Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders
Victor Appleton

TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS

OR

The Underground Search
for the Idol of Gold


BY VICTOR APPLETON

AUTHOR OF 
"TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTORCYCLE,"
"TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL," 
"THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES,"
"THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS SERIES," ETC.




THE TOM SWIFT SERIES

1  TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE
2  TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT
3  TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP
4  TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT
5  TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT
6  TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
7  TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS
8  TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE
9  TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER
10 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE
11 TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD
12 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER
13 TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY
14 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA
15 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT
16 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON
17 TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE
18 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP
19 TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL
20 TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
21 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK
22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT
23 TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH
24 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS
25 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
26 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT
27 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER
28 TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS
29 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS
***




Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders




CONTENTS



I    A WONDERFUL STORY
II   PROFESSOR BUMPER ARRIVES
III  BLESSINGS AND ENTHUSIASM
IV   FENIMORE BEECHER
V    THE LITTLE GREEN GOD
VI   UNPLEASANT NEWS
VII  TOM HEARS SOMETHING
VIII OFF FOR HONDURAS
IX   VAL JACINTO
X    IN THE WILDS
XI   THE VAMPIRES
XII  A FALSE FRIEND
XIII FORWARD AGAIN
XIV  A NEW GUIDE
XV   IN THE COILS
XVI  A MEETING IN THE JUNGLE
XVII THE LOST MAP
XVIII "EL TIGRE!"
XIX  POISONED ARROWS
XX   AN OLD LEGEND
XXI  THE CAVERN
XXII THE STORM
XXIII ENTOMBED ALIVE
XXIV THE REVOLVING STONE
XXV  THE IDOL OF GOLD





TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS





CHAPTER I

A WONDERFUL STORY


Tom Swift, who had been slowly looking
through the pages of a magazine, in the contents
of which he seemed to be deeply interested,
turned the final folio, ruffled the sheets back
again to look at a certain map and drawing, and
then, slapping the book down on a table before
him, with a noise not unlike that of a shot,
exclaimed:

"Well, that is certainly one wonderful story!"

"What's it about, Tom?" asked his chum, Ned
Newton.  "Something about inside baseball, or a
new submarine that can be converted into an
airship on short notice?"

"Neither one, you--you unscientific heathen,"
answered Tom, with a laugh at Ned.  "Though
that isn't saying such a machine couldn't be invented."

"I believe you--that is if you got on its trail,"
returned Ned, and there was warm admiration in
his voice.

"As for inside baseball, or outside, for that
matter, I hardly believe I'd be able to tell third
base from the second base, it's so long since I
went to a game," proceeded Tom.  "I've been
too busy on that new airship stabilizer dad gave
me an idea for.  I've been working too hard,
that's a fact.  I need a vacation, and maybe a
good baseball game----"

He stopped and looked at the magazine he had
so hastily slapped down.  Something he had read
in it seemed to fascinate him.

"I wonder if it can possibly be true," he went
on.  "It sounds like the wildest dream of a
professional sleep-walker; and yet, when I stop to
think, it isn't much worse than some of the
things we've gone through with, Ned."

"Say, for the love of rice-pudding! will you
get down to brass tacks and strike a trial
balance?  What are you talking of, anyhow?  Is it
a joke?"

"A joke?"

"Yes.  What you just read in that magazine
which seems to cause you so much excitement."

"Well, it may be a joke; and yet the professor
seems very much in earnest about it," replied
Tom.  "It certainly is one wonderful story!"

"So you said before.  Come on--the `fillium'
is busted.  Splice it, or else put in a new reel and
on with the show.  I'd like to know what's doing.
What professor are you talking of?"

"Professor Swyington Bumper."

"Swyington Bumper?" and Ned's voice
showed that his memory was a bit hazy.

"Yes.  You ought to remember him.  He was
on the steamer when I went down to Peru to
help the Titus Brothers dig the big tunnel.  That
plotter Waddington, or some of his tools,
dropped a bomb where it might have done us
some injury, but Professor Bumper, who was a
fellow passenger, on his way to South America
to look for the lost city of Pelone, calmly picked
up the bomb, plucked out the fuse, and saved
us from bad injuries, if not death.  And he was
as cool about it as an ice-cream cone.  Surely
you remember!"

"Swyington Bumper! Oh, yes, now I remember
him," said Ned Newton.  "But what has
he got to do with a wonderful story?  Has he
written more about the lost city of Pelone?  If
he has I don't see anything so very wonderful
in that."

"There isn't," agreed Tom.  "But this isn't
that," and Tom picked up the magazine and
leafed it to find the article he had been reading.

"Let's have a look at it," suggested Ned.  "You
act as though you might be vitally interested
in it.  Maybe you're thinking of joining forces
with the professor again, as you did when you
dug the big tunnel."

"Oh, no.  I haven't any such idea," Tom said.
"I've got enough work laid out now to keep me
in Shopton for the next year.  I have no notion
of going anywhere with Professor Bumper.  Yet
I can't help being impressed by this," and,
having found the article in the magazine to which
he referred, he handed it to his chum.

"Why, it's by Bumper himself!" exclaimed Ned.

"Yes.  Though there's nothing remarkable in
that, seeing that he is constantly contributing
articles to various publications or writing books.
It's the story itself that's so wonderful.  To
save you the trouble of wading through a lot
of scientific detail, which I know you don't care
about, I'll tell you that the story is about a queer
idol of solid gold, weighing many pounds, and,
in consequence, of great value."

"Of solid gold you say?" asked Ned eagerly.

"That's it.  Got on your banking air already,"
Tom laughed.  "To sum it up for you--notice
I use the word `sum,' which is very appropriate
for a bank--the professor has got on the track
of another lost or hidden city.  This one, the
name of which doesn't appear, is in the Copan
valley of Honduras, and----"

"Copan," interrupted Ned.  "It sounds like
the name of some new floor varnish."

"Well, it isn't, though it might be," laughed
Tom.  "Copan is a city, in the Department of
Copan, near the boundary between Honduras and
Guatemala.  A fact I learned from the article
and not because I remembered my geography."

"I was going to say," remarked Ned with a
smile, "that you were coming it rather strong
on the school-book stuff."

"Oh, it's all plainly written down there," and
Tom waved toward the magazine at which Ned
was looking.  "As you'll see, if you take the
trouble to go through it, as I did, Copan is, or
maybe was, for all I know, one of the most
important centers of the Mayan civilization."

"What's Mayan?" asked Ned.  "You see I'm
going to imbibe my information by the deductive
rather than the excavative process," he added
with a laugh.

"I see," laughed Tom.  "Well, Mayan refers
to the Mayas, an aboriginal people of Yucatan.
The Mayas had a peculiar civilization of their
own, thousands of years ago, and their calendar
system was so involved----"

"Never mind about dates," again interrupted
Ned.  "Get down to brass tacks.  I'm willing
to take your word for it that there's a Copan
valley in Honduras.  But what has your friend
Professor Bumper to do with it?"

"This.  He has come across some old
manuscripts, or ancient document records, referring
to this valley, and they state, according to this
article he has written for the magazine, that
somewhere in the valley is a wonderful city,
traces of which have been found twenty to forty
feet below the surface, on which great trees are
growing, showing that the city was covered
hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago."

"But where does the idol of gold come in?"

"I'm coming to that," said Tom.  "Though,
if Professor Bumper has his way, the idol will
be coming out instead of coming in."

"You mean he wants to get it and take it
away from the Copan valley, Tom?"

"That's it, Ned.  It has great value not only
from the amount of pure gold that is in it, but
as an antique.  I fancy the professor is more
interested in that aspect of it.  But he's written
a wonderful story, telling how he happened to
come across the ancient manuscripts in the tomb
of some old Indian whose mummy he unearthed
on a trip to Central America.

"Then he tells of the trouble he had in
discovering how to solve the key to the translation
code; but when he did, he found a great story
unfolded to him.

"This story has to do with the hidden city,
and tells of the ancient civilization of those who
lived in the Copan valley thousands of years ago.
The people held this idol of gold to be their
greatest treasure, and they put to death many of
other tribes who sought to steal it."

"Whew!" whistled Ned.  "That IS some yarn.
But what is Professor Bumper going to do about it?"

"I don't know.  The article seems to be written
with an idea of interesting scientists and
research societies, so that they will raise money
to conduct a searching expedition.

"Perhaps by this time the party may be
organized--this magazine is several months old.
I have been so busy on my stabilizer patent that
I haven't kept up with current literature.  Take
it home and read it! Ned.  That is if you're
through telling me about my affairs," for Ned,
who had formerly worked in the Shopton bank,
had recently been made general financial man-
ager of the interests of Tom and his father.  The
two were inventors and proverbially poor business
men, though they had amassed a fortune.

"Your financial affairs are all right, Tom," said
Ned.  "I have just been going over the books,
and I'll submit a detailed report later."

The telephone bell rang and Tom picked up
the instrument from the desk.  As he answered in
the usual way and then listened a moment, a
strange look came over his face.

"Well, this certainly is wonderful!" he exclaimed,
in much the same manner as when he had finished
reading the article about the idol.  "It certainly
is a strange coincidence," he added,
speaking in an aside to Ned while he himself
still listened to what was being told to him
over the telephone wire.



CHAPTER II

PROFESSOR BUMPER ARRIVES


"What's the matter, Tom?  What is it?"
asked Ned Newton, attracted by the strange
manner of his chum at the telephone.  "Has
anything happened?"

But the young inventor was too busy listening
to the unseen speaker to answer his chum,
even if he heard what Ned remarked, which is
doubtful.

"Well, I might as well wait until he is
through," mused Ned, as he started to leave the
room.  Then as Tom motioned to him to remain,
he murmured: "He may have something
to say to me later.  But I wonder who is talking
to him."

There was no way of finding out, however,
until Tom had a chance to talk to Ned, and at
present the young scientist was eagerly listening
to what came over the wire.  Occasionally Ned
could hear him say:

"You don't tell me! That is surprising! Yes
--yes! Of course if it's true it means a big
thing, I can understand that.  What's that?  No,
I couldn't make a promise like that.  I'm sorry,
but----"

Then the person at the other end of the wire
must have plunged into something very interesting
and absorbing, for Tom did not again
interrupt by interjected remarks.

Tom.  Swift, as has been said, was an inventor,
as was his father.  Mr. Swift was now rather old
and feeble, taking only a nominal part in the
activities of the firm made up of himself and his
son.  But his inventions were still used, many
of them being vital to the business and trade of
this country.

Tom and his father lived in the village of
Shopton, New York, and their factories covered
many acres of ground.  Those who wish to read
of the earliest activities of Tom in the inventive
line are referred to the initial volume, "Tom
Swift and His Motor Cycle."  From then on he
and his father had many and exciting adventures.
In a motor boat, an airship, and a submarine
respectively the young inventor had gone through
many perils.  On some of the trips his chum,
Ned Newton, accompanied him, and very often
in the party was a Mr. Wakefield Damon, who
had a curious habit of "blessing" everything
that happened to strike his fancy.

Besides Tom and his father, the Swift household
was made up of Eradicate Sampson, a colored
man-of-all-work, who, with his mule Boomerang,
did what he could to keep the grounds
around the house in order.  There was also Mrs.
Baggert, the housekeeper, Tom's mother being
dead.  Mr. Damon, living in a neighboring town,
was a frequent visitor in the Swift home.

Mary Nestor, a girl of Shopton, might also
be mentioned.  She and Tom were more than
just good friends.  Tom had an idea that some
day----.  But there, I promised not to tell that
part, at least until the young people themselves
were ready to have a certain fact announced.

From one activity to another had Tom Swift
gone, now constructing some important invention
for himself, as among others, when he made
the photo-telephone, or developed a great
searchlight which he presented to the Government
for use in detecting smugglers on the
border.

The book immediately preceding this is called
"Tom Swift and His Bit, Tunnel," and deals
with the efforts of the young inventor to help a
firm of contractors penetrate a mountain in
Peru.  How this was done and how, incidental-
ly, the lost city of Pelone was discovered, bringing
joy to the heart of Professor Swyington
Bumper, will be found fully set forth in the book.

Tom had been back from the Peru trip for
some months, when we again find him interested
in some of the work of Professor Bumper,
as set forth in the magazine mentioned.

"Well, he certainly is having some conversation,"
reflected Ned, as, after more than five
minutes, Tom's ear was still at the receiver of
the instrument, into the transmitter of which
he had said only a few words.

"All right," Tom finally answered, as he hung
the receiver up, "I'll be here," and then he turned
to Ned, whose curiosity had been growing with
the telephone talk, and remarked:

"That certainly was wonderful!"

"What was?" asked Ned.  "Do you think I'm
a mind reader to be able to guess?"

"No, indeed! I beg your pardon.  I'll tell you
at once.  But I couldn't break away.  It was
too important.  To whom do you think I was
talking just then?"

"I can imagine almost any one, seeing I know
something of what you have done.  It might be
almost anybody from some person you met up
in the caves of ice to a red pygmy from the
wilds of Africa."

"I'm afraid neither of them would be quite
up to telephone talk yet," laughed Tom.  "No,
this was the gentleman who wrote that interesting
article about the idol of gold," and he
motioned to the magazine Ned held in his hand.

"You don't mean Professor Bumper!"

"That's just whom I do mean."

"What did he want?  Where did he call
from?"

"He wants me to help organize an expedition
to go to Central America--to the Copan valley,
to be exact--to look for this somewhat mythical
idol of gold.  Incidentally the professor will
gather in any other antiques of more or less
value, if he can find any, and he hopes, even if he
doesn't find the idol, to get enough historical
material for half a dozen books, to say nothing
of magazine articles."

