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TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
TOM SWIFT IN THE
LAND OF WONDERS
BY VICTOR APPLETON
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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； youyou unscientific heathen；〃 answered Tom； with a
laugh at Ned。 〃Though that isn't saying such a machine couldn't be
invented。〃
〃I believe youthat 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。〃
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TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
〃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 onthe ‘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
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TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
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 younotice I use the word ‘sum；' which is very appropriate for a
bankthe 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
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TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
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 c