Tom Swift & his Big Tunnel(汤姆·史威夫特和他的大遂道)

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TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

TOM SWIFT AND HIS

BIG TUNNEL

(or The Hidden City of the Andes)

Victor Appleton

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

CHAPTER I

An Appeal for Aid

Tom Swift, seated in his laboratory engaged in trying to solve a

puzzling question that had arisen over one of his inventions, was startled

by a loud knock on the door. So emphatic, in fact, was the summons that

the door trembled, and Tom started to his feet in some alarm.

"Hello there!" he cried. "Don't break the door, Koku!" and then he

laughed. "No one but my giant would knock like that," he said to himself.

"He never does seem able to do things gently. But I wonder why he is

knocking. I told him to get the engine out of the airship, and Eradicate said

he'd be around to answer the telephone and bell. I wonder if anything has

happened?

Tom shoved back his chair, pushed aside the mass of papers over

which he had been puzzling, and strode to the door. Flinging it open he

confronted a veritable giant of a man, nearly eight feet tall, and big in

proportion. The giant, Koku, for that was his name, smiled in a good-

natured way, reminding one of an overgrown boy.

"Master hear my knock?" the giant asked cheerfully.

"Hear you, Koku? Say, I couldn't hear anything else!" exclaimed Tom.

"Did you think you had to arouse the whole neighborhood just to let me

know you were at the door? Jove! I thought you'd have it off the hinges."

"If me break, me fix," said Koku, who, from his appearance and from

his imperfect command of English, was evidently a foreigner.

"Yes, I know you can fix lots of things, Koku," Tom went on, kindly

enough. "But you musn't forget what enormous strength you have. That's

the reason I sent you to take the engine out of the airship. You can lift it

without using the chain hoist, and I can't get the chain hoist fast unless I

remove all the superstructure. I don't want to do that. Did you get the

engine out?"

"Not quite. Almost, Master."

"Then why are you here? Has anything gone wrong?"

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

"No, everything all right, Master. But man come to machine shop

and say he must have talk with you. I no let him come past the gate, but I

say I come and call you."

"That's right, Koku. Don't let any strangers past the gate. But why

didn't Eradicate come and call me. He isn't doing anything, is he? Unless,

indeed, he has gone to feed his mule, Boomerang."

"Eradicate, he come to call you, but that black man no good!" and

Koku chuckled so heartily that he shook the floor of the office.

"What's the matter with Eradicate?" asked Tom, somewhat anxiously.

"I hope you and he haven't had another row?" Eradicate had served Tom

and his father long before Koku, the giant, had been brought back from

one of the young inventor's many strange trips, and ever since then there

had been a jealous rivalry between the twain as to who should best serve

Tom.

"No trouble, Master," said Koku. "Eradicate he start to come and tell

you strange man want to have talk, but Eradicate he no come fast enough.

So I pick him up, and I set him down by gate to stand on guard, and I

come to tell you. Koku come quick!"

"Oh, I knew it must be something like that!" exclaimed Tom in some

vexation. "Now I'll have Eradicate complaining to me that you mauled

him. Picked him up and set him down again;

"Sure. One hand!" boasted the giant. "Eradicate him not be heavy.

More as a sack of flour now."

"No, poor Eradicate is getting pretty old and thin," commented Tom.

"He can't move very quickly. But you should have let him come, Koku. It

makes him feel badly when he thinks he can't be of service to me any

more.

"Man say he in hurry." The giant spoke softly, as though he felt the

gentle rebuke Tom administered. "Koku run quick tell you--bang on door."

"Yes, you banged all right, Koku. Well, it can't be helped, I reckon.

Where is this strange man? Who is he? Did you ever see him before?"

"Me no can tell, Master. Not sure. But him now be at the outer gate.

Eradicate watch."

"All right. I'll go and see who it is. I don't want any strangers poking

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

around here, especially With the plans of my new gyroscope lying in plain

view."

Before he left the laboratory Tom swept into a desk drawer the mass of

papers and blue prints, and locked the receptacle.

"No use taking any chances," he remarked. "I've had too much trouble

with people trying to get inside information about dad's and my patents.

Now, Koku, I'll go and see this man."

The buildings composing the plant of Tom Swift and his father at

Shopton were enclosed by a high, board fence, and at one of the entrances

was a sort of gate-house, where some one was always on guard. Only

those who could give a good account of themselves, workmen in the plant,

or those known to the sentinel were admitted.

It happened that the colored man, Eradicate, was on guard at the gates

this day when the stranger asked to see Tom. Koku, working on the airship

engine not far away, saw the stranger. Hearing the man say he was in a

hurry and noting the slow progress of the aged Eradicate, who was

troubled with rheumatism, the giant took matters into his own hands.

Tom Swift entered the gate-house and saw, seated in a chair, a man

who was impatiently tapping the floor with his thick-soled shoe.

"Looks like a detective or a policeman in disguise," thought Tom, for,

almost invariably, members of this profession wear very thick-soled shoes.

Opposite the stranger sat Eradicate, a much-injured look on his honest,

black face.