"Where did he call from; did you say?"

"I didn't say.  But it was a long-distance call
from New York.  The Professor stopped off
there on his way from Boston, where he has been
lecturing before some society.  And now he's
coming here to see me," finished Tom.

"What! Is he going to lecture here?" cried
Ned.  "If he is, and spouts a whole lot of that
bone-dry stuff about the ancient Mayan civilization
and their antiquities, with side lights on
how the old-time Indians used to scalp their
enemies, I'm going to the moving pictures! I'm
willing to be your financial manager, Tom Swift,
but please don't ask me to be a high-brow.  I
wasn't built for that."

"Nor I, Ned.  The professor isn't going to
lecture.  He's only going to talk, he says."

"What about?"

"He's going to try to induce me to join his
expedition to the Copan valley."

"Do you feel inclined to go?"

"No, Ned, I do not.  I've got too many other
irons in the fire.  I shall have to give the professor
a polite but firm refusal."

"Well, maybe you're right, Tom; and yet that
idol of gold--GOLD--weighing how many pounds
did you say?"

"Oh, you're thinking of its money value, Ned,
old man!"

"Yes, I'd like to see what a big chunk of gold
like that would bring.  It must be quite a nugget.
But I'm not likely to get a glimpse of it
if you don't go with the professor."

"I don't see how I can go, Ned.  But come
over and meet the delightful gentleman when
he arrives.  I expect him day after to-morrow."

"I'll be here," promised Ned; and then he
went downtown to attend to some matters con-
nected with his new duties, which were much
less irksome than those he had had when he
had been in the bank.

"Well, Tom, have you heard any more about
your friend?" asked Ned, two days later, as he
came to the Swift home with some papers needing
the signature of the young inventor and his
father.

"You mean----?"

"Professor Bumper."

"No, I haven't heard from him since he
telephoned.  But I guess he'll be here all right.
He's very punctual.  Did you see anything of
my giant Koku as you came in?"

"Yes, he and Eradicate were having an
argument about who should move a heavy casting
from one of the shops.  Rad wanted to do it
all alone, but Koku said he was like a baby now."

"Poor Rad is getting old," said Tom with a
sigh.  "But he has been very faithful.  He and
Koku never seem to get along well together."

Koku was an immense man, a veritable giant,
one of two whom Tom had brought back with
him after an exciting trip to a strange land.  The
giant's strength was very useful to the young
inventor.

"Now Tom, about this business of leasing to
the English Government the right to manufac-
ture that new explosive of yours," began Ned,
plunging into the business at hand.  "I think
if you stick out a little you can get a better
royalty price."

"But I don't want to gouge 'em, Ned.  I'm
satisfied with a fair profit.  The trouble with
you is you think too much of money.  Now----"

At that moment a voice was heard in the hall
of the house saying:

"Now, my dear lady, don't trouble yourself.
I can find my way in to Tom Swift perfectly well
by myself, and while I appreciate your courtesy
I do not want to trouble you."

"No, don't come, Mrs. Baggert," added another
voice.  "Bless my hat band, I think I know my
way about the house by this time!"

"Mr. Damon!" ejaculated Ned.

"And Professor Bumper is with him," added
Tom.  "Come in!" he cried, opening the hall
door, to confront a bald-headed man who stood
peering at our hero with bright snapping eyes,
like those of some big bird spying out the land
from afar.  "Come in, Professor Bumper; and
you too, Mr. Damon!"



CHAPTER III

BLESSINGS AND ENTHUSIASM


Greetings and inquiries as to health having
been passed, not without numerous blessings on
the part of Mr. Damon, the little party gathered
in the library of the home of Tom Swift sat
down and looked at one another.

On Professor Bumper's face there was, plainly
to be seen, a look of expectation, and it seemed
to be shared by Mr. Damon, who seemed eager
to burst into enthusiastic talk.  On the other
hand Tom Swift appeared a bit indifferent.

Ned himself admitted that he was frankly
curious.  The story of the big idol of gold had
occupied his thoughts for many hours.

"Well, I'm glad to see you both," said Tom
again.  "You got here all right, I see, Professor
Bumper.  But I didn't expect you to meet and
bring Mr. Damon with you."

"I met him on the train," explained the author
of the book on the lost city of Pelone, as well
as books on other antiquities.  "I had no
expectation of seeing him, and we were both
surprised when we met on the express."

"It stopped at Waterfield, Tom," explained
Mr. Damon, "which it doesn't usually do, being
an aristocratic sort of train, not given even to
hesitating at our humble little town.  There
were some passengers to get off, which caused
the flier to stop, I suppose.  And, as I wanted
to come over to see you, I got aboard."

"Glad you did," voiced Tom.

"Then I happened to see Professor Bumper a
few seats ahead of me," went on Mr. Damon,
"and, bless my scarfpin! he was coming to see
you also."

"Well, I'm doubly glad," answered Tom.

"So here we are," went on Mr. Damon, "and
you've simply got to come, Tom Swift.  You
must go with us!" and Mr. Damon, in his
enthusiasm, banged his fist down on the table with
such force that he knocked some books to the floor.

Koku, the giant, who was in the hall, opened
the door and in his imperfect English asked:

"Master Tom knock for him bigs man?"

"No," answered Tom with a smile, "I didn't knock
or call you, Koku.  Some books fell, that is all."

"Massa Tom done called fo' me, dat's what he done!"
broke in the petulant voice of Eradicate.

"No, Rad, I don't need anything," Tom said.
"Though you might make a pitcher of lemonade.
It's rather warm."

"Right away, Massa Tom! Right away!" cried
the old colored man, eager to be of service.

"Me help, too!" rumbled Koku, in his deep
voice.  "Me punch de lemons!" and away he
hurried after Eradicate, fearful lest the old
servant do all the honors.

"Same old Rad and Koku," observed Mr.
Damon with a smile.  "But now, Tom, while
they're making the lemonade, let's get down to
business.  You're going with us, of course!"

"Where?" asked Tom, more from habit than
because he did not know.

"Where?  Why to Honduras, of course! After
the idol of gold! Why, bless my fountain pen,
it's the most wonderful story I ever heard of!
You've read Professor Bumper's article, of
course.  He told me you had.  I read it on the
train coming over.  He also told me about it,
and---- Well, I'm going with him, Tom Swift.

"And think of all the adventures that may
befall us! We'll get lost in buried cities, ride down
raging torrents on a raft, fall over a cliff maybe
and be rescued.  Why, it makes me feel quite
young again!" and Mr. Damon arose, to pace
excitedly up and down the room.

Up to this time Professor Bumper had said
very little.  He had sat still in his chair
listening to Mr. Damon.  But now that the latter had
ceased, at least for a time, Tom and Ned looked
toward the scientist.

"I understand, Tom," he said, "that you read
my article in the magazine, about the possibility
of locating some of the lost and buried cities of
Honduras?"

"Yes, Ned and I each read it.  It was quite
wonderful."

"And yet there are more wonders to tell," went
on the professor.  "I did not give all the details
in that article.  I will tell you some of them.  I
have brought copies of the documents with me,"
and he opened a small valise and took out several
bundles tied with pink tape.

"As Mr. Damon said," he went on while
arranging his papers, "he met me on the train, and
he was so taken by the story of the idol of gold
that he agreed to accompany me to Central America."

"On one condition!" put in the eccentric man.

"What's that?  You didn't make any conditions
while we were talking," said the scientist.

"Yes, I said I'd go if Tom Swift did."

"Oh, yes.  You did say that.  But I don't call
that a condition, for of course Tom Swift will go.
Now let me tell you something more than I could
impart over the telephone.

"Soon after I called you up, Tom--and it was
quite a coincidence that it should have been at a
time when you had just finished my magazine
article.  Soon after that, as I was saying, I
arranged to come on to Shopton.  And now I'm
glad we're all here together.

"But how comes it, Ned Newton, that you are
not in the bank?"

"I've left there," explained Ned.

"He's now general financial man for the Swift
Company," Tom explained.  "My father and I
found that we could not look after the inventing
and experimental end, and money matters, too,
and as Ned had had considerable experience this
way we made him take over those worries," and
Tom laughed genially.

"No worries at all, as far as the Swift
Company is concerned," returned Ned.

"Well, I guess you earn your salary," laughed
Tom.  "But now, Professor Bumper, let's hear
from you.  Is there anything more about this
idol of gold that you can tell us?"

"Plenty, Tom, plenty.  I could talk all day,
and not get to the end of the story.  But a lot
of it would be scientific detail that might be too
dry for you in spite of this excellent lemonade,"

Between them Koku and Eradicate had managed
to make a pitcher of the beverage, though
Mrs. Baggert, the housekeeper, told Tom afterward
that the two had a quarrel in the kitchen
as to who should squeeze the lemons, the giant
insisting that he had the better right to "punch"
them.

"So, not to go into too many details," went on
the professor, "I'll just give you a brief outline
of this story of the idol of gold.

"Honduras, as you of course know, is a
republic of Central America, and it gets its name
from something that happened on the fourth
voyage of Columbus.  He and his men had had
days of weary sailing and had sought in vain
for shallow water in which they might come to
an anchorage.  Finally they reached the point
now known as Cape Gracias-a-Dios, and when
they let the anchor go, and found that in a short
time it came to rest on the floor of the ocean,
some one of the sailors--perhaps Columbus himself--
is said to have remarked:

"`Thank the Lord, we have left the deep
waters (honduras)' that being the Spanish word
for unfathomable depths.  So Honduras it was
called, and has been to this day.

"It is a queer land with many traces of an
ancient civilization, a civilization which I
believe dates back farther than some in the far
East.  On the sculptured stones in the Copan
valley there are characters which seem to
resemble very ancient writing, but this pictographic
writing is largely untranslatable.

"Honduras, I might add, is about the size of
our state of Ohio.  It is rather an elevated table-
land, though there are stretches of tropical
forest, but it is not so tropical a country as many
suppose it to be.  There is much gold scattered
throughout Honduras, though of late it has not
been found in large quantities.

"In the old days, however, before the Spaniards
came, it was plentiful, so much, so that the
natives made idols of it.  And it is one of the
largest of these idols--by name Quitzel--that I
am going to seek."

"Do you know where it is?" asked Ned.

"Well, it isn't locked up in a safe deposit box,
of that I'm sure," laughed the professor.  "No,
I don't know exactly where it is, except that it
is somewhere in an ancient and buried city
known as Kurzon.  If I knew exactly where
it was there wouldn't be much fun in going after
it.  And if it was known to others it would have
been taken away long ago.

"No, we've got to hunt for the idol of gold
in this land of wonders where I hope soon to be.
Later on I'll show you the documents that put
me on the track of this idol.  Enough now to
show you an old map I found, or, rather, a copy
of it, and some of the papers that tell of the idol,"
and he spread out his packet of papers on the
table in front of him, his eyes shining with
excitement and pleasure.  Mr. Damon, too, leaned
eagerly forward.

"So, Tom Swift," went on the professor, "I
come to you for help in this matter.  I want
you to aid me in organizing an expedition to go
to Honduras after the idol of gold.  Will you?"

"I'll help you, of course," said Tom.  "You
may use any of my inventions you choose--my
airships, my motor boats and submarines, even
my giant cannon if you think you can take it
with you.  And as for the money part, Ned will
arrange that for you.  But as for going with you
myself, it is out of the question.  I can't.  No
Honduras for me!"



CHAPTER IX

FENIMORE BEECHER


Had Tom Swift's giant cannon been discharged
somewhere in the vicinity of his home it could
have caused but little more astonishment to
Mr. Damon and Professor Bumper than did the
simple announcement of the young inventor.
The professor seemed to shrink back in his chair,
collapsing like an automobile tire when the air
is let out.  As for Mr. Damon he jumped up and
cried:

"Bless my----!"

But that is as far as he got--at least just then.
He did not seem to know what to bless, but he
looked as though he would have liked to include
most of the universe.

"Surely you don't mean it, Tom Swift,"
gasped Professor Bumper at length.  "Won't
you come with us?"

"No," said Tom, slowly.  "Really I can't go.
I'm working on an invention of a new aeroplane
stabilizer, and if I go now it will be just at a
time when I am within striking distance of success.
And the stabilizer is very much needed."

"If it's a question of making a profit on it,
Tom," began Mr. Damon, "I can let you have
some money until----"

"Oh, no! It isn't the money!" cried Tom.
"Don't think that for a moment.  You see the
European war has called for the use of a large
number of aeroplanes, and as the pilots of them
frequently have to fight, and so can not give their
whole attention to the machines, some form of
automatic stabilizer is needed to prevent them
turning turtle, or going off at a wrong tangent.

"So I have been working out a sort of
modified gyroscope, and it seems to answer the
purpose.  I have already received advance orders
for a number of my devices from abroad, and as
they are destined to save lives I feel that I ought
to keep on with my work.

"I'd like to go, don't misunderstand me, but
I can't go at this time.  It is out of the question.
If you wait a year, or maybe six months----"

"No, it is impossible to wait, Tom," declared
Professor Bumper.

"Is it so important then to hurry?" asked Mr.
Damon.  "You did not mention that to me, Professor
Bumper."

"No, I did not have time.  There are so many ends
to my concerns.  But, Tom Swift, you simply must go!"

"I can't, my dear professor, much as I should like to."

"But, Tom, think of it!" cried Mr. Damon,
who was as much excited as was the little bald-
headed scientist.  "You never saw such an idol
of gold as this.  What's its name?" and he
looked questioningly at the professor.

