giant reached out and grabbed up the husky young flier as if he were a baby.
Supporting him on the palm of one huge hand, the giant spun Bud around.
“Now you are the slave of the King of the Jungle!” the man roared in English.
“Cut it outl Let me down!” Bud yelled. He squirmed frantically in an effort to free himself, but the giant clutched him in a viselike grip!
“Okay, you asked for it!” Bud gritted. Twining both hands in the giant’s flowing locks, Bud yanked the man’s hair until he yelped with pain. He promptly loosened his hold and Bud jumped to the ground.
To Bud’s surprise, the giant seemed to bear him no ill will over the hair-pulling. Instead, he gave another of his bellowing laughs. “Nice going, young fellow!” the giant said, patting Bud on the shoulder with a ham-sized hand, “I respect anyone as brave as you! Weren’t frightened a bit, were you?”
At that moment Chow came running up, alarmed by the yells and the sounds of a struggle. He stopped short at sight of the giant. “G-great jumpin’
Jehoshaphat!” Chow stuttered, his jaw sagging open.
“Don’t worry,” Bud assured him. “The guy’s friendly-I think.”
Before the giant could comment, Tom’s jeep
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came into view. Several Mayan men were trotting alongside, but one look at the giant sent them melting away into the jungle like shadows.
“Ho, ho, hoi” the huge man guffawed. “Look at ‘em run! I terrify ‘emI”
Tom braked the jeep to a halt and climbed out. “Just who are you?” he asked the giant.
“Maximilian Jones, that’s me!” he answered, thumping himself on the chest.