any more, Bob; but it’s so.”

“Good-bye, Fitz; I’m going.”

“Not home?”

“No; over the hills.”

“Well, hurry back.”

“All right.”

Bob released a little of the pent air in the tank, and soared high above the earth; then he manipulated the selector and sped away over the hills out of sight of the village. When he thought it safe, he worked the pump and descended to the earth. There he made the balloon fast in a secluded spot near the highway—by tying it securely to a tree, with the piece of anchor-rope remaining.

“There,” he breathed softly, “I’ll know where to find my air-ship; I’ll remember the place by this big funny-looking stone here at the roadside. Now I’ll take my medicine and be off to the rescue of my good comrade, Fitz Mee.”

He took one of the tiny giant-tabs and swallowed it; and immediately he began to grow and grow—clothes and all. He stretched up, up till his head was on a level with the tops of the smaller trees; and he spread out till he was as big in girth as the trunks of the largest.

[81]

“Wonderful!” he ejaculated, and his voice almost frightened him; it was as coarse and hoarse as the roar of a lion. He looked at his hands and feet—and laughed. They were as large as hams of meat; and his limbs were like the great limbs of an elephant. Proudly he strode about, crooking his arm and feeling his biceps muscle and muttering to himself:

“Won’t I make a scatterment among those Portuguese! I’ll scare ’em all into conniption fits. But I won’t hurt any of ’em, unless I have to; that would be wrong, cruel—just like a big man whipping a little boy. But I must be off; Fitz will be tired of waiting. I wonder how far I’ve got to walk. My! but I’m hungry; and I want meat.”

He picked up a large knotted pole for a cane and set off along the road, whistling; and his whistle was as loud as that of a calliope. The birds flew away in affright; and the hares and other small animals scampered into the depths of the forest. Bob smiled complacently, recklessly swinging his big knotted club.

Presently he approached a hut by the roadside; and he went up to it and knocked upon the swinging door. An old woman put in an appearance; but, at sight of her gigantic caller, she let out a yell and fled back into the dusky interior.

Bob turned the corner of the cabin,—his head overtopped the comb of the roof by several feet!—and dropped upon hands and knees and[82] crawled into the kitchen. The poor old woman again caught sight of him; and fled from the premises, screaming shrilly. Bob pitied her and called to her to come back, that he meant her no harm; but his awful bellowing voice served only to frighten her the more. The boy-giant—or the giant-boy, or whatever he should be called—discovered upon the table in the center of the floor a leg of roast mutton, a loaf of black bread, a jug of milk and some fruit; and ravenously devoured the whole. Then he retreated from the kitchen; and, feeling much refreshed, resumed his way toward the village, taking strides fully fifteen feet long.

But when he had gone a short distance, he met the old woman whose food he had eaten returning toward her home, accompanied by her husband. The man had been at work in the fields; and now he was walking rapidly, his head down, cracking his fists and valiantly declaring what he would do to the bold intruder when he encountered him. Bob heard the fellow’s rash[83] threats, and gave a loud laugh. The man flung up his head, took one look at the boy-giant—and incontinently took to his heels, literally dragging his wife after him. Across the fields they flew, and disappeared in a bit of woodland; and Bob pursued his course unmolested, still laughing boisterously. It was all so very funny!

He picked up a large knotted pole for a cane.

Shortly he reached the top of the hill, where he could look down upon the little village, whose inhabitants were all unconscious of the terrible being that was approaching it. There the boy-giant paused to consider. Shaking his head he muttered, a grin spreading over his coarse features:

“Well, those giant-tabs have increased my size wonderfully, but I don’t feel that they’ve increased my courage in the same way. I’m almost afraid to go down into that town. Those Portuguese might take it into their heads to shoot; and I’d be such a big mark they couldn’t miss me. But I guess there’s no other way; so here goes.”

He loped off down the hill; and a few minutes later he was entering the village. Some children at play saw him coming and ran ahead of him, screaming frantically. A woman came to her door, and immediately followed the children, also yelling at the top of her voice. Several men hastily put in an appearance; and as hastily joined the woman and children, in a mad race toward the public square of the town. The alarm spread. Others, and still others—of both sexes and all ages and sizes—emerged from concealment; and[84] sought safety in mad flight, all speeding toward one destination, the mayor’s official residence.

The mayor and his officers and advisors heard the hub-bub and poured forth to ascertain the cause of it; and when the boy-giant arrived at the town’s place of public gathering, there they all were, yelling, screaming, shouting and gesticulating.

Bob swung his big club and bellowed “boo! boo! boo!” as loud as he could; and the frightened people tumbled over one another in an effort to hurry to places of security. The mayor led the way, closely followed by his officers. All deserted the place but one old soldier. He ran at Bob, a rusty sword in his hand, and tried to hack the boy-giant’s legs; and the latter had to snatch the sword away from the pugnacious old warrior and take him across his knee and spank him soundly, before he would consent to behave. However, when at last the boy-giant set the old fellow upon the ground, he scampered away as fast as he could limp.

“Oh, Bob—Bob!” Fitz Mee cried pipingly, piteously, a hint of tears in his voice. “I’m so glad you’ve come. They had just decided to execute me at noon; and it wants only an hour of the time.”

“A miss is as good as a mile, Fitz,” Bob laughed. “But we must get out of here before they recover their wits and their courage, and return; they might shoot us. My! but didn’t that old soldier want[85] to fight? A few like him would have given me a lot of trouble. Well, here we go—for safety and a better country.”

And he took the parrot cage containing the goblin under arm, and made a hurried retreat from the village.