"Quitzel the idol is called," supplied Professor
Bumper.  "And it is supposed to be in a
buried city named Kurzon, somewhere in the
Sierra de Merendon range of mountains, in the
vicinity of the Copan valley.  Copan is a city,
or maybe we'll find it only a town when we get
there, and it is not far from the borders of
Guatemala.

"Tom, if I could show you the translations I
have made of the ancient documents, referring
to this idol and the wonderful city over which
it kept guard, I'm sure you'd come with us."

"Please don't tempt me," Tom said with a
laugh.  "I'm only too anxious to go, and if it
wasn't for the stabilizer I'd be with you in a
minute.  But---- Well, you'll have to get along
without me.  Maybe I can join you later."

"What's this about the idol keeping guard
over the ancient city?" asked Ned, for he was
interested in strange stories.

"It seems," explained the professor, "that in
the early days there was a strange race of people,
inhabiting Central America, with a somewhat
high civilization, only traces of which remained
when the Spaniards came.

"But these traces, and such hieroglyphics, or,
to be more exact pictographs, as I have been able
to decipher from the old documents, tell of one
country, or perhaps it was only a city, over which
this great golden idol of Quitzel presided.

"There is in some of these papers a description
of the idol, which is not exactly a beauty,
judged from modern standards.  But the main
fact is that it is made of solid gold, and may
weigh anywhere from one to two tons."

"Two tons of gold!" cried New Newton.  "Why,
if that's the case it would be worth----" and
he fell to doing a sum in mental arithmetic.

"I am not so concerned about the monetary
value of the statue as I am about its antiquity,"
went on Professor Bumper.  "There are other
statues in this buried city of Kurzon, and though
they may not be so valuable they will give me
a wealth of material for my research work."

"How do you know there are other statues?"
asked Mr. Damon.

"Because my documents tell me so.  It was
because the people made other idols, in opposition,
as it were, to Quitzel, that their city or
country was destroyed.  At least that is the
legend.  Quitzel, so the story goes, wanted to be
the chief god, and when the image of a rival was
set up in the temple near him, he toppled over
in anger, and part of the temple went with him,
the whole place being buried in ruins.  All the
inhabitants were killed, and trace of the ancient
city was lost forever.  No, I hope not forever,
for I expect to find it."

"If all the people were killed, and the city
buried, how did the story of Quitzel become
known?" asked Mr. Damon.

"One only of the priests in the temple of
Quitzel escaped and set down part of the tale," said
the professor.  "It is his narrative, or one based
on it, that I have given you."

"And now, what I want to do, is to go and
make a search for this buried city.  I have fairly
good directions as to how it may be reached.
We will have little difficulty in getting to
Honduras, as there are fruit steamers frequently
sailing.  Of course going into the interior--to the
Copan valley--is going to be harder.  But an
expedition from a large college was recently
there and succeeded, after much labor, in ex-
cavating part of a buried city.  Whether or not
it was Kurzon I am unable to say.

"But if there was one ancient city there must
be more.  So I want to make an attempt.  And
I counted on you, Tom.  You have had considerable
experience in strange quarters of the earth,
and you're just the one to help me.  I don't
need money, for I have interested a certain
millionaire, and my own college will put up part
of the funds."

"Oh, it isn't a question of money," said Tom.
"It's time."

"That's just what it is with me!" exclaimed
Professor Bumper.  "I haven't any time to lose.
My rivals may, even now, be on their way to Honduras!"

"Your rivals!" cried Tom.  "You didn't say anything about them!"

"No, I believe I didn't There were so many
other things to talk about.  But there is a rival
archaeologist who would ask nothing better than
to get ahead of me in this matter.  He is younger
than I am, and youth is a big asset nowadays."

"Pooh! You're not old!" cried Mr. Damon.
"You're no older than I am, and I'm still young.
I'm a lot younger than some of these boys who
are afraid to tackle a trip through a tropical
wilderness," and he playfully nudged Tom in the ribs.

"I'm not a bit afraid!" retorted the young inventor.

"No, I know you're not," laughed Mr. Damon.
"But I've got to say something, Tom, to stir you
up.  Ned, how about you?  Would you go?"

"I can't, unless Tom does.  You see I'm his
financial man now."

"There you are, Tom Swift!" cried Mr. Damon.
"You see you are holding back a number
of persons just because you don't want to go."

"I certainly wouldn't like to go without Tom,"
said the professor slowly.  "I really need his
help.  You know, Tom, we would never have
found the city of Pelone if it had not been for
you and your marvelous powder.  The conditions
in the Copan valley are likely to be still
more difficult to overcome, and I feel that I risk
failure without your young energy and your
inventive mind to aid in the work and to suggest
possible means of attaining our object.  Come,
Tom, reconsider, and decide to make the trip."

"And my promise to go was dependent on
Tom's agreement to accompany us," said Mr.
Damon

"Come on!" urged the professor, much as one boy
might urge another to take part in a ball game.
"Don't let my rival get ahead of me."

"I wouldn't like to see that," Tom said slowly.
"Who is he--any one I know?"

"I don't believe so, Tom.  He's connected
with a large, new college that has plenty of
money to spend on explorations and research
work.  Beecher is his name--Fenimore Beecher."

"Beecher!" exclaimed Tom, and there was
such a change in his manner that his friends
could not help noticing it.  He jumped to his
feet, his eyes snapping, and he looked eagerly
and anxiously at Professor Bumper.

"Did you say his name was Fenimore Beecher?"
Tom asked in a tense voice.

"That's what it is--Professor Fenimore Beecher.
He is really a learned young man, and
thoroughly in earnest, though I do not like his
manner.  But he is trying to get ahead of me,
which may account for my feeling."

Tom Swift did not answer.  Instead he hurried
from the room with a murmured apology.

"I'll be back in about five minutes," he said,
as he went out.

"Well, what's up now?" asked Mr. Damon of
Ned, as the young inventor departed.  "What
set him off that way?"

"The mention of Beecher's name, evidently.
Though I never heard him mention such a person
before."

"Nor did I ever hear Professor Beecher speak
of Tom," said the bald-headed scientist.  "Well,
we'll just have to wait until----"

At that moment Tom came back into the room.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I have reconsidered my
refusal to go to the Copan valley after the idol
of gold.  I'm going with you!"

"Good!" cried Professor Bumper.

"Fine!" ejaculated Mr. Damon.  "Bless my time-table!
I thought you'd come around, Tom Swift."

"But what about your stabilizer?" asked Ned.

"I was just talking to my father about it,'
the young inventor replied.  "He will be able
to put the finishing touches on it.  So I'll leave
it with him.  As soon as I can get ready I'll go,
since you say haste is necessary, Professor Bumper."

"It is, if we are to get ahead of Beecher."

"Then we'll get ahead of him!" cried Tom.
"I'm with you now from the start to the finish.
I'll show him what I can do!" he added, while
Ned and the others wondered at the sudden
change in their friend's manner.




CHAPTER V

THE LITTLE GREEN GOD


"Tom how soon can we go?" asked Professor
Bumper, as he began arranging his papers, maps
and documents ready to place them back in the
valise.

"Within a week, if you want to start that
soon."

"The sooner the better.  A week will suit me.
I don't know just what Beecher's plans are, but,
he may try to get on the ground first.  Though,
without boasting, I may say that he has not had
as much experience as I have had, thanks to
you, Tom, when you helped me find the lost city
of Pelone."

"Well, I hope we'll be as successful this time,"
murmured Tom.  "I don't want to see Beecher
beat you."

"I didn't know you knew him, Tom," said the
professor.

"Oh, yes, I have met him.  once," and there
was something in Tom's manner, though he tried
to speak indifferently, that made Ned believe
there was more behind his chum's sudden change
of determination than had yet appeared.

"He never mentioned you," went on Professor
Bumper; "yet the last time I saw him I said I
was coming to see you, though I did not tell
him why."

"No, he wouldn't be likely to speak of me,"
said Tom significantly.

"Well, if that's all settled, I guess I'll go back
home and pack up," said Mr. Damon, making a
move to depart.

"There's no special rush," Tom said.  "We
won't leave for a week.  I can't get ready in
much less time than that."

"Bless my socks! I know that," ejaculated Mr.
Damon.  "But if I get my things packed I can
go to a hotel to stay while my wife is away.  She
might take a notion to come home unexpectedly,
and, though she is a dear, good soul, she doesn't
altogether approve of my going off on these wild
trips with you, Tom Swift.  But if I get all
packed, and clear out, she can't find me and she
can't hold me back.  She is visiting her mother
now.  I can send her a wire from Kurzon after
I get there."

"I don't believe the telegraph there is work-
ing," laughed Professor Bumper.  "But suit
yourself.  I must go back to New York to arrange
for the goods we'll have to take with us.
In a week, Tom, we'll start."

"You must stay to dinner," Tom said.  "You
can't get a train now anyhow, and father wants
to meet you again.  He's pretty well, considering
his age.  And he's much better I verily
believe since I said I'd turn over to him the task
of finishing the stabilizer.  He likes to work."

"We'll stay and take the night train back,"
agreed Mr. Damon.  "It will be like old times,
Tom," he went on, "traveling off together into
the wilds.  Central America is pretty wild, isn't
it?" he asked, as if in fear of being disappointed!
on that score.

"Oh, it's wild enough to suit any one,"
answered Professor Bumper.

"Well, now to settle a few details," observed
Tom.  "Ned, what is the situation as regards the
financial affairs of my father and myself?  Nothing
will come to grief if we go away, will there?"

"I guess not, Tom.  But are you going to take
your father with you?"

"No, of course not."

"But you spoke of `we.' "

"I meant you and I are going."

"Me, Tom?"

"Sure, you! I wouldn't think of leaving you
behind.  You want Ned along, don't you, Professor?"

"Of course.  It will be an ideal party--we
four.  We'll have to take natives when we get
to Honduras, and make up a mule pack-train for
the interior.  I had some thoughts of asking
you to take an airship along, but it might frighten
the Indians, and I shall have to depend on
them for guides, as well as for porters.  So it
will be an old-fashioned expedition, in a way."

Mr. Swift came in at this point to meet his old
friends.

"The boy needs a little excitement," he said.
"He's been puttering over that stabilizer invention
too long.  I can finish the model for him
in a very short time."

Professor Bumper told Mr. Swift something
about the proposed trip, while Mr. Damon went
out with Tom and Ned to one of the shops to
look at a new model aeroplane the young inventor
had designed.

There was a merry party around the table at
dinner, though now and then Ned noticed that
Tom had an abstracted and preoccupied air.

"Thinking about the idol of gold?" asked Ned
in a whisper to his chum, when they were about
to leave the table.

"The idol of gold?  Oh, yes! Of course! It
will be great if we can bring that back with us."
But the manner in which he said this made Ned
feel sure that Tom had had other thoughts,
and that he had used a little subterfuge in his
answer.

Ned was right, as he proved for himself a little
later, when, Mr. Damon and the professor having
gone home, the young financial secretary
took his friend to a quiet corner and asked:

"What's the matter, Tom?"

"Matter?  What do you mean?"

"I mean what made you make up your mind
so quickly to go on this expedition when you
heard Beecher was going?"

"Oh--er--well, you wouldn't want to see our
old friend Professor Bumper left, would you,
after he had worked out the secret of the idol
of gold?  You wouldn't want some young
whipper-snapper to beat him in the race, would
you, Ned?"

"No, of course not."

"Neither would I.  That's why I changed my
mind.  This Beecher isn't going to get that idol
if I can stop him!"

"You seem rather bitter against him."

"Bitter?  Oh, not at all.  I simply don't want
to see my friends disappointed."

"Then Beecher isn't a friend of yours?"

"Oh, I've met him, that is all," and Tom tried
to speak indifferently.

"Humph!" mused Ned, "there's more here than I dreamed of.
I'm going to get at the bottom of it."

But though Ned tried to pump Tom, he was
not successful.  The young inventor admitted
knowing the youthful scientist, but that was all,
Tom reiterating his determination not to let Professor
Bumper be beaten in the race for the idol
of gold.

"Let me see," mused Ned, as he went home
that evening.  "Tom did not change his mind
until he heard Beecher's name mentioned.  Now
this shows that Beecher had something to do
with it.  The only reason Tom doesn't want
Beecher to get this idol or find the buried city
is because Professor Bumper is after it.  And
yet the professor is not an old or close friend
of Tom's.  They met only when Tom went to
dig his big tunnel.  There must be some other
reason."

Ned did some more thinking.  Then he
clapped his hands together, and a smile spread
over his face.

"I believe I have it!" he cried.  "The little
green god as compared to the idol of gold!
That's it.  I'm going to make a call on my way home."

This he did, stopping at the home of Mary
Nestor, a pretty girl, who, rumor had it, was
tacitly engaged to Tom.  Mary was not at home,
but Mr. Nestor was, and for Ned's purpose this
answered.

"Well, well, glad to see you!" exclaimed
Mary's father.  "Isn't Tom with you?" he asked
a moment later, seeing that Ned was alone.

"No, Tom isn't with me this evening," Ned
answered.  "The fact is, he's getting ready to
go off on another expedition, and I'm going with him."

"You young men are always going somewhere,"
remarked Mrs. Nestor.  "Where is it to this time?"

"Some place in Central America," Ned
answered, not wishing to be too particular.  He
was wondering how he could find out what he
wanted to know, when Mary's mother unexpectedly
gave him just the information he was after.

"Central America!" she exclaimed.  "Why,
Father," and she looked at her husband, "that's
where Professor Beecher is going, isn't it?"

"Yes, I believe he did mention something about that."

"Professor Beecher, the man who is an author-
ity on Aztec ruins?" asked Ned, taking a shot in
the dark.