"Oh, Massa Tom!" exclaimed Eradicate, as soon as the young inventor

entered. "Dat Koku he--he--he done gone and cotch me by de collar ob

mah coat, an' den he lif' me up, an' he sot me down so hard--so hard--dat

he jar loose all mah back teef!" and Eradicate opened his mouth wide to

display his gleaming ivories.

"Eradicate, he no can come quick. He walk like so fashion!" and Koku,

who had followed the young inventor, imitated the limping gait of the

colored man with such a queer effect that Tom could not help laughing,

and the stranger smiled.

"Ef I gits holt on yo'--ef I does, yo' great, big, overgrown lummox,

Ah'll--Ah'll--" began the colored man, stammeringly.

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

"There. That will do now!" interrupted Tom. "Don't quarrel in here.

Koku, get back to that engine and lift out the motor. Eradicate, didn't

father tell you to whitewash the chicken coops to-day?"

"Dat's what he done, Massa Tom.

"Well, go and see about that. I'll stay here for a while, and when I

leave I'll call one of you, or some one else, to be on guard. Skip now!"

Having thus disposed of the warring factions, Tom turned to the

stranger and after apologizing for the little interruption, asked:

"You wished to see me?"

"If you're Tom Swift; yes."

"Well, I'm Tom Swift," and the young owner of the name smiled.

"I hope you will pardon a stranger for calling on you," resumed the

man, "but I'm in a lot of trouble, and I think you are the only one who can

help me out."

"What sort of trouble?" Tom inquired.

"Contracting trouble--tunnel blasting, to be exact. But if you have a

few minutes to spare perhaps you will listen to my story. You will then be

better able to understand my difficulty."

Tom Swift considered a moment. He was used to having appeals for

help made to him, and usually they were of a begging nature. He was often

asked for money to help some struggling inventor complete his machine.

In many cases the machines would have been of absolutely no use if

perfected. In other cases the inventions were of the utterly hopeless class,

incapable of perfection, like some perpetual motion apparatus. In these

cases Tom turned a deaf ear, though if the inventor were in want our hero

relieved him.

But this case did not seem to be like anything Tom had ever met with

before.

"Contracting trouble--blasting," repeated the youth, as he mused over

what he had heard.

"That's it," the man went on. "Permit me to introduce myself" and he

held out a card, on which was the name

MR. JOB TITUS

Down in the lower left-hand corner was a line:

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

"Titus Brothers, Contractors."

"I am glad to meet you, "Mr. Titus," Tom said warmly, offering his

hand. "I don't know anything about the contracting business, but if you do

blasting I suppose you use explosives, and I know a little about them."

"So I have heard, and that's why I came to you," the contractor went

on. "Now if you'll give me a few minutes of your time--"

"You had better come up to the house," interrupted Tom. "We can talk

more quietly there."

Calling a young fellow who was at work near by to occupy the gate-

house, Tom led Mr. Titus toward the Swift homestead, and, a little later,

ushered him into the library.

"Now I'll listen to you," the youth said, "though I can't promise to aid

you."

"I realize that," returned Mr. Titus. "This is a sort of last chance I'm

taking. My brother and I have heard a lot about you, and when he wrote to

me that he was unable to proceed with his contract of tunneling the Andes

Mountains for the Peruvian government, I made up my mind you were the

one who could help us if you would."

"Tunneling the Andes Mountains!" exclaimed Tom.

"Yes. The firm represented by my brother and myself have a contract

to build a railroad for the Peruvian government. At a point some distance

back in the district east of Lima, Peru, we are making a tunnel under the

mountain. That is, we have it started, but now we can't advance any

further."

"Why not?"

"Because of the peculiar character of the rock, which seems to defy the

strongest explosive we can get. Now I understand you used a powder in

your giant cannon that--"

Mr. Titus paused in his explanation, for at that moment there arose

such a clatter out on the front piazza as effectually to drown conversation.

There was a noise of the hoofs of a horse, the fall of a heavy body, a tattoo

on the porch floor and then came an excited shout:

"Whoa there! Whoa! Stop! Look out where you're kicking! Bless my

saddle blanket! Ouch! There I go!"

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

CHAPTER II

Explanations

"What in the world is that?" cried Mr. Job Titus, in alarm.

Tom Swift did not answer. Instead he jumped up from his chair and ran

toward the front door. Mr. Titus followed. They both saw a strange sight.

Standing on the front porch, which he seemed to occupy completely,

was a large horse, with a saddle twisted underneath him. The animal was

looking about him as calmly as though he always made it a practice to

come up on the front piazza when stopping at a house.

Off to one side, with a crushed hat on the back of his head, with a coat

split up the back, with a broken riding crop in one hand and a

handkerchief in the other, sat a dignified, elderly gentleman.

That is, he would have been dignified had it not been for his position

and condition. No gentleman can look dignified with a split coat and a

crushed hat on, sitting under the nose of a horse on a front piazza, with his

raiment otherwise much disheveled, while he wipes his scratched and

bleeding face with a handkerchief.

