Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel; Or, The Hidden City of the Andes

stor's

turned over to him to take to Mary. "Mah Landy! Dat suttinly am nice; Ah! Um! Jest laik some ob de old mahogany furniture

e admired the present. "I shore got t' put dat in a good box! An

to read-the name and address. Eradicate knew well enough where Mary lived, for t

gro, as he slowly turned the envelope around. "I

printed sign and tell him it read "Danger" or "Five miles to Branchville," or anything like that, and the next time he saw it, Eradicate would know what that sign said. He seemed to fix a picture

rner of the laboratory, and brought out a strong,

." Eradicate took some excelsior to pad the box, and then, dropping inside it

ers on the outside box, but Eradicate c

"An' I'll be mighty keerful ob it' laik Massa Tom tole me. H

with the letter in his hand, Eradicate, full of his own importance, set off for Miss Nesto

said he had received word from his brother in P

?" asked Mr. Titus. "I am afraid something has happened d

n after we do. Why yes, I can start to-night if we have to. I'

tus. "And say, Tom, do you think you

hy

some pretty rough characters in those Andes M

mentioned it. Now I'll call up Mr. Damon, and I'll

he eccentric man, when told of the change in

Swift. He told Koku to get ready to leave for New York at once, where he and the giant would j

o Miss Nestor?" asked Tom, later,

one did it. To

e to Mary over the telephone. I won't have tim

house on the wire.

for her," said the gir

l and say good-bye, but I'm in a terrible rush. I'll see he

glad to hear from you," for Tom and Mar

or New York. Eradicate begged to be taken along, but Tom gently

Mountains. Why, they have birds there, as big as cows,

orely so,

dictionary and read about the

n pick up a man in dere beaks, an' carry him off! Oh, my! No

railroad station, where they were to take a t

her mother informed her, "and said he was sorry h

him!" Mary exclaim

table. Eradicate bro

d the no

pt the little token, and to t

t it can be," she

advised Mr. Nestor, who

. A wooden box was exposed to view, a solid, oblong, wooden box, and

HANDLE W

murmured M

voice. "Quick! Get a pail of water! Dump it in the bathtub! Soak it go

with the intention of getting a pail o

claimed. "Don't

own up! This is some plot! I don't believe Tom sent this at al

e mistake. Tom did send this-I know his writing. And

t him put it in water, then it will be safe

dynamite. There must be a present for me in there. Tom must h

down, as did his wife, and a closer examination of the outer box

," Mary said. "I'll show y

tissue paper wrappings of the mahogany gift were revealed he gave a sigh of reli

I wonder how he knew? Oh, I just love it!"

f anger showing in his eyes. "It is a nice present, but t

t joke?" a

eled Dynamite, and giving us su

e didn't mean to do it!

! But, at any rate, it was a piece of gross carelessness on his part, and

!" expostu

esson. He was careless, if nothing worse, and, for all he knew, there might have been some stray bits of dyna

etter. He accused him of either perpetrating a joke, or of being careless, or both, and he int

't done it!" exclaimed Mr. Nestor, as he called

t Mary tried to get Tom on the wire and explain. However, she

was receiving the late afternoon mail from the postman, and just a

tor's letter, unopened, together with some other mail matter, which he t

ff on the first sta