"Yes," said Mr. Nestor.  "And a mighty fine
young man he is, too.  I knew his father well.
He was here on a visit not long ago, young
Beecher was, and he talked most entertainingly
about his discoveries.  You remember how
interested Mary was, Mother?"

"Yes, she seemed to be," said Mrs. Nestor.
"Tom Swift dropped in during the course of
the evening," she added to Ned, "and Mary
introduced him to Professor Beecher.  But I can't
say that Tom was much interested in the
professor's talk."

"No?" questioned Ned.

"No, not at all.  But Tom did not stay long.
He left just as Mary and the professor were
drawing a map so the professor could indicate
where he had once made a big discovery."

"I see," murmured Ned.  "Well, I suppose
Tom must have been thinking of something else
at the time."

"Very likely," agreed Mr. Nestor.  "But Tom
missed a very profitable talk.  I was very much
interested myself in what the professor told us,
and so was Mary.  She invited Mr. Beecher to
come again.  He takes after his father in being
very thorough in what he does.

"Sometimes I think," went on Mr. Nestor, "that
Tom isn't quite steady enough.  He's thinking
of so many things, perhaps, that he can't get his
mind down to the commonplace.  I remember he
once sent something here in a box labeled
`dynamite.' Though there was no explosive in it,
it gave us a great fright.  But Tom is a boy, in
spite of his years.  Professor Beecher seems
much older.  We all like him very much."

"That's nice," said Ned, as he took his
departure.  He had found out what he had come
to learn.

"I knew it!" Ned exclaimed as he walked
home.  "I knew something was in the wind.
The little green god of jealousy has Tom in his
clutches.  That's why my inventive friend was
so anxious to go on this expedition when he
learned Beecher was to go.  He wants to beat
him.  I guess the professor has plainly shown
that he wouldn't like anything better than to
cut Tom out with Mary.  Whew! that's something
to think about!"



CHAPTER VI

UNPLEASANT NEWS


Ned Newton decided to keep to himself what
he had heard at the Nestor home.  Not for the
world would he let Tom Swift know of the
situation.

"That is, I won't let him know that I know,"
said Ned to himself, "though he is probably as
well aware of the situation as I am.  But it sure
is queer that this Professor Beecher should have
taken such a fancy to Mary, and that her father
should regard him so well.  That is natural,
I suppose.  But I wonder how Mary herself
feels about it.  That is the part Tom would
be most interested in.

"No wonder Tom wants to get ahead of this
young college chap, who probably thinks he's
the whole show.  If he can find the buried city,
and get the idol of gold, it would be a big
feather in his cap.

"He'd have no end of honors heaped on him,
and I suppose his hat wouldn't come within
three sizes of fitting him.  Then he'd stand in
better than ever with Mr. Nestor.  And, maybe,
with Mary, too, though I think she is loyal
to Tom.  But one never can tell.

"However, I'm glad I know about it.  I'll
do all I can to help Tom, without letting him
know that I know.  And if I can do anything
to help in finding that idol of gold for Professor
Bumper, and, incidentally, Tom, I'll do it," and
he spoke aloud in his enthusiasm.

Ned, who was walking along in the darkness,
clapped his open hand down on Tom's magazine
he was carrying home to read again, and
the resultant noise was a sharp crack.  As it
sounded a figure jumped from behind a tree
and called tensely:

"Hold on there!"

Ned stopped short, thinking he was to be
the victim of a holdup, but his fears were
allayed when he beheld one of the police force of
Shopton confronting him.

"I heard what you said about gettin' the gold,"
went on the officer.  "I was walkin' along and I
heard you talkin'.  Where's your pal?"

"I haven't any, Mr. Newbold," answered Ned
with a laugh, as he recognized the man.

"Oh, pshaw! It's Ned Newton!" exclaimed
the disappointed officer.  "I thought you was
talkin' to a confederate about gold, and figured
maybe you was goin' to rob the bank."

"No, nothing like that," answered Ned, still
much amused.  "I was talking to myself about
a trip Tom Swift and I are going to take
and----"

"Oh, that's all right," responded the
policeman.  "I can understand it, if it had anything to
do with Tom.  He's a great boy."

"Indeed he is," agreed Ned, making a mental
resolve not to be so public with his thoughts
in the future.  He chatted for a moment with
the officer, and then, bidding him good-night,
walked on to his home, his mind in a whirl with
conglomerate visions of buried cities, great grinning
idols of gold, and rival professors seeking
to be first at the goal.

The next few days were busy ones for Tom,
Ned and, in fact, the whole Swift household.
Tom and his father had several consultations and
conducted several experiments in regard to the
new stabilizer, the completion of which was so
earnestly desired.  Mr. Swift was sure he could
carry the invention to a successful conclusion.

Ned was engaged in putting the financial
affairs of the Swift Company in shape, so they
would practically run themselves during his ab-
sence.  Then, too, there was the packing of their
baggage which must be seen to.

Of course, the main details of the trip were
left to Professor Bumper, who knew just what
to do.  He had told Tom and Ned that all they
and Mr. Damon would have to do would be to
meet him at the pier in New York, where they
would find all arrangements made.

One day, near the end of the week (the beginning
of the next being set for the start) Eradicate
came shuffling into the room where Tom was
sorting out the possessions he desired to take
with him, Ned assisting him in the task.

"Well, Rad, what is it?" asked Tom, with
businesslike energy.

"I done heah, Massa Tom, dat yo' all's gwine
off on a long trip once mo'.  Am dat so?"

"Yes, that's so, Rad."

"Well, den, I'se come to ast yo' whut I'd bettah
take wif me.  Shall I took warm clothes or cool
clothes?"

"Well, if you were going, Rad," answered Tom
with a smile, "you'd need cool clothes, for we're
going to a sort of jungle-land.  But I'm sorry to
say you're not going this trip."

"I---- I ain't gwine?  Does yo' mean dat yo'
all ain't gwine to take me, Massa Tom?"

"That's it, Rad.  It isn't any trip for you."

"In certain not!" broke in the voice of Koku,
the giant, who entered with a big trunk Tom had
sent him for.  "Master want strong man like a
bull.  He take Koku!"

"Look heah!" spluttered Eradicate, and his eyes
flashed.  "Yo'--yo' giant yo'--yo' may be strong
laik a bull, but ya' ain't got as much sense as
mah mule, Boomerang! Massa Tom don't want
no sich pusson wif him.  He's gwine to take me."

"He take me!" cried Koku, and his voice was
a roar while he beat on his mighty chest with his
huge fists.

Tom, seeing that the dispute was likely to be
bothersome, winked at Ned and began to speak.

"I don't believe you'd like it there, Rad--not
where we're going.  It's a bad country.  Why
the mosquitoes there bite holes in you--raise
bumps on you as big as eggs."

"Oh, good land!" ejaculated the old colored man.
"Am dat so Massa Tom?"

"It sure is.  Then there's another kind of bug
that burrows under your fingernails, and if you
don't get 'em out, your fingers drop off."

"Oh, good land, Massa Tom! Am dat a fact?"

"It sure is.  I don't want to see those things
happen to you, Rad."

Slowly the old colored man shook his head.

"I don't mahse'f," he said.  "I---- I guess I
won't go."

Eradicate did not stop to ask how Tom and
Ned proposed to combat these two species of
insects.

But there remained Koku to dispose of, and he
stood smiling broadly as Eradicate shuffled of.

"Me no 'fraid bugs," said the giant.

"No," said Tom, with a look at Ned, for he did
not want to take the big man on the trip for
various reasons.  "No, maybe not, Koku.  Your
skin is pretty tough.  But I understand there are
deep pools of water in the land where we are
going, and in them lives a fish that has a hide
like an alligator and a jaw like a shark.  If you
fall in it's all up with you."

"Dat true, Master Tom?" and Koku's voice
trembled.

"Well, I've never seen such a fish, I'm sure,
but the natives tell about it."

Koku seemed to be considering the matter.
Strange as it may seem, the giant, though afraid
of nothing human and brave when it came to a
hand-to-claw argument with a wild animal, had
a very great fear of the water and the unseen
life within it.  Even a little fresh-water crab in
a brook was enough to send him shrieking to
shore.  So when Tom told of this curious fish,
which many natives of Central America firmly
believe in, the giant took thought with himself.
Finally, he gave a sigh and said:

"Me stay home and keep bad mans out of
master's shop."

"Yes, I guess that's the best thing for you,"
assented Tom with an air of relief.  He and Ned
had talked the matter over, and they had agreed
that the presence of such a big man as Koku, in
an expedition going on a more or less secret mission,
would attract too much attention.

"Well, I guess that clears matters up," said
Tom, as he looked over a collection of rifles and
small arms, to decide which to take.  "We won't
have them to worry about."

"No, only Professor Beecher," remarked Ned,
with a sharp look at his chum.

"Oh, we'll dispose of him all right!" asserted
Tom boldly.  "He hasn't had any experience in
business of this sort, and with that you and
Professor Bumper and Mr. Damon know we
ought to have little trouble in getting ahead of
the young man."

"Not to speak of your own aid," added Ned.

"Oh, I'll do what I can, of course," said Tom,
with an air of indifference.  But Ned knew his
chum would work ceaselessly to help get the idol
of gold.

Tom gave no sign that there was any complication
in his affair with Mary Nestor, and of
course Ned did not tell anything of what he knew
about it.

That night saw the preparations of Ned and
Tom about completed.  There were one or two
matters yet to finish on Tom's part in relation
to his business, but these offered no difficulties.

The two chums were in the Swift home, talking
over the prospective trip, when Mrs. Baggert,
answering a ring at the front door, announced
that Mr. Damon was outside.

"Tell him to come in," ordered Tom.

"Bless my baggage check!" exclaimed the
excitable man, as he shook hands with Tom and
Ned and noted the packing evidences all about.
"You're ready to go to the land of wonders."

"The land of wonders?" repeated Ned.

"Yes, that's what Professor Bumper calls the
part of Honduras we're going to.  And it must
be wonderful, Tom.  Think of whole cities,
some of them containing idols and temples of
gold, buried thirty and forty feet under the
surface! Wonderful is hardly the name for it!"

"It'll be great!" cried Ned.  "I suppose you're
ready, Mr. Damon--you and the professor?"

"Yes.  But, Tom, I have a bit of unpleasant
news for you."

"Unpleasant news?"

"Yes.  You know Professor Bumper spoke of
a rival--a man named Beecher who is a member
of the faculty of a new and wealthy college."

"I heard him speak of him--yes," and the way
Tom said it no one would have suspected that
he had any personal interest in the matter.

"He isn't going to give his secret away,"
thought Ned.

"Well, this Professor Beecher, you know,"
went on Mr. Damon, "also knows about the idol
of gold, and is trying to get ahead of Professor
Bumper in the search."

"He did say something of it, but nothing was
certain," remarked Tom.

"But it is certain!" exclaimed Mr. Damon.
"Bless my toothpick, it's altogether too certain!"

"How is that?" asked Tom.  "Is Beecher
certainly going to Honduras?"

"Yes, of course.  But what is worse, he and
his party will leave New York on the same
steamer with us!"



CHAPTER VII

TOM HEARS SOMETHING


On hearing Mr. Damon's rather startling
announcement, Tom and Ned looked at one another.
There seemed to be something back of
the simple statement--an ominous and portending
"something."

"On the same steamer with us, is he?" mused Tom.

"How did you learn this?" asked Ned.

"Just got a wire from Professor Bumper
telling me.  He asked me to telephone to you about
it, as he was too busy to call up on the long
distance from New York.  But instead of 'phoning
I decided to come over myself."

"Glad you did," said Tom, heartily.  "Did
Professor Bumper want us to do anything
special, now that it is certain his rival will be
so close on his trail?"

"Yes, he asked me to warn you to be careful
what you did and said in reference to the expedition."

"Then does he fear something?" asked Ned.

"Yes, in a way.  I think he is very much afraid
this young Beecher will not only be first on the
site of the underground city, but that he may
be the first to discover the idol of gold.  It would
be a great thing for a young archaeologist like
Beecher to accomplish a mission of this sort,
and beat Professor Bumper in the race."

"Do you think that's why Beecher decided to
go on the same steamer we are to take?" asked Ned.

"Yes, I do," said Mr. Damon.  "Though from
what Professor Bumper said I know he regards
Professor Beecher as a perfectly honorable man,
as well as a brilliant student.  I do not believe
Beecher or his party would stoop to anything
dishonorable or underhand, though they would
not hesitate, nor would we, to take advantage of
every fair chance to win in the race."

"No, I suppose that's right," observed Tom;
but there was a queer gleam in his eye, and his
chum wondered if Tom did not have in mind the
prospective race between himself and Fenimore
Beecher for the regard of Mary Nestor.  "We'll
do our best to win, and any one is at liberty to
travel on the same steamer we are to take," added
the young inventor, and his tone became more
incisive.

"It will be all the livelier with two expeditions
after the same golden idol," remarked Ned.

"Yes, I think we're in for some excitement,"
observed Tom grimly.  But even he did not
realize all that lay before them ere they would
reach Kurzon.

Mr. Damon, having delivered his message, and
remarking that his preparations for leaving were
nearly completed, went back to Waterfield, from
there to proceed to New York in a few days
with Tom and Ned, to meet Professor Bumper.

"Well, I guess we have everything in pretty
good shape," remarked Tom to his chum a day
or so after the visit of Mr. Damon.  "Everything
is packed, and as I have a few personal matters
to attend to I think I'll take the afternoon off."

"Go to it!" laughed Ned, guessing a thing of two.
"I've got a raft of stuff myself to look after,
but don't let that keep you."