"Bless my--bless my--" began the elderly gentleman, and he seemed at

a loss what particular portion of his anatomy or that of the horse, to bless,

or what portion of the universe to appeal to, for he ended up with: "Bless

everything, Tom Swift!"

"I heartily agree with you, Mr. Damon!" cried Tom. "But what in the

world happened?"

"That!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, pointing with his broken crop at the

horse on the piazza. "I was riding him when he ran away--just as my

motorcycle tried to climb a tree. No more horses for me! I'll stick to

airships," and slamming his riding crop down on the porch floor with such

force that the horse started back, Mr. Damon arose, painfully enough if the

contortions on his face and his grunts of pain went for anything.

"Let me help you!" begged Tom, striding forward. "Mr. Titus, perhaps

you will kindly lead the horse down off the piazza?"

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

"Certainly!" answered the tunnel contractor. "Whoa now!" he called

soothingly, as the steed evinced a disposition to sit down on the side

railing. "Steady now!"

The horse finally allowed himself to be led down the broad front steps,

sadly marking them, as well as the floor of the piazza, with his sharp

shoes.

"Ouch! Oh, my back!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, as Tom helped him to

stand up.

"Is it hurt?" asked Tom, anxiously.

"No, I've just got what old-fashioned folks call a 'crick' in it,"

explained the elderly horseman. "But it feels more like a river than a

'crick.' I'll be all right presently."

"How did it happen?" asked Tom, as he led his guest toward the hall.

Meanwhile Mr. Titus, wondering what it was all about, had tied the horse

to a post out near the street curb, and had re-entered the library.

"I was riding over to see you, Tom, to ask you if you wouldn't go to

South America with me," began Mr. Damon, rubbing his leg tenderly.

"South America?" cried Tom, with a sudden look at Mr. Titus.

"Yes, South America. Why, there isn't anything strange in that, is there?

You've been to wilder countries, and farther away than that."

"Yes, I know--it's just a coincidence. Go on."

"Let me get where I can sit down," begged Mr. Damon. "I think that

crick in my back is running down into my legs, Tom. I feel a bit weak. Let

me sit down, and get me a glass of water. I shall be all right presently."

Between them Tom and Mr. Titus assisted the horseman into an easy

chair, and there, under the influence of a cup of hot tea, which Mrs.

Baggert, the housekeeper, insisted on making for him, he said he felt much

better, and would explain the reason for his call which had culminated in

such a sensational manner.

And while Mr. Damon is preparing his explanation I will take just a

few moments to acquaint my new readers with some facts about Tom

Swift, and the previous volumes of this series in which he has played such

prominent parts.

Tom Swift was the son of an inventor, and not only inherited his

TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL

father's talents, but had greatly added to them, so that now Tom had a

wonderful reputation.

Mr. Swift was a widower, and he and Tom lived in a big house in

Shopton, New York State, with Mrs. Baggert for a housekeeper. About the

house, from time to time, shops and laboratories had been erected, until

now there was a large and valuable establishment belonging to Tom and

his father.

The first volume of this series is entitled, "Tom Swift and His Motor

Cycle." It was through a motor cycle that Tom became acquainted with Mr.

Wakefield Damon, who lived in a neighboring town. Mr. Damon had

bought the motor cycle for himself, but, as he said, one day in riding it the

machine tried to climb a tree near the Swift house.

The young inventor (for even then he was working on several patents)

ministered to Mr. Damon, who, disgusted with the motor cycle, and

wishing to reward Tom, let the young fellow have the machine.

Tom's career began from that hour. For he learned to ride the motor

cycle, after making some improvements in it, and from then on the youth

had led a busy life. Soon afterward he secured a motor boat and from that

it was but a step to an airship.

The medium of the air having been conquered, Tom again turned his

attention to the water, or rather, under the water, and he and his father

made a submarine. Then he built an electric runabout, the speediest car on

the road.

It was when Ton Swift had occasion to send his wireless message from

a lonely island where he had been shipwrecked that he was able to do Mr.

and Mrs. Nestor a valuable service, and this increased the regard which

Miss Mary Nestor felt for the young inventor, a regard that bid fair, some

day, to ripen into something stronger.

Tom Swift might have made a fortune when he set out to discover the

secret of the diamond makers. But Fate intervened, and soon after that

quest he went to the caves of ice, where he and his friends met with

disaster. In his sky racer Tom broke all records for speed, and when he

went to Africa to rescue a missionary, had it not been for his electric rifle

the tide of battle would have gone against him and his party.

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TOMSWIFTANDHISBIGTUNNEL1TOMSWIFTANDHISBIGTUNNEL(orTheHiddenCityoftheAndes)VictorAppletonTOMSWIFTANDHISBIGTUNNEL2CHAPTERIAnAppealforAidTomSwift,seatedinhislaboratoryengagedintryingtosolveapuzzlingquestionthathadarisenoveroneofhisinventions,wasstartledbyaloudknockonthedoor.Soemphatic,infact,wasthesumm...

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Tom Swift & his Big Tunnel(汤姆·史威夫特和他的大遂道)

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