第 8 节
作者:
一意孤行 更新:2021-02-19 18:24 字数:9320
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
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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; Radnot where we're going。 It's a
bad country。 Why the mosquitoes there bite holes in youraise 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。
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〃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
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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。 Damonyou
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 rivala man named
Beecher who is a member of the faculty of a new and wealthy college。〃
〃I heard him speak of himyes;〃 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?〃
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〃Yes; of course。 But what is worse; he and his party will leave New
York on the same steamer with us!〃
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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 statementan 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