"If there is anything I can do," began Tom,
"don't hesitate to----"

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Ned.  "I can do it all alone.
It's some of the company's business, anyhow,
and I'm paid for looking after that."

"All right, then I'll cut along," Tom said, and
he wore a relieved air.

"He's going to see Mary," observed Ned with
a grin, as he observed Tom hop into his trim
little roadster, which under his orders, Koku had
polished and cleaned until it looked as though
it had just come from the factory.

A little later the trim and speedy car drew up
in front of the Nestor home, and Tom bounded
up on the front porch, his heart not altogether
as light as his feet.

"No, I'm sorry, but Mary isn't in," said Mrs.
Nestor, answering his inquiry after greeting him.

"Not at home?"

"No, she went on a little visit to her cousin's at
Fayetteville.  She said something about letting
you know she was going."

"She did drop me a card," answered Tom, and,
somehow he did not feel at all cheerful.  "But
I thought it wasn't until next week she was
going."

"That was her plan, Tom.  But she changed
it.  Her cousin wired, asking her to advance
the date, and this Mary did.  There was something
about a former school chum who was also
to be at Myra's house--Myra is Mary's cousin
you know."

"Yes, I know," assented the young inventor.
"And so Mary is gone.  How long is she going
to stay?"

"Oh, about two weeks.  She wasn't quite
certain.  It depends on the kind of a time she has,
I suppose."

"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Tom.  "Well, if
you write before I do you might say I called,
Mrs. Nestor."

"I will, Tom.  And I know Mary will be sorry
she wasn't here to take a ride with you; it's
such a nice day," and the lady smiled as she
looked at the speedy roadster.

"Maybe--maybe you'd like to come for a spin?"
asked Tom, half desperately.

"No, thank you.  I'm too old to be jounced
around in one of those small cars."

"Nonsense! She rides as easily as a Pullman
sleeper."

"Well, I have to go to a Red Cross meeting,
anyhow, so I can't come, Tom.  Thank you,
just the same."

Tom did not drive back immediately to his
home.  He wanted to do a bit of thinking, and
he believed he could do it best by himself.  So
it was late afternoon when he again greeted Ned,
who, meanwhile, had been kept very busy.

"Well?" called Tom's chum.

"Um!" was the only answer, and Tom called
Koku to put the car away in the garage.

"Something wrong," mused Ned.

The next three days were crowded with events
and with work.  Mr. Damon came over
frequently to consult with Tom and Ned, and
finally the last of their baggage had been packed,
certain of Tom's inventions and implements sent
on by express to New York to be taken to Honduras,
and then our friends themselves followed
to the metropolis.

"Good-bye, Tom," said his father.  "Good-
bye, and good luck! If you don't get the idol
of gold I'm sure you'll have experiences that
will be valuable to you."

"We're going to get the idol of gold!" said
Tom determinedly.

"Look out for the bad bugs," suggested Eradicate.

"We will," promised Ned.

Tom's last act was to send a message to Mary
Nestor, and then he, with Ned and Mr. Damon,
who blessed everything in sight from the gasoline
in the automobile to the blue sky overhead,
started for the station.

New York was reached without incident.  The
trio put up at the hotel where Professor Bumper
was to meet them.

"He hasn't arrived yet," said Tom, after
glancing over the names on the hotel register and
not seeing Professor Bumper's among them.

"Oh, he'll be here all right," asserted Mr.
Damon.  "Bless my galvanic battery! he sent me
a telegram at one o'clock this morning saying
he'd be sure to meet us in New York.  No fear
of him not starting for the land of wonders."

"There are some other professors registered,
though," observed Ned, as he glanced at the
book, noting the names of several scientists of
whom he and Tom had read.

"Yes.  I wonder what they're doing in New
York," replied Tom.  "They are from New
England.  Maybe there's a convention going on.
Well, we'll have to wait, that's all, until
Professor Bumper comes."

And during that wait Tom heard something
that surprised him and caused him no little
worry.  It was when Ned came back to his
room, which adjoined Tom's, that the young
treasurer gave his chum the news.

"I say, Tom!" Ned exclaimed.  "Who do you
think those professors are, whose names we saw
on the register?"

"I haven't the least idea."

"Why, they're of Beecher's party!"

"You don't mean it!"

"I surely do."

"How do you know?"

"I happened to overhear two of them talking
down in the lobby a while ago.  They didn't
make any secret of it.  They spoke freely of going
with Beecher to some ancient city in Honduras,
to look for an idol of gold."

"They did?  But where is Beecher?"

"He hasn't joined them yet.  Their plans
have been changed.  Instead of leaving on the
same steamer we are to take in the morning
they are to come on a later one.  The professors
here are waiting for Beecher to come."

"Why isn't he here now?"

"Well, I heard one of the other scientists say
that he had gone to a place called Fayetteville,
and will come on from there."

"Fayetteville!" ejaculated Tom.
"Yes.  That isn't far from Shopton."

"I know," assented Tom.  "I wonder--I wonder
why he is going there?"

"I can tell you that, too."

"You can?  You're a regular detective."

"No, I just happened to overhear it.  Beecher
is going to call on Mary Nestor in Fayetteville,
so his friends here said he told them, and his call
has to do with an important matter--to him!"
and Ned gazed curiously at his chum.



CHAPTER VIII

OFF FOR HONDURAS


Just what Tom's thoughts were, Ned, of
course, could not guess.  But by the flush that
showed under the tan of his chum's cheeks the
young financial secretary felt pretty certain that
Tom was a bit apprehensive of the outcome of
Professor Beecher's call on Mary Nestor.

"So he is going to see her about `something
important,' Ned?"

"That's what some members of his party called
it."

"And they're waiting here for him to join
them?"

"Yes.  And it means waiting a week for
another steamer.  It must be something pretty
important, don't you think, to cause Beecher to
risk that delay in starting after the idol of gold?"

"Important?  Yes, I suppose so," assented
Tom.  "And yet even if he waits for the next
steamer he will get to Honduras nearly as soon
as we do."

"How is that?"

"The next boat is a faster one."

"Then why don't we take that?  I hate dawdling
along on a slow freighter."

"Well, for one thing it would hardly do to
change now, when all our goods are on board.
And besides, the captain of the _Relstab_, on which
we are going to sail, is a friend of Professor
Bumper's."

"Well, I'm just as glad Beecher and his party
aren't going with us," resumed Ned, after a
pause.  "It might make trouble."

"Oh, I'm ready for any trouble HE might make!"
quickly exclaimed Tom.

He meant trouble that might be developed in
going to Honduras, and starting the search
for the lost city and the idol of gold.  This kind
of trouble Tom and his friends had experienced
before, on other trips where rivals had sought
to frustrate their ends.

But, in his heart, though he said nothing to
Ned about it, Tom was worried.  Much as he
disliked to admit it to himself, he feared the visit
of Professor Beecher to Mary Nestor in Fayetteville
had but one meaning.

"I wonder if he's going to propose to her,"
thought Tom.  "He has the field all to himself
now, and her father likes him.  That's in his favor.
I guess Mr. Nestor has never quite forgiven me
for that mistake about the dynamite box, and
that wasn't my fault.  Then, too, the Beecher
and Nestor families have been friends for years.
Yes, he surely has the inside edge on me, and
if he gets her to throw me over---- Well, I
won't give up without a fight!" and Tom mentally
girded himself for a battle of wits.

"He's relying on the prestige he'll get out of
this idol of gold if his party finds it," thought
on the young inventor.  "But I'll help find it
first.  I'm glad to have a little start of him, anyhow,
even if it isn't more than two days.  Though
if our vessel is held back much by storms he may
get on the ground first.  However, that can't
be helped.  I'll do the best I can."

These thoughts shot through Tom's mind
even as Ned was asking his questions and making
comments.  Then the young inventor, shaking
his shoulders as though to rid them of some
weight, remarked:

"Well, come on out and see the sights.  It will
be long before we look on Broadway again."

When the chums returned from their sightseeing
excursion, they found that Professor Bumper
had arrived.

"Where's Professor Bumper?" asked Ned, the next day.

"In his room, going over books, papers and
maps to make sure he has everything."

"And Mr. Damon?"

Tom did not have to answer that last question.
Into the apartment came bursting the excited
individual himself.

"Bless my overshoes!" he cried, "I've been
looking everywhere for you! Come on, there's
no time to lose!"

"What's the matter now?" asked Ned.  "Is the
hotel on fire?"

"Has anything happened to Professor Bumper?"
Tom demanded, a wild idea forming in his
head that perhaps some one of the Beecher party
had tried to kidnap the discoverer of the lost
city of Pelone.

"Oh, everything is all right," answered Mr.
Damon.  "But it's nearly time for the show to
start, and we don't want to be late.  I have
tickets."

"For what?" asked Tom and Ned together.

"The movies," was the laughing reply.  "Bless
my loose ribs! but I wouldn't miss him for anything.
He's in a new play called `Up in a Balloon
Boys.' It's great!" and Mr. Damon named
a certain comic moving picture star in whose
horse-play Mr. Damon took a curious interest.
Tom and Ned were glad enough to go, Tom
that he might have a chance to do a certain
amount of thinking, and Ned because he was
still boy enough to like moving pictures.

"I wonder, Tom," said Mr. Damon, as they
came out of the theater two hours later, all three
chuckling at the remembrance of what they had
seen, "I wonder you never turned your inventive
mind to the movies."

"Maybe I will, some day," said Tom.

He spoke rather uncertainly.  The truth of
the matter was that he was still thinking deeply
of the visit of Professor Beecher to Mary Nestor,
and wondering what it portended.

But if Tom's sleep was troubled that night he
said nothing of it to his friends.  He was up
early the next morning, for they were to leave
that day, and there was still considerable to be
done in seeing that their baggage and supplies
were safely loaded, and in attending to the last
details of some business matters.

While at the hotel they had several glimpses
of the members of the Beecher party who were
awaiting the arrival of the young professor who
was to lead them into the wilds of Honduras.
But our friends did not seek the acquaintance
of their rivals.  The latter, likewise, remained
by themselves, though they knew doubtless
that there was likely to be a strenuous race for
the possession of the idol of gold, then, it was
presumed, buried deep in some forest-covered
city.

Professor Bumper had made his arrangements
carefully.  As he explained to his friends, they
would take the steamer from New York to Puerto
Cortes, one of the principal seaports of
Honduras.  This is a town of about three thousand
inhabitants, with an excellent harbor and a
big pier along which vessels can tie up and
discharge their cargoes directly into waiting cars.

The preparations were finally completed.
The party went aboard the steamer, which was
a large freight vessel, carrying a limited number
of passengers, and late one afternoon swung
down New York Bay.

"Off for Honduras!" cried Ned gaily, as they
passed the Statue of Liberty.  "I wonder what
will happen before we see that little lady again."

"Who knows?" asked Tom, shrugging his
shoulders, Spanish fashion.  And there came before
him the vision of a certain "little lady," about
whom he had been thinking deeply of late.



CHAPTER IX

VAL JACINTO


"Rather tame, isn't it, Tom?"

"Well, Ned, it isn't exactly like going up in
an airship," and Tom Swift who was gazing
over the rail down into the deep blue water of
the Caribbean Sea, over which their vessel was
then steaming, looked at his chum beside him.

"No, and your submarine voyage had it all over
this one for excitement," went on Ned.  "When
I think of that----"

"Bless my sea legs!" interrupted Mr. Damon,
overhearing the conversation.  "Don't speak of
THAT trip.  My wife never forgave me for going
on it.  But I had a fine time," he added with a
twinkle of his eyes.

"Yes, that was quite a trip," observed Tom,
as his mind went back to it.  "But this one isn't
over yet remember.  And I shouldn't be surprised
if we had a little excitement very soon."

"What do you mean?" asked Ned.

Up to this time the voyage from New York
down into the tropical seas had been anything
but exciting.  There were not many passengers
besides themselves, and the weather had been
fine.

At first, used as they were to the actions of
unscrupulous rivals in trying to thwart their
efforts, Tom and Ned had been on the alert for
any signs of hidden enemies on board the steamer.
But aside from a little curiosity when it became
known that they were going to explore
little-known portions of Honduras, the other
passengers took hardly any interest in our travelers.

It was thought best to keep secret the fact
that they were going to search for a wonderful
idol of gold.  Not even the mule and ox-cart
drivers, whom they would hire to take them into
the wilds of the interior would be told of the real
object of the search.  It would be given out that
they were looking for interesting ruins of ancient
cities, with a view to getting such antiquities
as might be there.

"What do you mean?" asked Ned again, when
Tom did not answer him immediately.  "What's
the excitement?"

"I think we're in for a storm," was the reply.
"The barometer is falling and I see the crew
going about making everything snug.  So we
may have a little trouble toward this end of our
trip."

"Let it come!" exclaimed Mr. Damon.  "We're
not afraid of trouble, Tom.  Swift, are we?"

"No, to be sure we're not.  And yet it looks
as though the storm would be a bad one."

"Then I am going to see if my books and
papers are ready, so I can get them together in a
hurry in case we have to take to the life-boats,"
said Professor Bumper, coming on deck at that
moment.  "It won't do to lose them.  If we
didn't have the map we might not be able to find----"

"Ahem!" exclaimed Tom, with unnecessary
emphasis it seemed.  "I'll help you go over your
papers, Professor," he added, and with a wink
and a motion of his hand, he enjoined silence on
his friend.  Ned looked around for a reason for
this, and observed a man, evidently of Spanish
extraction, passing them as he paced up and
down the deck.

"What's the matter?" asked the scientist in
a whisper, as the man went on.  "Do you know
him?  Is he a----?"

