第12章

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 aboutit."

Koku seemed to be considering the matter.Strange as it may seem, thegiant, 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 withMary 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'saltogether 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!"