"I don't know anything about him," said Tom;
"but it is best not to speak of our trip before
strangers."

"You are right, Tom," said Professor Bumper.
"I'll be more careful."

A storm was brewing, that was certain.  A
dull, sickly yellow began to obscure the sky, and
the water, from a beautiful blue, turned a slate
color and ran along the sides of the vessel with a
hissing sound as though the sullen waves would
ask nothing better than to suck the craft down
into their depths.  The wind, which had been
freshening, now sang in louder tones as it
hummed through the rigging and the funnel stays
and bowled over the receiving conductors of the
wireless.

Sharp commands from the ship's officers
hastened the work of the crew in making things
snug, and life lines were strung along deck for
the safety of such of the passengers as might
venture up when the blow began.

The storm was not long in coming.  The
howling of the wind grew louder, flecks of foam
began to separate themselves from the crests of
the waves, and the vessel pitched, rolled and
tossed more violently.  At first Tom and his
friends thought they were in for no more than
an ordinary blow, but as the storm progressed,
and the passengers became aware of the anxiety
on the part of the officers and crew, the alarm
spread among them.

It really was a violent storm, approaching a
hurricane in force, and at one time it seemed as
though the craft, having been heeled far over
under a staggering wave that swept her decks,
would not come back to an even keel.

There was a panic among some of the
passengers, and a few excited men behaved in a
way that caused prompt action on the part of
the first officer, who drove them back to the
main cabin under threat of a revolver.  For the
men were determined to get to the lifeboats, and
a small craft would not have had a minute to live
in such seas as were running.

But the vessel proved herself sturdier than the
timid ones had dared to hope, and she was soon
running before the blast, going out of her course,
it is true, but avoiding the danger among the
many cays, or small islands, that dot the Caribbean
Sea.

There was nothing to do but to let the storm
blow itself out, which it did in two days.  Then
came a period of delightful weather.  The cargo
had shifted somewhat, which gave the steamer
a rather undignified list.

This, as well as the loss of a deckhand
overboard, was the effect of the hurricane, and
though the end of the trip came amid sunshine
and sweet-scented tropical breezes, many could
not forget the dangers through which they had
passed.

In due time Tom and his party found
themselves safely housed in the small hotel at Puerto
Cortes, their belongings stored in a convenient
warehouse and themselves, rather weary by reason
of the stress of weather, ready for the start
into the interior wilds of Honduras.

"How are we going to make the trip?" asked
Ned, as they sat at supper, the first night after
their arrival, eating of several dishes, the red-
pepper condiments of which caused frequent trips
to the water pitcher.

"We can go in two ways, and perhaps we shall
find it to our advantage to use both means," said
Professor Bumper.  "To get to this city of Kurzon,"
he proceeded in a low voice, so that none
of the others in the dining-room would hear
them, "we will have to go either by mule back
or boat to a point near Copan.  As near as I
can tell by the ancient maps, Kurzon is in the
Copan valley.

"Now the Chamelecon river seems to run to
within a short distance of there, but there is
no telling how far up it may be navigable.  If
we can go by boat it will be much more comfortable.
Travel by mules and ox-carts is slow and
sure, but the roads are very bad, as I have heard
from friends who have made explorations in
Honduras.

"And, as I said, we may have to use both land
and water travel to get us where we want to go.
We can proceed as far as possible up the river,
and then take to the mules."

"What about arranging for boats and animals?"
asked Tom.  "I should think----"

He suddenly ceased talking and reached for
the water, taking several large swallows.

"Whew!" he exclaimed, when he could catch his breath.
"That was a hot one."

"What did you do?" asked Ned.

"Bit into a nest of red pepper.  Guess I'll have
to tell that cook to scatter his hits.  He's bunching
'em too much in my direction," and Tom
wiped the tears from his eyes.

"To answer your question," said Professor
Bumper, "I will say that I have made partial
arrangements for men and animals, and boats
if it is found feasible to use them.  I've been in
correspondence with one of the merchants here,
and he promised to make arrangements for us."

"When do we leave?" asked Mr. Damon.

"As soon as possible.  I am not going to risk
anything by delay," and it was evident the professor
referred to his young rival whose arrival
might be expected almost any time.

As the party was about to leave the table,
they were approached by a tall, dignified Spaniard
who bowed low, rather exaggeratedly low,
Ned thought, and addressed them in fairly good
English.

"Your pardons, Senors," he began, "but if it
will please you to avail yourself of the humble
services of myself, I shall have great pleasure
in guiding you into the interior.  I have at my
command both mules and boats."

"How do you know we are going into the
interior?" asked Tom, a bit sharply, for he did
not like the assurance of the man.

"Pardon, Senor.  I saw that you are from the
States.  And those from the States do not come
to Honduras except for two reasons.  To travel
and make explorations or to start trade, and
professors do not usually engage in trade," and
he bowed to Professor Bumper.

"I saw your name on the register," he proceeded,
"and it was not difficult to guess your mission,"
and he flashed a smile on the party, his
white teeth showing brilliantly beneath his
small, black moustache.

"I make it my business to outfit traveling
parties, either for business, pleasure or scientific
matters.  I am, at your service, Val Jacinto,"
and he introduced himself with another low bow.

For a moment Tom and his friends hardly
knew how to accept this offer.  It might be,
as the man had said, that he was a professional
tour conductor, like those who have charge of
Egyptian donkey-boys and guides.  Or might he
not be a spy?

This occurred to Tom no less than to Professor
Bumper.  They looked at one another while
Val Jacinto bowed again and murmured:

"At your service!"

"Can you provide means for taking us to the
Copan valley?" asked the professor.  "You are
right in one respect.  I am a scientist and I purpose
doing some exploring near Copan.  Can
you get us there?"

"Most expensively--I mean, most expeditionlessly,"
said Val Jacinto eagerly.  "Pardon my
unhappy English.  I forget at times.  The
charges will be most moderate.  I can send you
by boat as far as the river travel is good, and
then have mules and ox-carts in waiting."

"How far is it?" asked Tom.

"A hundred miles as the vulture flies, Senor,
but much farther by river and road.  We shall
be a week going."

"A hundred miles in a week!" groaned Ned.
"Say, Tom, if you had your aeroplane we'd be
there in an hour."

"Yes, but we haven't it.  However, we're in
no great rush."

"But we must not lose time," said Professor
Bumper.  "I shall consider your offer," he added
to Val Jacinto.

"Very good, Senor.  I am sure you will be
pleased with the humble service I may offer you,
and my charges will be small.  Adios," and he
bowed himself away.

"What do you think of him?" asked Ned, as
they went up to their rooms in the hotel, or
rather one large room, containing several beds.

"He's a pretty slick article," said Mr. Damon.
"Bless my check-book! but he spotted us at
once, in spite of our secrecy."

"I guess these guide purveyors are trained
for that sort of thing," observed the scientist.
"I know my friends have often spoken of having
had the same experience.  However, I shall
ask my friend, who is in business here, about
this Val Jacinto, and if I find him all right we
may engage him "

Inquiries next morning brought the information,
from the head of a rubber exporting firm
with whom the professor was acquainted, that
the Spaniard was regularly engaged in transporting
parties into the interior, and was considered
efficient, careful and as honest as pos-
sible, considering the men he engaged as workers.

"So we have decided to engage you," Professor
Bumper informed Val Jacinto the afternoon
following the meeting.

"I am more than pleased, Senor.  I shall take
you into the wilds of Honduras.  At your
service!" and he bowed low.

"Humph! I don't just like the way our friend
Val says that," observed Tom to Ned a little
later.  "I'd have been better pleased if he had
said he'd guide us into the wilds and out again."

If Tom could have seen the crafty smile on
the face of the Spaniard as the man left the
hotel, the young inventor might have felt even
less confidence in the guide.



CHAPTER X

IN THE WILDS


"All aboard! Step lively now! This boat
makes no stops this side of Boston!" cried Ned
Newton gaily, as he got into one of the several
tree canoes provided for the transportation of
the party up the Chamelecon river, for the first
stage of their journey into the wilds of
Honduras.  "All aboard! This reminds me of my
old camping days, Tom."

It brought those days back, in a measure, to
Tom also.  For there were a number of canoes
filled with the goods of the party, while the
members themselves occupied a larger one with their
personal baggage.  Strong, half-naked Indian
paddlers were in charge of the canoes which
were of sturdy construction and light draft, since
the river, like most tropical streams, was of
uncertain depths, choked here and there with sand
bars or tropical growths.

Finding that Val Jacinto was regularly engaged
in the business of taking explorers and
mine prospectors into the interior, Professor
Bumper had engaged the man.  He seemed to be
efficient.  At the promised time he had the
canoes and paddlers on hand and the goods safely
stowed away while one big craft was fitted up
as comfortably as possible for the men of the
party.

As Ned remarked, it did look like a camping
party, for in the canoes were tents, cooking
utensils and, most important, mosquito canopies
of heavy netting.

The insect pests of Honduras, as in all tropical
countries, are annoying and dangerous.  Therefore
it was imperative to sleep under mosquito
netting.

On the advice of Val Jacinto, who was to
accompany them, the travelers were to go up the
river about fifty miles.  This was as far as it
would be convenient to use the canoes, the guide
told Tom and his friends, and from there on
the trip to the Copan valley would be made on
the backs of mules, which would carry most of
the baggage and equipment.  The heavier portions
would be transported in ox-carts.

As Professor Bumper expected to do considerable
excavating in order to locate the buried
city, or cities, as the case might be, he had to
contract for a number of Indian diggers and
laborers.  These could be hired in Copan, it was
said.

The plan, therefore, was to travel by canoes
during the less heated parts of the day, and tie
up at night, making camp on shore in the net-
protected tents.  As for the Indians, they did
not seem to mind the bites of the insects.  They
sometimes made a smudge fire, Val Jacinto had
said, but that was all.

"Well, we haven't seen anything of Beecher
and his friends," remarked the young inventor
as they were about to start.

"No, he doesn't seem to have arrived," agreed
Professor Bumper.  "We'll get ahead of him,
and so much the better.

"Well, are we all ready to start?" he continued,
as he looked over the little flotilla which carried
his party and his goods.

"The sooner the better!" cried Tom, and Ned
fancied his chum was unusually eager.

"I guess he wants to make good before Beecher
gets the chance to show Mary Nestor what
he can do," thought Ned.  "Tom sure is after
that idol of gold."

"You may start, Senor Jacinto," said the
professor, and the guide called something in Indian
dialect to the rowers.  Lines were cast off and
the boats moved out into the stream under the
influence of the sturdy paddlers.

"Well, this isn't so bad," observed Ned, as he
made himself comfortable in his canoe.  "How
about it, Tom?"

"Oh, no.  But this is only the beginning."

A canopy had been arranged over their boat
to keep off the scorching rays of the sun.  The
boat containing the exploring party and Val
Jacinto took the lead, the baggage craft following.
At the place where it flowed into the bay
on which Puerto Cortes was built, the stream
was wide and deep.

The guide called something to the Indians,
who increased their stroke.

"I tell them to pull hard and that at the end
of the day's journey they will have much rest
and refreshment," he translated to Professor
Bumper and the others.

"Bless my ham sandwich, but they'll need
plenty of some sort of refreshment," said Mr.
Damon, with a sigh.  "I never knew it to be
so hot."

"Don't complain yet," advised Tom, with a
laugh.  "The worst is yet to come."

It really was not unpleasant traveling, aside
from the heat.  And they had expected that,
coming as they had to a tropical land.  But, as
Tom said, what lay before them might be worse.

In a little while they had left behind them all
signs of civilization.  The river narrowed and
flowed sluggishly between the banks which were
luxuriant with tropical growth.  Now and then
some lonely Indian hut could be seen, and
occasionally a craft propelled by a man who was
trying to gain a meager living from the rubber
forest which hemmed in the stream on either
side.

As the canoe containing the men was paddled
along, there floated down beside it what seemed
to be a big, rough log.

"I wonder if that is mahogany," remarked Mr.
Damon, reaching over to touch it.  "Mahogany
is one of the most valuable woods of Honduras,
and if this is a log of that nature----

"Bless my watch chain!" he suddenly cried.  It's alive!"

And the "log" was indeed so, for there was a
sudden flash of white teeth, a long red opening
showed, and then came a click as an immense
alligator, having opened and closed his mouth,
sank out of sight in a swirl of water.

Mr. Damon drew back so suddenly that he
tilted the canoe, and the black paddlers looked
around wonderingly.

"Alligator," explained Jacinto succinctly, in
their tongue.

"Ugh!" they grunted.

"Bless my--bless my----" hesitated Mr.
Damon, and for one of the very few times in
his life his language failed him.

"Are there many of them hereabouts?" asked
Ned, looking back at the swirl left by the saurian.

"Plenty," said the guide, with a shrug of his
shoulders.  He seemed to do as much talking that
way, and with his hands, as he did in speech.
"The river is full of them."

"Dangerous?" queried Tom.

"Don't go in swimming," was the significant
advice.  "Wait, I'll show you," and he called
up the canoe just behind.

In this canoe was a quantity of provisions.
There was a chunk of meat among other things,
a gristly piece, seeing which Mr. Damon had
objected to its being brought along, but the guide
had said it would do for fish bait.  With a quick
motion of his hand, as he sat in the awning-
covered stern with Tom, Ned and the others,
Jacinto sent the chunk of meat out into the muddy
stream.

Hardly a second later there was a rushing in
the water as though a submarine were about
to come up.  An ugly snout was raised, two
rows of keen teeth snapped shut as a scissors-
like jaw opened, and the meat was gone.

"See!" was the guide's remark, and something
like a cold shiver of fear passed over the white
members of the party.  "This water is not made
in which to swim.  Be careful!"

"We certainly shall," agreed Tom.  "They're fierce."

"And always hungry," observed Jacinto grimly.

"And to think that I--that I nearly had my
hand on it," murmured Mr. Damon.  "Ugh!
Bless my eyeglasses!"

"The alligator nearly had your hand," said the
guide.  "They can turn in the water like a flash,
wherefore it is not wise to pat one on the tail
lest it present its mouth instead."

They paddled on up the river, the dusky Indians
now and then breaking out into a chant
that seemed to give their muscles new energy.
The song, if song it was, passed from one boat
to the other, and as the chant boomed forth
the craft shot ahead more swiftly.

They made a landing about noon, and lunch
was served.  Tom and his friends were hungry
in spite of the heat.  Moreover, they were
experienced travelers and had learned not to fret
over inconveniences and discomforts.  the Ind-
ians ate by themselves, two acting as servants
to Jacinto and the professor's party.

As is usual in traveling in the tropics, a halt
was made during the heated middle of the day.
Then, as the afternoon shadows were waning,
the party again took to the canoes and paddled
on up the river.

"Do you know of a good place to stop during
the night?" asked Professor Bumper of Jacinto.

"Oh, yes; a most excellent place.  It is where
I always bring scientific parties I am guiding.
You may rely on me."

It was within an hour of dusk--none too much
time to allow in which to pitch camp in the
tropics, where night follows day suddenly--when
a halt was called, as a turn of the river showed a
little clearing on the edge of the forest-bound
river.

"We stay here for the night," said Jacinto.
"It is a good place."

"It looks picturesque enough," observed Mr.
Damon.  "But it is rather wild."

"We are a good distance from a settlement,"
agreed the guide.  "But one can not explore--
and find treasure in cities," and he shrugged
his shoulders again.

"Find treasure?  What do you mean?" asked Tom quickly.
"Do you think that we----?"

"Pardon, Senor," replied Jacinto softly.  "I meant
no offense.  I think that all you scientific
parties will take treasure if you can find it."

"We are looking for traces of the old Honduras
civilization," put in Professor Bumper.

"And doubtless you will find it," was the
somewhat too courteous answer of the guide.
"Make camp quickly!" he called to the Indians
in their tongue.  "You must soon get under the
nets or you will be eaten alive!" he told Tom.

The tents were set up, smudge fires built and
supper quickly prepared.  Dusk fell rapidly, and
as Tom and Ned walked a little way down
toward the river before turning in under the
mosquito canopies, the young financial man said:

"Sort of lonesome and gloomy, isn't it, Tom?"

"Yes.  But you didn't expect to find a moving
picture show in the wilds of Honduras, did you?"

"No, and yet-- Look out! What's that?"
suddenly cried Ned, as a great soft, black shadow
seemed to sweep out of a clump of trees toward
him.  Involuntarily he clutched Tom's arm and
pointed, his face showing fear in the fast-gathering
darkness.



CHAPTER XI

THE VAMPIRES


Tom Swift looked deliberately around.  It
was characteristic of him that, though by nature
he was prompt in action, he never acted so hurriedly
as to obscure his judgment.  So, though
now Ned showed a trace of strange excitement,
Tom was cool.

"What is it?" asked the young inventor.
"What's the matter?  What did you think you saw,
Ned; another alligator?"

"Alligator?  Nonsense! Up on shore?  I saw
a black shadow, and I didn't THINK I saw it,
either.  I really did."

Tom laughed quietly.

"A shadow!" he exclaimed.  "Since when
were you afraid of shadows, Ned?"

"I'm not afraid of ordinary shadows," answered
Ned, and in his voice there was an uncertain
tone.  "I'm not afraid of my shadow or
yours, Tom, or anybody's that I can see.  But
this wasn't any human shadow.  It was as if a
great big blob of wet darkness had been waved
over your head."

"That's a queer explanation," Tom said in a
low voice.  "A great big blob of wet darkness!"

"But that just describes it," went on Ned,
looking up and around.  "It was just as if you were in
some dark room, and some one waved a wet
velvet cloak over your head--spooky like! It
didn't make a sound, but there was a smell as
if a den of some wild beast was near here.  I
remember that odor from the time we went
hunting with your electric rifle in the jungle, and
got near the den in the rocks where the tigers
lived."

"Well, there is a wild beast smell all around
here," admitted Tom, sniffing the air.  "It's the
alligators in the river I guess.  You know they
have an odor of musk."

"Do you mean to say you didn't feel that
shadow flying over us just now?" asked Ned.

"Well, I felt something sail through the air,
but I took it to be a big bird.  I didn't pay much
attention.  To tell you the truth I was thinking
about Beecher--wondering when he would get
here," added Tom quickly as if to forestall any
question as to whether or not his thoughts had
to do with Beecher in connection with Tom's
affair of the heart.

"Well it wasn't a bird--at least not a regular
bird," said Ned in a low voice, as once more he
looked at the dark and gloomy jungle that
stretched back from the river and behind the
little clearing where the camp had been made.

"Come on!" cried Tom, in what he tried to
make a cheerful voice.  "This is getting on your
nerves, Ned, and I didn't know you had any.
Let's go back and turn in.  I'm dog-tired and
the mosquitoes are beginning to find that we're
here.  Let's get under the nets.  Then the black
shadows won't get you."

Not at all unwilling to leave so gloomy a scene,
Ned, after a brief glance up and down the dark
river, followed his chum.  They found Professor
Bumper and Mr. Damon in their tent, a separate
one having been set up for the two men adjoining
that of the youths.

"Bless my fountain pen!" exclaimed Mr. Damon,
as he caught sight of Tom and Ned in the
flickering light of the smudge fire between the
two canvas shelters.  "We were just wondering
what had become of you."

"We were chasing shadows!" laughed Tom.
"At least Ned was.  But you look cozy enough in there."

It did, indeed, look cheerful in contrast to the
damp and dark jungle all about.  Professor Bumper,
being an experienced traveler, knew how to
provide for such comforts as were possible.  Folding
cots had been opened for himself, Mr. Damon
and the guide to sleep on, others, similar, being
set up in the tent where Tom and Ned were to
sleep.  In the middle of the tent the professor
had made a table of his own and Mr.
Damon's suit cases, and on this placed a small
dry battery electric light.  He was making some
notes, doubtless for a future book.  Jacinto was
going about the camp, seeing that the Indians
were at their duties, though most of them had
gone directly to sleep after supper.

"Better get inside and under the nets," advised
Professor Bumper to Tom and Ned.  "The mosquitoes
here are the worst I ever saw."

"We're beginning to believe that," returned
Ned, who was unusually quiet.  "Come on,
Tom.  I can't stand it any longer.  I'm itching
in a dozen places now from their bites."

As Tom and Ned had no wish for a light,
which would be sure to attract insects, they
entered their tent in the dark, and were soon
stretched out in comparative comfort.  Tom was
just on the edge of a deep sleep when he heard
Ned murmur:

"I can't understand it!"

"What's that?" asked the young inventor.

"I say I can't understand it."

"Understand what?"

"That shadow.  It was real and yet----"

"Oh, go to sleep!" advised Tom, and, turning
over, he was soon breathing heavily and regularly,
indicating that he, at least, had taken his own advice.

Ned, too, finally succumbed to the overpowering
weariness of the first day of travel, and he,
too, slept, though it was an uneasy slumber,
disturbed by a feeling as though some one were
holding a heavy black quilt over his head,
preventing him from breathing.

The feeling, sensation or dream--whatever it
was--perhaps a nightmare--became at last so
real to Ned that he struggled himself into
wakefulness.  With an effort he sat up, uttering an
inarticulate cry.  To his surprise he was
answered.  Some one asked:

"What is the matter?"

"Who--who are you?" asked Ned quickly,
trying to peer through the darkness.

"This is Jacinto--your guide," was the soft
answer.  "I was walking about camp and, hearing
you murmuring, I came to your tent.  Is
anything wrong?"

For a moment Ned did not answer.  He
listened and could tell by the continued heavy
and regular breathing of his chum that Tom
was still asleep.

"Are you in our tent?" asked Ned, at length:

"Yes," answered Jacinto.  "I came in to see
what was the matter with you.  Are you ill?"

"No, of course not," said Ned, a bit shortly.
"I--I had a bad dream, that was all.  All
right now."

"For that I am glad.  Try to get all the sleep
you can, for we must start early to avoid the
heat of the day," and there was the sound of
the guide leaving and arranging the folds of the
mosquito net behind him to keep out the night-
flying insects.

Once more Ned composed himself to sleep, and
this time successfully, for he did not have any
more unpleasant dreams.  The quiet of the
jungle settled down over the camp, at least the
comparative quiet of the jungle, for there were
always noises of some sort going on, from the
fall of some rotten tree limb to the scream or
growl of a wild beast, while, now and again, from
the river came the pig-like grunts of the alligators.

It was about two o'clock in the morning, as
they ascertained later, when the whole camp--
white travelers and all--was suddenly awakened
by a wild scream.  It seemed to come from one
of the natives, who called out a certain word
ever and over again.  To Tom and Ned it
sounded like:

"Oshtoo! Oshtoo! Oshtoo!"

"What's the matter?" cried Professor Bumper.

"The vampires!" came the answering voice of
Jacinto.  "One of the Indians has been attacked
by a big vampire bat! Look out, every one!
It may be a raid by the dangerous creatures!
Be careful!"

Notwithstanding this warning Ned stuck his
head out of the tent.  The same instant he was
aware of a dark enfolding shadow passing over
him, and, with a shudder of fear, he jumped back.



CHAPTER XII

A FALSE FRIEND


"What is it?  What's the matter?" cried Tom
springing from his cot and hastening to the side
of his chum in the tent.  "What has happened, Ned?"

"I don't know, but Jacinto is yelling
something about vampires!"

"Vampires?"

"Yes.  Big bats.  And he's warning us to be
careful.  I stuck my head out just now and I
felt that same sort of shadow I felt this evening
when we were down near the river."

"Nonsense!"

"I tell you I did!"

At that instant Tom flashed a pocket electric
lamp he had taken from beneath his pillow and
in the gleam of it he and Ned saw fluttering
about the tent some dark, shadow-like form, at
the sight of which Tom's chum cried:

"There it is! That's the shadow! Look out!"
and he held up his hands instinctively to shield
his face.

"Shadow!" yelled Tom, unconsciously adding
to the din that seemed to pervade every part of
the camp.  "That isn't a shadow.  It's
substance.  It's a monster bat, and here goes
for a strike at it!"

He caught up his camera tripod which was near
his cot, and made a swing with it at the creature
that had flown into the tent through an opening
it had made for itself.

"Look out!" yelled Ned.  "If it's a vampire it'll----"

"It won't do anything to me!" shouted Tom,
as he struck the creature, knocking it into the
corner of the tent with a thud that told it must
be completely stunned, if not killed.  "But
what's it all about, anyhow?" Tom asked.
"What's the row?"

From without the tent came the Indian cries of:

"Oshtoo!  Oshtoo!"

Mingled with them were calls of Jacinto, partly
in Spanish, partly in the Indian tongue and
partly in English.

"It is a raid by vampire bats!" was all Tom
and Ned could distinguish.  "We shall have
to light fires to keep them away, if we can suc-
ceed.  Every one grab up a club and strike hard!"

"Come on!" cried Tom, getting on some clothes
by the light of his gleaming electric light
which he had set on his cot.

"You're not going out there, are you?" asked Ned.

"I certainly am! If there's a fight I want to
be in it, bats or anything else.  Here, you have
a light like mine.  Flash it on, and hang it
somewhere on yourself.  Then get a club and
come on.  The lights will blind the bats, and
we can see to hit 'em!"

Tom's plan seemed to be a good one.  His
lamp and Ned's had small hooks on them, so
they could be carried in the upper coat pocket,
showing a gleam of light and leaving the hands
free for use.

Out of the tents rushed the young men to find
Professor Bumper and Mr. Damon before them.
The two men had clubs and were striking about
in the half darkness, for now the Indians had set
several fires aglow.  And in the gleams,
constantly growing brighter as more fuel was piled
on, the young inventor and his chum saw a
weird sight.

Circling and wheeling about in the camp clearing
were many of the black shadowy forms that
had caused Ned such alarm.  Great bats they
were, and a dangerous species, if Jacinto was
to be believed.

The uncanny creatures flew in and out among
the trees and tents, now swooping low near the
Indians or the travelers.  At such times clubs
would be used, often with the effect of killing or
stunning the flying pests.  For a time it seemed
as if the bats would fairly overwhelm the camp,
so many of them were there.  But the increasing
lights, and the attacks made by the Indians and
the white travelers turned the tide of battle, and,
with silent flappings of their soft, velvety wings,
the bats flew back to the jungle whence they had emerged.

"We are safe--for the present!" exclaimed
Jacinto with a sigh of relief.

"Do you think they will come back?" asked Tom.

"They may--there is no telling."

"Bless my speedometer!" cried Mr. Damon,
"If those beasts or birds--whatever they are--
come back I'll go and hide in the river and take
my chances with the alligators!"

"The alligators aren't much worse," asserted
Jacinto with a visible shiver.  "These vampire
bats sometimes depopulate a whole village."

"Bless my shoe laces!" cried Mr. Damon.  "You
don't mean to say that the creatures can eat up a
whole village?"

"Not quite.  Though they might if they got
the chance," was the answer of the Spanish
guide.  "These vampire bats fly from place to
place in great swarms, and they are so large and
blood-thirsty that a few of them can kill a horse
or an ox in a short time by sucking its blood.  So
when the villagers find they are visited by a
colony of these vampires they get out, taking
their live stock with them, and stay in caves or in
densely wooded places until the bats fly on.
Then the villagers come back.

"It was only a small colony that visited us to-
night or we would have had more trouble.  I do
not think this lot will come back.  We have
killed too many of them," and he looked about
on the ground where many of the uncanny creatures
were still twitching in the death struggle.

"Come back again!" cried Mr. Damon.  "Bless
my skin! I hope not! I've had enough of bats--
and mosquitoes," he added, as he slapped at his
face and neck.

Indeed the party of whites were set upon by
the night insects to such an extent that it was
necessary to hurry back to the protection of the
nets.

Tom and Ned kicked outside the bat the former
had killed in their tent, and then both went back
to their cots.  But it was some little time
before they fell asleep.  And they did not have
much time to rest, for an early start must be
made to avoid the terrible heat of the middle of
the day.

"Whew!" whistled Ned, as he and Tom arose
in the gray dawn of the morning when Jacinto
announced the breakfast which the Indian cook
had prepared.  "That was some night! If this
is a sample of the wilds of Honduras, give me
the tameness of Shopton."

"Oh, we've gone through with worse than
this," laughed Tom.  "It's all in the day's work.
We've only got started.  I guess we're a bit
soft, Ned, though we had hard enough work in
that tunnel-digging."

After breakfast, while the Indians were making
ready the canoes, Professor Bumper, who,
in a previous visit to Central America, had
become interested in the subject, made a brief
examination of some of the dead bats.  They were
exceptionally large, some almost as big as hawks.
and were of the sub-family _Desmodidae_, the scientist
said.

"This is a true blood-sucking bat," went on
the professor.  "This," and he pointed to the
nose-leaves, "is the sucking apparatus.  The
bat makes an opening in the skin with its sharp
teeth and proceeds to extract the blood.  I can
well believe two or three of them, attacking a
steer or mule at once, could soon weaken it so
the animal would die."

"And a man, too?" asked Ned.

"Well a man has hands with which to use
weapons, but a helpless quadruped has not.
Though if a sufficient number of these bats
attacked a man at the same time, he would have
small chance to escape alive.  Their bites, too,
may be poisonous for all I know."

The Indians seemed glad to leave the "place
of the bats," as they called the camp site.  Jacinto
explained that the Indians believed a vampire
could kill them while they slept, and they were
very much afraid of the blood-sucking bats.
There were many other species in the tropics,
Professor Bumper explained, most of which
lived on fruit or on insects they caught.  The
blood-sucking bats were comparatively few, and
the migratory sort fewer still.

"Well, we're on our way once more,"
remarked Tom as again they were in the canoes
being paddled up the river.  "How much
longer does your water trip take, Professor?"

"I hardly know," and Professor Bumper looked
to Jacinto to answer.

"We go two more days in the canoes," the
guide answered, "and then we shall find the
mules waiting for us at a place called Hidjio.
From then on we travel by land until--well until
you get to the place where you are going.

"I suppose you know where it is?" he added,
nodding toward the professor.  "I am leaving
that part to you."

"Oh, I have a map, showing where I want to
begin some excavations," was the answer.  "We
must first go to Copan and see what arrangements
we can make for laborers.  After that--well, we
shall trust to luck for what we shall find."

"There are said to be many curious things,"
went on Jacinto, speaking as though he had no
interest.  "You have mentioned buried cities.
Have you thought what may be in them--great
heathen temples, idols, perhaps?"

For a moment none of the professor's
companions spoke.  It was as though Jacinto had
tried to get some information.  Finally the
scientist said:

"Oh, yes, we may find an idol.  I understand
the ancient people, who were here long before
the Spaniards came, worshiped idols.  But we
shall take whatever antiquities we find."

"Huh!" grunted Jacinto, and then he called
to the paddlers to increase their strokes.

The journey up the river was not very
eventful.  Many alligators were seen, and Tom and
Ned shot several with the electric rifle.  Toward
the close of the third day's travel there was a
cry from one of the rear boats, and an alarm of
a man having fallen overboard was given.

Tom turned in time to see the poor fellow's
struggles, and at the same time there was a swirl
in the water and a black object shot forward.

"An alligator is after him!" yelled Ned.

"I see," observed Tom calmly.  "Hand me the rifle, Ned."

Tom took quick aim and pulled the trigger.
The explosive electric bullet went true to its
mark, and the great animal turned over in a death
struggle.  But the river was filled with them, and
no sooner had the one nearest the unfortunate
Indian been disposed of than another made a
dash for the man.

There was a wild scream of agony and then
a dark arm shot up above the red foam.  The
waters seethed and bubbled as the alligators
fought under it for possession of the paddler.
Tom fired bullet after bullet from his wonderful
rifle into the spot, but though he killed some
of the alligators this did not save the man's life.
His body was not seen again, though search was
made for it.

The accident cast a little damper over the
party, and there was a feeling of gloom among
the Indians.  Professor Bumper announced that
he would see to it that the man's family did not
want, and this seemed to give general satisfaction,
especially to a brother who was with the
party.

Aside from being caught in a drenching storm
and one or two minor accidents, nothing else
of moment marked the remainder of the river
journey, and at the end of the third day the
canoes pulled to shore and a night camp was
made.

"But where are the mules we are to use in
traveling to-morrow?" asked the professor of Jacinto.

"In the next village.  We shall march there
in the morning.  No use to go there at night
when all is dark."

"I suppose that is so."

The Indians made camp as usual, the goods being
brought from the canoes and piled up near
the tents.  Then night settled down.

"Hello!" cried Tom, awakening the next morning
to find the sun streaming into his tent.  "We
must have overslept, Ned.  We were to start
before old Sol got in his heavy work, but we
haven't had breakfast yet."

"I didn't hear any one call us," remarked Ned.

"Nor I.  Wonder if we're the only lazy birds."
He looked from the tent in time to see Mr.
Damon and the professor emerging.  Then Tom
noticed something queer.  The canoes were not
on the river bank.  There was not an Indian
in sight, and no evidence of Jacinto.

"What's the matter?" asked the young
inventor.  "Have the others gone on ahead?"

"I rather think they've gone back," was the
professor's dry comment.

"Gone back?"

"Yes.  The Indians seem to have deserted us
at the ending of this stage of our journey."

"Bless my time-table!" cried Mr. Damon.
"You don't say so! What does it mean?  What
has becomes of our friend Jacinto?"

"I'm afraid he was rather a false friend," was
the professor's answer.  "This is the note he left.
He has gone and taken the canoes and all the
Indians with him," and he held out a paper on
which was some scribbled writing.



CHAPTER XIII

FORWARD AGAIN


"What does it all mean?" asked Tom, seeing
that the note was written in Spanish, a tongue
which he could speak slightly but read indifferently.

"This is some of Beecher's work," was
Professor Bumper's grim comment.  "It seems that
Jacinto was in his pay."

"In his pay!" cried Mr. Damon.  "Do you mean
that Beecher deliberately hired Jacinto to betray us?"

"Well, no.  Not that exactly.  Here, I'll translate
this note for you," and the professor proceeded to read:


"Senors: I greatly regret the step I have to
take, but I am a gentleman, and, having given
my word, I must keep it.  No harm shall come
to you, I swear it on my honor!"


"Queer idea of honor he has!" commented Tom, grimly.

Professor Bumper read on:


"Know then, that before I engaged myself to
you I had been engaged by Professor Beecher
through a friend to guide him into the Copan
valley, where he wants to make some explorations,
for what I know not, save maybe that it
is for gold.  I agreed, in case any rival expeditions
came to lead them astray if I could.

"So, knowing from what you said that you
were going to this place, I engaged myself to you,
planning to do what I have done.  I greatly regret
it, as I have come to like you, but I had
given my promise to Professor Beecher's friend,
that I would first lead him to the Copan valley,
and would keep others away until he had had a
chance to do his exploration.

"So I have led you to this wilderness.  It is
far from the Copan, but you are near an Indian
village, and you will be able to get help in a week
or so.  In the meanwhile you will not starve, as
you have plenty of supplies.  If you will travel
northeast you will come again to Puerto Cortes
in due season.  As for the money I had from
you, I deposit it to your credit, Professor Beecher
having made me an allowance for steering rival
parties on the wrong trail.  So I lose nothing,
and I save my honor.

"I write this note as I am leaving in the night
with the Indians.  I put some harmless sedative
in your tea that you might sleep soundly, and not
awaken until we were well on our way.  Do not
try to follow us, as the river will carry us swiftly
away.  And, let me add, there is no personal
animosity on the part of Professor Beecher
against you.  I should have done to any rival
expedition the same as I have done with you.
                              JACINTO."


For a moment there was silence, and then Tom
Swift burst out with:

"Well, of all the mean, contemptible tricks
of a human skunk this is the limit!"

"Bless my hairbrush, but he is a scoundrel!"
ejaculated Mr. Damon, with great warmth.

"I'd like to start after him the biggest alligator
in the river," was Ned's comment.

Professor Bumper said nothing for several
seconds.  There was a strange look on his face,
and then he laughed shortly, as though the humor
of the situation appealed to him.

"Professor Beecher has more gumption than I gave
him credit for," he said.  "It was a clever trick!"

"Trick!" cried Tom.

"Yes.  I can't exactly agree that it was the
right thing to do, but he, or some friend acting
for him, seems to have taken precautions that
we are not to suffer or lose money.  Beecher
goes on the theory that all is fair in love and
war, I suppose, and he may call this a sort of
scientific war."

Ned wondered, as he looked at his chum, how
much love there was in it.  Clearly Beecher was
determined to get that idol of gold.

"Well, it can't be helped, and we must make
the best of it," said Tom, after a pause.

"True.  But now, boys, let's have breakfast,
and then we'll make what goods we can't take
with us as snug as possible, until we can send
the mule drivers after them," went on Professor
Bumper.

"Send the mule drivers after them?" questioned Ned.
"What do you mean to do?"

"Do?  Why keep on, of course.  You don't
suppose I'm going to let a little thing like this
stand between me and the discovery of Kurzon
and the idol of gold, do you?"

"But," began Mr. Damon, "I don't see how--"

"Oh, we'll find a way," interrupted Tom.  "It
isn't the first time I've been pretty well stranded
on an expedition of this kind, and sometimes
from the same cause--the actions of a rival.
Now we'll turn the tables on the other fellows
and see how they like it.  The professor's right
--let's have breakfast.  Jacinto seems to have
told the truth.  Nothing of ours is missing."

Tom and Ned got the meal, and then a
consultation was held as to what was best to be
done.

"We can't go on any further by water, that's
sure," said Tom.  "In the first place the river
is too shallow, and secondly we have no canoes.
So the only thing is to go on foot through the
jungle."

"But how can we, and carry all this stuff?"
asked Ned.

"We needn't carry it!" cried Professor Bumper.
"We'll leave it here, where it will be safe enough,
and tramp on to the nearest Indian village.
There we'll hire bearers to take our stuff on until
we can get mules.  I'm not going to turn back!"

"Good!" cried Mr. Damon.  "Bless my
rubber boots! but that's what I say--keep on!"

"Oh, no! we'll never turn back," agreed Tom.

"But how can we manage it?" asked Ned.

"We've just got to! And when you have
to do a thing, it's a whole lot easier to do than
if you just feel as though you ought to.  So,
lively is the word!" cried Tom, in answer.

"We'll pack up what we can carry and leave
the rest," added the scientist.

Being an experienced traveler Professor Bumper
had arranged his baggage so that it could
be carried by porters if necessary.  Everything
could be put into small packages, including the
tents and food supply.

"There are four of us," remarked Tom, "and if
we can not pack enough along with us to enable
us to get to the nearest village, we had better
go back to civilization.  I'm not afraid to try."

"Nor I!" cried Mr. Damon.

The baggage, stores and supplies that were
to be left behind were made as snug as possible,
and so piled up that wild beasts could do the
least harm.  Then a pack was made up for each
one to carry.

They would take weapons, of course, Tom
Swift's electric rifle being the one he choose for
himself.  They expected to be able to shoot
game on their way, and this would provide them
food in addition to the concentrated supply they
carried.  Small tents, in sections, were carried,
there being two, one for Tom and Ned and one
for Mr. Damon and the professor.

As far as could be learned from a casual
inspection, Jacinto and his deserting Indians had
taken back with them only a small quantity of
food.  They were traveling light and down
stream, and could reach the town much more
quickly than they had come away from it.

"That Beecher certainly was slick," commented
Professor Bumper when they were ready to
start.  "He must have known about what time
I would arrive, and he had Jacinto waiting for
us.  I thought it was too good to be true, to get
an experienced guide like him so easily.  But it
was all planned, and I was so engrossed in thinking
of the ancient treasures I hope to find that
I never thought of a possible trick.  Well, let's
start!" and he led the way into the jungle, carrying
his heavy pack as lightly as did Tom.

Professor Bumper had a general idea in which
direction lay a number of native villages, and it
was determined to head for them, blazing a path
through the wilderness, so that the Indians could
follow it back to the goods left behind.

It was with rather heavy hearts that the party
set off, but Tom's spirits could not long stay
clouded, and the scientist was so good-natured
about the affair and seemed so eager to do the
utmost to render Beecher's trick void, that the
others fell into a lighter mood, and went on
more cheerfully, though the way was rough and
the packs heavy.

They stopped at noon under a bower they made
of palms, and, spreading the nets over them, got a
little rest after a lunch.  Then, when the sun
was less hot, they started off again.

"Forward is the word!" cried Ned cheerfully.  "Forward!"'

They had no